As a college student, or even a student that’s on the verge of graduating, you’re going to find that the job world is a fun place to be in when it comes to job interviews.  You can probably notice my sarcasm as I write this.  That dreaded question, “Tell me about yourself.” is always going to come up and you’re probably wondering how the heck you answer it.

When you’re asked this question, here are a few tips and tricks that you can use, in order to make yourself stand out.

#1 Give as much information as possible: This doesn’t mean that you have to sit here and give your life story.  Instead, try and cram as much information as you can into that minute, or so.  You’re going to know that this question is potentially coming, so be prepared!

#2 Don’t lie: If you didn’t make a million dollars for a company before, don’t do it.  Liars will always be caught, and if you think you can get away with things in this technological era, you’re wrong!  Just be honest, and let them know what you’re all about.

#3 Relate it to work: You don’t have to tell them that you love to gamble on Saturdays, and that you fish over at Lake whatever every Wednesday with your buddy Bob.  The companies don’t care about this.  They want to know how you’re going to be a great investment for their company.

#4 Make it snappy: If your answer is longer than 2 minutes, you’re putting the interviewee to sleep.  Instead of sitting there and mumbling on and on, create a chart highlighting what they want to hear.  If you saved a company $10,000 in fees last time, let them know.  The question to ask here is, “What makes you the best?”

Those are some tips that you can keep in mind when you’re telling them about yourself.  Also, I would highly recommend that you follow a format such as this one…

  • Introduce yourself – State your name and where you’re from.
  • Tell them where you graduated and what kind of degree you received, and when you received it.
  • Let them know where you worked last.  From when to when?
  • Name at least 1 or 2 things that you have accomplished in the past.  You want to boast about yourself here.
  • Let them know why you’re applying – How are you going to make this company better?

These questions shouldn’t be that hard to answer.  Again, make them short and sweet.

As you can see, it’s not going to take that long to answer this question.  Many interview candidates make it a lot harder than it seems.  Prepare the night before, and you should be set to go!