“Tell me about yourself!” How many times have you heard this in a job interview? How you respond can make all the difference in the outcome. How do you stand out from the pack in a clear, concise and memorable way? Every business professional, whether you are in the job market or not, needs a personal brand statement that quickly outlines your value in the workplace. Think of it as your personal elevator speech.
Preparation is key. How much do you know about the person with whom you are interviewing? How much do you know about the company? You must do more research that just visiting the company website. Can you connect with someone who works there? Do you have an accurate overview of the needs of the organization? What do you know about the culture of the company? Is it a good fit for you? In order to position yourself as a viable candidate, you must invest some time getting to know your intended audience and what they care about?
The next step is figuring out your story. What makes you a good choice for this company? Communicating your value to a prospective employer can be easier if you put yourself in their place. For each one of your strengths, you want to have a short impactful example. I learned a quick easy formula to telling stories in a job interview: P.A.R. “P” stands for Problem, “A” stands for Action, and “R” stands for results.
You can give a brief example of an accomplishment by saying, “This was the problem, here’s what I did about it, and these were the results.” You can also use it for hypothetical situations. Have a PAR for every one of your strongest assets as a candidate for the position. Keep them fresh and relevant to each job opening.
So the next time someone says to you, “Tell me about yourself,” you can confidently respond with a short, memorable positioning statement.