What are the different roles you have taken on related to your experiences and where you currently are?
The interviewer asks: Tell me about yourself.
This common interview questions seems simple, but is actually one people find the most difficult to answer. It is not a time to tell your life story. It is not a time to go item-by-item through your resume. It is you first and best chance to pitch why you are the right person for the job.
One recommended way to handle this question is to use a present-past-future approach. Your response includes your present (describe where you currently are, what you are currently doing), past (describe your past experiences and skills), and future (describe your goals and where you are planning to go, what you hope you can do for the company).
Your task:
Spend about 5 minutes thinking about and writing down your response to this interview question.
In generating your response think about:
(1) The self as a social actor – what are the different roles you have taken on related to your experiences and where you currently are?
(2) The self as motivated agent – what are your values and goal? What actions can you take to achieve those goals & maintain your values?
(3) The self as autobiographical author – how have you become the person you are today? How will you become the person you envision in your future?
