As a job candidate, you know there are some questions you’re almost always going to get during an interview. One of them is “tell me about yourself.” And, as one of Jackson’s top employment agencies, we at Staffers know it’s one of the most dreaded questions for a reason. It’s so open-ended that you often can’t decide how to answer. Do you start talking about your childhood? Do you skip ahead to your most recent job? Do you talk about why you’re looking for a new position? It’s hard to know what a hiring manager wants.

To help you answer this question – and ace your next interview, follow these tips:

  • Talk about today. Start your answer by talking about where you are in your career today. For instance, what is your current position, and what are your skills, experience and most recent accomplishments?
  • Talk about yesterday. Next, segue into discussing your past experience that’s most relevant to the job you’re interviewing for. That’s not to say you should offer a laundry list of every job you’ve ever held; you should simply be talking about the details you think the hiring manager will be most interested in.
  • Talk about the future. Finally, talk about where you’d like to be. Explain why you’re making a move and what you hope to get out of it. Also, discuss why you’re excited about this particular opportunity. Doing so will demonstrate to the hiring manager that you’ve done your homework.

Since you know you’re likely going to get this question in at least one interview, don’t just wing it. Prepare for it.

You can start by writing down your strengths and skills that are most relevant to the position.In other words, what are three to five details you think the hiring manager really wants to know about you?

Once you have a list, create a script for your answer. Doing so will ensure you don’t forget any important details and are well prepared walking into the interview.

Finally, practice your answer before the interview. That’s not to say you need to repeat it verbatim. You want to sound natural and conversational. But doing so will help you stay on track during the interview.

Even if you are not asked the “tell me about yourself” question, you can use your answer to it to respond to other questions. And the more you can sell yourself, the better chance you’ll have of landing the job.

Do you need more help finding your next great job opportunity? Contact the experts at Staffers, Inc. As one of Jackson’s top employment agencies we can give you access to leading employers and the best jobs in the area. Search Jackson jobs now or contact us today to learn more.

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