Saying I’ve interviewed a lot of candidates is an understatement. Think thousands. Each interview is a little different, depending on the person, the job they’re applying for, their years of experience and numerous other factors. However, there are a handful of common interview questions that typically appear in one form or another.
I could talk for hours about the best way to answer them, but for now, here’s a bit of a “cheat sheet” on why the question is being asked and the overall gist of how you may want to answer it.
1 / Tell me about yourself.
Why they’re asking: They’ve read your resume, but want additional “color” on it. Basically, they want you to talk through the story behind your career path and talk through the things they just can’t read on paper. Mostly, this is your reasoning behind why you’ve made the different job moves you’ve made and what you’re working toward.
How you should answer: The best way to answer this is to start at the beginning of your education or work experience and work your way to the present moment. The key here is to make sure all the experiences you’re talking about somehow connect to one another and lead you toward a deliberate goal. Interviewers are looking for you to be thoughtful about your career choices. An example would be, “I chose to study psychology in college because I’m interested in people and the way they think. And after really loving a class I took in organizational psychology, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in human resources,” and so on. You want to connect the dots.