Q: Tell Me About Yourself? A:?

If there’s one question that I had the hardest time answering it’s “tell me about yourself?” It could be at an interview, or with clients before/after a meeting, or even just striking up a conversation with a stranger while waiting for a train/plane/coffee/etc.

The problem that I and most others have with this question is that it can go anywhere. Do I talk about where I’m from? Or what I do? Or about the type of music I like, or sports teams I root for? The questions are endless. It wasn’t until after thinking about all the different ways that I’ve answered this questions did I realize that the ambiguity of the question is the best part.

You probably found this page because you saw a link on my Facebook or LinkedIn. Regardless, it’s my understanding that you came here to learn about who I am in a social and/or professional setting. I’ve included plenty of content about who I am and my experiences in college and professional life. These are great examples of what you would want to learn about someone in an initial interaction. I put my best foot forward by providing you with the best possible picture of me. Now, how you answer this question succinctly in a real world setting, that takes practice. Here’s what has helped guide me…

  • Take an inventory of your accomplishments, especially those that you were personally responsible for. Don’t be shy to talk about what you learned from your failures too.
  • Silence can be used to think about what was just said and what you’re about to say, don’t be scared of it.
  • Ask questions, but don’t take it personal if people don’t want to open up

I want to believe that at some point in our life we see certain people as being unapproachable. I needed to be reminded that we’re all human.

I’d like to believe that I’m pretty good at speaking with people, but I maintain that I can still trip over my own words. Sure, there are times that I’m not so confident or have anxiety for a number of reasons (even for no reason). So what if I do? It’ll just be a story to tell the next time I meet someone new.