Public Finance Blog

Tell Me About Yourself. 

Those four little words, as innocuous as they sound, set the temperature of the next hour in your first interviews.  Every interview starts with, “Tell me about yourself,” and how you answer that opening volley will set the tone for the temperature of your job interview.  Four little words.

Your Job Interview’s Starting Point

You would think that those four little words are easy to answer, but are they?  And where do you start?  Do you begin with where you were born and end at your current position?  Or maybe you start from your last day in college as you look and secure your first position?  I am here to share that it just does not matter where you begin; it’s how you answer the question that is so crucial.  The answer just does not matter.  In answering those four little words, a hiring manager gets to create their initial impression of you in your job interview.  Remember: you never get a second chance to make a first impression.  It’s the confidence that you display when answering the question that is incredibly important.

Time To Display Your Skills

By answering the question in your job interview, the hiring manager gets to see your train of thought.  Are you wandering through an open forest, or do you take a direct path?  Do your thoughts sequentially follow each other so someone can get a feel for your organized thinking, or are you a person who elaborates, wanders, and/or drifts in various directions as you answer the question?  The more confident, direct-minded person is clearly going to make a greater impression on the hiring manager.  Being direct with a very specific line of thought is going to demonstrate your ability to present, and not only to a hiring manager but to others that you will inevitably come in contact with during your day-to-day activities.

Your Foresight For Your Job Interview

You can practice and rehearse the answer to the question, but it’s going to be your natural ability to present yourself that is going to stand out as clear as day.  Knowing that you will receive this question, as most likely the first question, is the one you should be prepared for.  What lasting first impression do you want to leave?  Which bit of information do you want to share that is going to move your candidacy forward?   How do you want to set the pace for the remainder of the interview?  These are all things that come out of that simple but very important question, “Tell me about yourself.” And you need to hit the ball out of the park with your answer if you expect to continue to run the bases of your job interview.

Conclusion

You don’t need a resume to chat with us! If you would like to discuss your options, please reach out for a confidential conversation at 760-477-1284 or email at harlan@hfriedmansearch.com. He can also be reached on LinkedIn. Harlan publishes a blog every Thursday here. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here, which is a compilation of our weekly blogs, so you never miss one. We have also been mentioned in Forbes this year, click HERE to read more.  

About Harlan Friedman, JD & Founding Member, H. Friedman Search LLC. Harlan is a thirty-year veteran Public Finance Banker turned recruiter who specializes in the placement of all levels Public Finance Bankers, Healthcare Bankers, Municipal Advisors, Compliance Officers, Issuers, and Bond Counsels.