5 Great Ways To Stand Out

Posted by in Career Advice




During an interview, my least favorite question is always the one that comes first. You know the one - it's "So, tell me about yourself.". It's a tricky one to answer because on one hand, you don't want to give your life story while on the other hand, you don't want to bore them or sound just like everyone else

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So, how can you stand out?



There are several ways that you can answer the question, but my favorite is to answer it in a way that makes you memorable. When formulating your reply, you have to understand that in reality, the interviewer doesn't care that much about who you are. The content itself isn't the main thing. What the employer really hopes to achieve with the question is to break the ice and get a general idea about your confidence and enthusiasm. You're goal is to make them interested in who you are.



You can accomplish that by having a creative way to let them know who you are, while making yourself someone who is difficult to forget. Of course, I don't mean that you should be theatrical or resort to elaborate pranks or jokes, because while those things make you memorable, it isn't in a good way.



Here are 5 great ways to answer the question "Tell me about yourself."



"My favorite quote is" - if there is a quote that you especially like and you think it sums up your outlook or the way you live your life, share it with the interviewer. Not only will it tell them something about you, but it will show that you're someone who thinks that personal development is important and that you are self-motivated. For example, "One of my favorite quotes is by Mother Teresa. "I do not do great things. I do small things, with great love." For me, it is a reminder that it's the small things, the details, that make the difference. We can all achieve great things by starting small and giving our best."



"My personal philosophy is" - Start by sharing your personal philosophy. It shows that you are a thinker and someone who has the potential to be a star. For example, "I have a ceramic Buddha bank on my counter. When I come home, I throw my coins into it. It serves as a reminder of my personal philosophy that change comes from within. If I'm not happy with something in my life, I am the only one who can change it. I can choose to react differently or accept whatever is causing me unhappiness. I can choose to be happy. This philosophy helps me be more aware and more focused on personal responsibility. It makes me more flexible and allows me to take a step back and think outside of the box."



"The people I have worked with in the past say that I'm" - This answer helps show your level of self-awareness. Just make sure that the things you say are actually things that people have said about you in the past. Of course, feel free to leave out anything you think doesn't make you look your best.



"I am passionate about" - Depending on the job you are applying for, talking about your passion can be a great way to answer the question - especially if you are passionate about something that relates to the job. Not only does it make a great impression, talking about the things you love will raise your enthusiasm and let the employer see you with your face lit up with excitement.



"I did a web search on myself and this is what I found" - This can be a funny and memorable way to answer the question. For example, you could say, "I googled myself just this morning. I found out that I have a reputation as a great salesperson, I spend a lot of time hiking and taking pictures of amazing views and evidently, I have a very sick dog in Montana." If you choose this approach, make sure that you actually do a search on yourself and use the results. Also, it's a good idea to mix in one thing that came up in the search, but that isn't true, just to add a little more humor to your response.



I hope that these 5 suggestions will help inspire you to come up with some creative answers of your own. How do you answer the question? Please share your thoughts in the comments.



 

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  • Lee L.
    Lee L.

    Ive been an industrial painter for the biggest part of 25 years. Now i have a back injury and the state has denyed my claim. Im 50 yrs old. Im not computer smart i dont have secretarial skills.. i need help finding a new career. I really dont know what i can do that wont cause me pain

  • Jason Marcus
    Jason Marcus

    don't google yourself or reply to your own comments

  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy
    Thanks so much! These are just a few different ways to answer the question. They aren't meant to be the perfect answers, but I hoped they would help get the creative juices flowing.Kathie - I'm sorry that you discriminate against Buddhists. It wasn't meant as a religious statement, just another way to look at telling your story.
  • Mary W
    Mary W
    Thank you! I always wondered how to answer that question.
  • Dana G
    Dana G
    great articles the ? tell me about myself is tricky I now have a chance to answer with lots of different things  
  • Sheryl M
    Sheryl M
    This was an amazing tip and most definately worth the read.  I always used to get stuck with this question at interviews and actually still do but now i am going to make an effort to answer it less personally but more proffessionally.THank you!
  • Kim S
    Kim S
    Great advice. Things I would have never thought of. Will use all that u read. Thank u for posting.
  • Frank K
    Frank K
    Very helpful - TY
  • Kathie B
    Kathie B
    I wouldn't be impressed with the Buddha bank answer; it would definitely turn me off if I was interviewing someone as Buddha is a religious figure so if you're not of that faith it could be a real turn off.
  • Brenda M
    Brenda M
    Excellent suggustions, very helpful.
  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy
    Thank you all for the great comments. They mean so much to me!  I hope that the tips helped you think about how to break the ice and convey what you're all about.
  • sumit t
    sumit t
    I AM GREATFULL TO YOU BCOZ IT IS NOT ONLY HELPFUL FOR FRESH CANDIDATES RATHER IT IS MUCH HELPFUL FOR EXPERIENCED PERSON ALSO
  • Harry R
    Harry R
    Thanks for the tips very helpful
  • Marianne n
    Marianne n
    very informative... send more
  • Nicholas D
    Nicholas D
    This is a very informative and free counsel we often ignore.It is very helpful indeed.Thank you very much.
  • matthew d
    matthew d
    i think that this was very informative and i will be applying these tip on my next interview
  • Donna J
    Donna J
    I feel like I did three of the things in the article when I went on my interview but still didn't get a call back so now what to do.
  • sheila w
    sheila w
    this article is very helpful
  • jacqueline j
    jacqueline j
    I  am so thrilled to know of this awesome information,  keep up the good  work
  • Sadie R
    Sadie R
    very informative article
  • daisy y
    daisy y
    Good stuff !!! especially the one by Mother Teresa.
  • Annette H
    Annette H
    I hope this works!  Thank you.  If anything, it gave me a lot of prospective.
  • Mark O
    Mark O
    What you have written are good ideas and you need to research for greater ideas that can give the employer very high hope of getting the right candidate.Thank you for what you have come up with.
  • Cynthia S
    Cynthia S
    This is a great article -- some very clever and new ways to respond to the old chestnut, "Tell me about yourself." I will print this article and remember it.  Good show!
  • Shannon K
    Shannon K
    I was told when asked this question, this is the time to give your qualities and what would make you a great candidate for the position your interviewing for. So who knows, whatever works.
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