31 Days
Day 24

Sell
Yourself

Volume 10

It sounds like such a simple, obligatory question. "So, tell me a little about yourself ..." Whether it's asked of you at a job interview, on a date or sitting down with your significant other's parents, this kind of open-ended inquiry can be daunting and difficult to answer. A short, halting answer can come off as dismissive while a rambling and scattered response will surely set your first impression off on the wrong foot. Here's how to answer that loaded question without breaking a sweat.

Keep It Brief

Think of this as your elevator pitch, the quick speech that succinctly describes who you are, what you do and what you're looking to accomplish in the future. You want to keep it between 30 and 60 seconds, no need to overwhelm your audience with easily forgettable details. You want it to be engaging—the outcome of your pitch should evoke conversation.

Know Your Brand

Sharon Napier, CEO of advertising agency Partners + Napier says that you should think of yourself as a brand in order to sell yourself. "The most successful brands know themselves: their purpose, mission and values," she says, referencing Red Bull, Chipotle and Apple. "Likewise, employers are looking for people who know and live their 'brand purpose,' because with clarity comes passion."

Know Your Audience

Having a short and memorable answer to the "tell me about yourself" question will give you a boost of confidence (and definitely a head start on job hunting). But you also need to think about to whom you're giving your answer to—an interviewer will want to hear something slightly different than a person you just met at a party.

Show, Don't Tell

You want to illustrate your point, not simply state it. Don't simply say you're collaborative to an interviewer. That sounds hollow. But if you talk about your experience as the captain of a sports team or how you were integral to the completion of a huge project, it says much more than an empty buzzword.

Make It Memorable

"Mention something very, very hard to forget about you that separates you from the rest," says Tim Ferris. A unique, funny or just random fact about you (like you play a mean ukulele, can list all the cities that have hosted an Olympics or that you used to be in the military and worked on an aircraft carrier) can lead to some promising follow-up questions. Or at the very least make you stand out.

Volume 10   //   2018

31 Days is back ... And 2018 marks its tenth iteration. When we started this a decade ago, we never imagined that these daily guides to being better men would take off and become one of Valet.'s most popular series of all time. So thank you for your continued support and belief in our mission. This year, we're focusing on productivity—ways in which you can streamline and improve your days to make your job less stressful, your work more efficient and your life run just a bit more smoothly. It's time to raise your game.

  • 1
    Get a Jump Start
    on Your Day
  • 2
    Slow Day?
    Energize!
  • 3
    The Power of
    Saying "No"
  • 4
    Faster Haircut =
    Better Haircut
  • 5
    Casey Neistat on
    Productivity
  • 6
    Weatherproof
    Your Sneakers
  • 7
    Save Money
    Traveling
  • 8
    Work
    Slower
  • 9
    Stay in
    Shape
  • 10
    The "Good Day"
    Drug
  • 11
    Get Bumped ...
    for Good
  • 12
    Tim Ferriss on
    Doing It All
  • 13
    Essential
    Style Hacks
  • 14
    Get a
    Raise
  • 15
    Get
    Shit Done
  • 16
    A Successful
    Morning
  • 17
    Change
    Your Focus
  • 18
    Streamline
    Your Grooming
  • 19
    Jeff Bezos on
    Making Decisions
  • 20
    Fixing a
    Bad Haircut
  • 21
    Learn a
    New Hobby
  • 22
    Dress for
    Success
  • 23
    Success at
    Any Age
  • 24
    Sell
    Yourself
  • 25
    Get Out of
    a Meeting
  • 26
    Jay-Z on the
    Keys to Success
  • 27
    Bad Breath
    Hacks
  • 28
    Master Your
    Credit Cards
  • 29
    Productivity
    Myths
  • 30
    The First
    5 Minutes
  • 31
    Be Better at
    Flirting