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