As soon as you send in your CV for your dream job, get prepared to answer the most popular question on the job market; "Tell me about yourself?".

At every point in life, one has to make some form of introduction to someone or a group of people. It may have been to introduce yourself to your friend, a presentation, pitch or even a talking stage.

Life does have many introductions. However, of all these introductions, the one that seems "dire" is done for a job interview. This is because you have to sell yourself in such a short amount of time, and your words are considered.

Do you even know yourself well enough to sell yourself? Yet the interviewer expects you to dish him the tea on your life as if he has been a long-lost best friend (that doesn't mean an informal response, though).

Nonetheless, being prepared beforehand gets you to ace this question with better clarity and confidence.

Here are some things the interviewer is looking out for;

1. Your name and current status in your life, your background - which is more than your CV.

Initially, the interviewer wants to know basic information about you, which is certainly not a repetition of your CV but an exposition. It's important to note that how a recent graduate may answer this part differs from how someone with about 5+ years of working experience may answer. This is because the nature of their background differs, but that is in no way an excuse to sell yourself short. Hence, highlight your past job experiences and the qualifications you bring to the table.

2. Your values, what you stand for, and how they align with the company's values.

The point of this question is to assess you as an individual and what you stand for. The point of an interview is to get to know the person beyond their credentials; hence this point is essential in giving the interviewer a glimpse of the "real" you. A good addition would be to research the company values beforehand to know how it aligns with your values and pinpoint those strong points in delivering your answer.

3. Futuristic thinking and how the company fits into it.

Every company knows that you would not be there for a lifetime, yet they wish they could keep you for a lifetime. Thus, they want to know if your goals for your next 5+ years include them, but more importantly, they would like to know how to support you with career progression and if your plans align with theirs. Also, interviewers use this question to assess the interviewee's mind and how they think, whether you are a goal-getter or enjoy the simpler things in life.

4. Your whys

This is the best time to sell yourself. Why did you apply for this job? Why are you the best candidate? Why is this company the best fit for you as a person and for the role you applied for? Answering this question as part of "Tell me about yourself" enables you to control the interview by dishing out the information the interviewer seeks without them asking for it.

These are the significant pointers you should put together in answering the ultimate question, "Tell me about yourself". Remember there is no time limit to answer this question, but don't drag on and on about it; 1 to 3 minutes should be fine. Also, pay attention to the interviewer's facial expressions to know which points to dwell on and which to brush over quickly.

In a bid to allow room for creativity, let's look at some things the interviewer is NOT looking for:

1. Personal and Sensitive Information

Like a talking stage, you never know what you might say that may be a turn-off in employing you; hence you don't have to engage them in sensitive personal details. These include; your family size, your hometown, marital status, and religious and political affiliations.

For example, a girl was interviewed about becoming the dispensary prefect in high school. The interviewer asked her what she thought of the sight of blood, and she casually responded, "Oh, I can lick my blood". In that instance, I knew she had lost the position because even though she was trying to communicate that she was not afraid of the sight of blood, the personal information she added was unnecessary. She could have said, "No, I am not afraid of the sight of blood".

2. A Rehearsed Chorus

Interviews are meant to be conversations, a way to get to know someone through their talk. Thus, rehearsing or memorising responses leaves little room for an excellent conversation. Imagine if you had a friend who always has a memorised response for every question. At a point, you would be tired of talking to them because you would start to feel that the conversations are no longer fruitful, which renders the friendship useless.

3. A Regurgitation of Your CV

As I mentioned above, interviews are meant to see who they are employing beyond the CV. Summarising the points of your CV to the interviewer is a no-no. The closest you can do is to expound on your CV and talk more about the experiences that came with those job opportunities. Understand that the interviewer has already read your resume; that's you were called in for an interview, so don't let them lose interest by regurgitating your CV.

Take the "tell me about yourself" question like a young man looking to toast a lady. We can all agree that the first few minutes of that answer can lead to a second date or an outright rejection. So give it your best shot! You're a fantastic person everyone should know about, but you know how best to sell that, so don't sell yourself short.

All the best!

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