Tell me about yourself. It's the first question in almost every English interview. It's the one everyone practices for and sounds the easiest but its also the one most wrong.
As a business owner, I've asked it more times than I can count. Here's what I usually hear:
"My name is Kevin. I was born in Taichung. I have one older sister. My hobbies are reading and hiking."
That's the 自我介紹 we all learned in school. It's perfect for a classroom. In an interview, we have already put you in the do not call pile. It's honestly wasting everyone's time.
What we're really asking
"Tell me about yourself" really means: "Why are you sitting in this chair?" or "Why do you want this job?"
They want your work story, not your life story. And they want it short.
The 3-part answer: Present, Past, Future
- Present: what you do now, and one result you're proud of.
- Past: how you got here, and one thing you learned on the way.
- Future: why this job is the next step.
That's it. About 120 words. About 60 seconds. The longer version is in our soon to be published book about job interviews. I'll tell you about it later.
Fill in the blanks
- Present: "Right now I'm a ___ at ___, where I ___."
- Past: "Before that, I ___, which is where I learned ___."
- Future: "That's why I'm excited about this role: ___."
A sample answer
Right now I'm a project manager at a semi-conductor company in Hsinchu. I lead a team of six and manage product launches for clients in the US and Europe.
Before that, I spent four years in quality control at a different company. In that job I learned to find problems before the customer do and it still is the part of my career that I'm proudest of.
This past year I've worked more with overseas clients. I realized this is very exciting but challenging. That's why I'm excited about this role. This role is more client-facing, and it's a chance to grow into a regional position.
No birthplace. No hobbies. Every sentence answers "Why are you in this chair?"
Three mistakes to avoid
- Reading your resume out loud. They have it. Tell them the story behind it.
- Memorizing it word for word. Memorized answers sound like "Fine, thank you, and you?" Memorize the three parts, not the sentences.
- Going over two minutes. If they want more, they'll ask. That's a good sign.
Why now?
In Taiwan, a lot of people start looking for a new job after the year-end bonus. The interviews come fast after Lunar New Year.
Start practicing now. Say your answer out loud every day this week. Time it. Record it. Listen back. It'll feel awkward on day one and natural by day five. The first 60 seconds decide how they hear the next 30 minutes. Make them count.
Want to practice with someone who has sat on the other side of the table? Book a 1-on-1 session.
