Hey Gossip Girl! I bet you love secrets just as much as I do; therefore, I am going to let you in on one of my fave’s. Don’t tell ok? On second thought.....let’s tell everybody!
When in an interview and the hiring manager asks you, “tell me about yourself,” what do you say? Does the hiring manager want you to talk about your hobbies? Your work history? Your education? Your family? Where do you start? Ugh. I was stumped by this enquiry myself, until I learned a little trick. Lean in a little closer so I can whisper to you my secret: Utilize the acronym W.E.P.! W.E.P. stands for:
Work history
Education and training
Personal
Remember this acronym and you will never fret the dreaded enquire tell me about yourself again. For example, my friend Blair has an interview for a retail position. The hiring manager asks, “tell me about yourself Blair.” Blair may answer something like this:
I have worked in the customer service industry for 5 years including 2.5 years in retail. My education and training consists of 1+ years post secondary in Fashion Marketing and I am World Host certified which validates my skills in customer service. Something personal about myself is that I am extremely customer focused, great with conflict resolution, and I love to stay on the cutting edge of fashion.
What do you think? Blair has given a very strong and well-rounded answer in my opinion. Remember, when speaking of your work history, to quantify your years of experience if possible and leave out anything that is not relevant. For example, if Blair also worked in landscaping for 1 year, she is likely going to leave that information out. When speaking of education and training, you can always use high school, post secondary, or any certifications you may have received that are relevant to the position. Again, if Blair also has her Serving it Right, she is not going to mention it in her retail interview. Furthermore, something personal about yourself could be soft skills, hard skills, or even relevant hobbies.
Essentially, when the hiring manager asks you to tell him/her something about yourself, they are asking you to sell yourself in 30 seconds or less; so, provide only the highlights. We could call this your 30 second commercial; you will find that having a 30 second commercial will benefit you in other areas of your life also—not just in the interview.
Happy job shopping!
