Job Interviews: Don't Walk Them Through Your Resume
The best “tell me about yourself” interview answer is not a walk through your resume.
That puts everyone to sleep.
The best answer puts you in one box, explains that box with an early memory, and connects the memory to your biggest win. The whole thing takes about 60 seconds.
“Walk me through your resume.”
Don’t do it.
“Here’s what I did at X. Then I moved to Y because. Then I led this project at Z…”
Four minutes later, you’re bored, and they’re exhausted.
Why doesn’t walking through your resume work?
“Resume tours” all sound the same.
Nobody likes telling them. Nobody likes pretending to listen to them.
One thing that makes you stand out is the reason you got into this work at all.
That’s why the best answer starts with an early memory. And not an accomplishment.
Why an early memory and not an accomplishment?
An accomplishment is “I organized the first ever 3rd grade newspaper in my school.”
It’s a weird flex, and nobody cares.
An early memory explains who you are as a person. For example:
You got a toy and it changed your life.
Your parent came home from work and told you a story that changed your life.
Your 1st grade teacher told you something that changed your life.
It sounds crazy. “Nobody wants to hear about my childhood.”
Yes they do, if you keep it quick.
“But not if you’re interviewing for CEO!”
Yes. CEOs too.
Why does the interviewer care who you are?
The interviewer wants to be able to label you ASAP.
And you can either choose that label, or you can let them choose it based on their mood.
I choose to choose it. Here’s mine.
My mother is a psychotherapist. My father was a computer software developer.
I’m what you get when you cross those.
I develop “human software.” (You might call it the original AI.)
What is the best tell me about yourself interview answer?
There are 3 parts to the “Tell me about yourself” answer, and they take 60 seconds.
Put yourself in one box. “I’m an operations person.” One line, no job titles.
Tell one early memory that explains the box. “I think that’s because when I was 9, I watched my mom make a seating chart for my dad’s birthday party so everyone would have a good conversation. I felt the power of good planning and it became a big part of me.”
Connect it to your biggest win. “It’s still who I am. For example, last spring I rebuilt company X’s launch schedule so 3 teams stopped waiting on each other.”
How do you practice it before the interview?
Tonight, write some memories down. Choose one you actually enjoy telling.
Write the rest of the steps.
Then say all 3 parts out loud, 15 times. To a friend or to the mirror.
Remember: they’ve already read your resume. Your energy is what they need to see.
If you’ve got first-round interviews coming up and “tell me about yourself” keeps turning into a resume tour, start here: effortwise.com/job
