I’ve got a job interview on Tuesday and I haven’t had one for a while due to a period of unemployment because of family health issues.
One part of interviews I’ve always struggled with is when they first ask you to tell them about yourself. I struggle to talk about myself anyway and never know what they’d like me to actually say, whether it’s about me as a person or about my work history.
So any tips or tricks would be welcome.
I spend time highlighting how my past experience relates to the job and what I like about the place or job specifically. Depending on the vibe in the room I will add one quick, interesting, and nonoffensive thing about my personal life at the end. Basically recapping a cover letter but in a personable way because my writing is dry
“To truly understand, we’ll have to go back to the summer of 1979…”
“Picture it, Sicily, 1912…” “Now erase that completely from your mind, and picture Gary, Indiana, 2023. You’re right, that’s me.”
I’d recommend looking on YouTube, “Life After Layoff” has some good interview advice. There’s many more, but that’s the one I remember right now.
Generally, the response should be related to you’re “professional life”, not your private one. They don’t care that you have 6 brothers and sisters and like to hike - your looking for a job, not a date. If your job happened to be for a national park baby sitting children, then your personal life just became much more relevant.
This question can be used to naturally lead into the “where do you see your self in 5 years” question, by talking about some of your career goals (if relevenat). Let’s say your goal is to be a park ranger, and the job your appling is to go around the park cleaning up - that’s a reasonable jump. If your planning to leave the job after a bit, don’t tell them anything to make it obvious.
If you can bring relevant past expirances of things you did (not just job title) into the conversation that’s good. Maybe you used to work at the local park keeping it clean from the local teens, advocated for trashbins to be installed and you want to continue taking care of nature on a larger scale.
Obviously those examples are completely made up, but including expirances to your responces can make a huge difference.
When I was in your position I was honest about it and detailed what my ‘work’ was in caring for my mom.
I suppose it did help that I was looking to be hired at a group home so the skills lined up.
But showing that you’re motivated, care, and are detail oriented in your personal life can speak volumes about you while also covering for the gaps in your employment history.
It’s difficult to do but you can practice in front of a mirror. All shaggy dig stories should be at least 30 minutes in length and end with a lich ness monster asking you for about tree fiddy.
Realistically, these people are thinking “I’m going to have to talk to this person at the coffee pot every day, please dear mother Theresa I hope he’s got something more interesting to talk about than Dave who only discussed work and his commute”
They want to know how you’ll fit culturally, or rather, will you be additive? What’s something interesting about you or a hobby you have? What’s a funny story that might happen to you in the weekend that they might find some interesting?
I think often times the question are well intentioned but to some degree they are also fishing for things they can’t legally ask like are you planning to get pregnant soon, will you be a flake because you have sick kids or a parent you’re taking care of, planning to retire soon. Are you a job hopper. Will investing time and training in you worth it for us. I was always dumb and just answered those questions mostly honestly but they just listen for signs you won’t be a model slave in some cases.
I tried to get a position I was overqualified for once and told them I was looking forward to not being a manager, not having to have every employee be my problem, be able to take time off without coming back with a mess…take a weekend off now and then…be a great fucking employee and then clock the fuck out.
Their questions got really shitty and it was very clear they were twisting everything I said into meaning I wasn’t a team player. Bullshit I’m the best player on every team I’ve ever been on at work.
Long story short, don’t answer questions like that honestly. Don’t be honest about anything. Lol
