Tell me about yourself. This is often the most common question asked in the job interview. But many times the candidate will use this to tell their whole life story. Do not make the mistake of providing too much information. Keep your answers relevant to the position being interviewed for.
A brief summary for about one minute is all that is needed. Review the requirements for the job and identify the key skills employers are looking for. Use your experience and human qualities to answer. If you are still have trouble answering this consider your professional values.
Values in life are the ideals that will guide your decisions, behavior, and actions. When you take the time to identify your own values in life, you’ll end up having a successful interview because you can use what you know about your values to make the right choices as you grow and move forward in life.
Some examples of life values include:
Honesty – Telling the truth as you know it, even when it’s hard.
Integrity – Doing what you think is right, even if others will not like it. Not involving yourself in a situation if you have a conflict of interest.
Compassion – Caring about others and yourself in a way that focuses on your own actions.
Dependability – Doing what you say you will do on a regular basis so that people count on you when you say you will do something.
Humor – Trying to see the funny side of any situation and life so you can be more positive.
Innovation – Evaluating situations outside the box.
Service to Others – how they can serve others.
Of course, there are hundreds of potential life values that you can evaluate. that you can use for yourself. The general idea is that a value is a guiding principle that you use to help you make choices.
Identifying your core values may take some introspection and time. But, when you take the time to do it, you’ll find that almost every choice is easier to make because you have past experiences, knowledge, and lessons on which you can base your decisions.
Perhaps you’re changing your life right now and decided that environmentalism and minimalism are two of your core values. You’re busy selling all your junk, downsizing, and eliminating waste from your life.
Having those values cause you to make vastly different choices now. When you are shopping, you have those values firm in your mind as you make your choices. More than likely, you’ll shop at thrift stores and other second-hand options before you ever go to a big box store. Additionally, if you buy a vehicle, a home, or even go on a vacation, you’ll choose differently than someone who has different core values.
Remember however to keep these values focused on professional aspects and relevant for the position being interviewed for.
I am a financial manager with over ten years experience providing financial services to social media agencies. I have worked in business development and have provided service on projects that generated over 300 thousand dollars last year. I manage a team of five individuals. I tend to work with a feeling of respect for my clients to know what their needs are. I believe in listening to the needs of clients to better serve them.
I am the floor manager at a popular bar and grill. I am responsible for all aspects of management including maintaining stock and cashing out at closing. I am responsible for hiring training and firing wait staff and bartenders. It involves long hours but I like the variety of responsibilities and making sure guests have a great experience.
