It is a safe bet this will be one of the first questions you will face and the way you answer it will set the tone for the entire interview.
One thing that stays true for this answer every time you are asked: KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL.
Employers are not asking you this question because they want to know what your favorite color is; they want to know why you are the best candidate for the job.
Employers want to hire the best person for the job, and your job is to convince them this is you.
As it is most likely the first question you will face in your interview, it is one of the first impressions you will be giving the employer.
You want to give the most professional image of yourself as possible, in order to accomplish this, do not volunteer personal information.
" Please tell me about yourself." "Well, I'm 23 years old, I was born and raised in this city, I have 2 dogs and I love basketball…" This candidate has already set himself back, you do not want to give any information about your personal life, but rather your professional life and how it relates to the position you are interviewing for.
To do this successfully, you need to prepare and structure your answer highlighting your relevant education, experience and professional qualities.
From the job description, you know what the qualifications for the job are and what skills the employer is looking for, so you want to highlight all of your previous work experience, education, training and all other professional skills that are relevant to the position.
No matter what your work history is, you have transferrable skills.
