When we (HR goons, lol) ask candidates this question, we use it as an ice breaker to make candidates feel relaxed and to gain information that is pertinent to the job they are been interviewed for. Though the interviewer is attempting to make the candidate feel relaxed, the candidate is usually nervous at this time and then stumbles through this question.

Some candidates take it too personal and I mean that literally I have met with several candidates and witnessed different types of amazing responses to this question which either opens the door for the next stage or shuts it permanently. I will be sharing some of my live ‘encounters’ with interviewees…

So here we go #interviewseries1 The Tell me about yourself ‘saga’: Interviewer: Tell me about yourself? Johnbul Samson: My name is Johnbul Samson, I hail from Adams LGA of James State in Nigeria, my father married two wives and I am the seventh for my father but the first for my mum, I attended primary and secondary schools in my village and then went to the University, after I graduated I worked at GHB and worked briefly at BVN and now I work with NFA… #thatsall

Elite Wellington: Thank you very much for that question, my name is Ocean Rivers Blue, you see I started my primary school in Akwata and then went to an Army secondary school, things were really rough for my family, I lost my dad and eventually my mum went with him too, so when I say it was really rough you know what I mean, I struggled to train myself in University, I know how to work very hard, any task you give me I can do it well, that is why I want you to give me the chance so I can show you much about myself and you can see that I will get the job done.. #endswithasympatheticface

Rodent Rock: as you can see from my CV I have put it there, all what I have done since I graduated, I worked in XYZ and worked in WDF and also worked in UJY now I work in KIO, if you look at the CV you will see more of myself there #squeezesfaceexpetingnextquestion #noidontknowhowtoreadyourcv

Noah Sabi: I am currently a HR officer at Bisi HR Agency, where I manage clients’ recruitment requests and all human resources administrative duties. Before that, I worked at a consulting firm where I was managing different clients across different industries. I am highly dedicated and ambitious and this has reflected in my results, I have participated in the recruitment of junior to mid-level roles, sourcing for suitable CVs and organising interview sessions and ensuring that recruitment KPIs are met. While I enjoy my current work, it is commercial and it is a dream of mine to work as an internal HR professional. Your company has an amazing people brand and I would love to switch gears that’s why I applied for this position.

The chance to create a lasting impression is when you meet the potential employer for the first time. The focus for this question is on what you can bring to the job. The question could come in different ways; You might hear

• Let’s meet you

• Who is …

• Describe yourself in few words

• Can we meet you?

But what we really want to hear is? Tell me if the skills you have acquired over time will contribute to this role Tell me about yourself as a professional How will your current and past experience fit in with my company and provide value

My formula for this question will be C+P+F= current experience + Past experience + future plans, Noah Sabi’s response above is a good example of how to use this formula and adequate preparation ahead will definitely help you arrange your thoughts to answer this question flawlessly.

Remember to be relaxed and confident, your response is about you not someone else so just have a nice time chatting with the interviewers about your relevant experience using the tips above. Though the question comes first to ease your nerves, it could be mystifying when you do not have proper understanding. That’s why you need to prepare for this question: Tell me about yourself