"So Tell Me About Yourself"

“So Tate, tell me about yourself”

I am constantly asked this question, and the answer is harder than it seems. When an employer asks me this question, I have thirty seconds make an impression. The first impression is extremely important, and it is my job to answer this question with ease and assertiveness. I want to paint a picture of who I am as a person. My goal of my thirty second pitch is to engage the person and create a want to ask me more questions.

In my foundations class, we practiced this question intensively. While I feel like I have a good answer, I can always improve it. In my opinion, a first impression is almost as important as the rest of the interview. If the initial judgment from an employer is positive, then the tone for the interview has a solid foundation.

Confidence is key.

If I come in with a confidence and polite tone, I know that I can make a good impression on someone. The idea behind this question is something to consider. A person who asks this question wants to hear, in around thirty seconds, who one is as a person. Employers hear hundreds of answers, and they are looking for an answer that stands out from the rest of the applicants. The reason an employer asks this, in my opinion, is that in the business world one has to interact with a customer. A customer will judge the rest of the conversation based off of the first thirty seconds of the conversation—just like the interview question! When I first heard this question, I did not think there was an importance to it. I could not be more wrong. This question is extremely important, which makes it even more important to have the best answer.

Finding the best answer includes many steps. One must look at his or her self from a different perspective and find the top three or four qualities to showcase. Choosing one’s top qualities is not easy. The goal is the showcase the main aspects of yourself in a calm and natural manor. If I can do this, then I will make the best first impression possible.

While it is important to have the best answer possible, the most important thing is to be genuine. My goal is to have an answer that is conversational. I want the listener to feel enticed and eager to learn more about me because I seem genuine and real.

Practice makes perfect, and it is true! Every day I make it a goal to practice my elevator pitch. Each time I do it, I find something to improve and work on to make it better. With enough practice, I know that I will have an elevator pitch that will not only impress an employer but also showcase who I am an as individual.