Tell Me About Yourself

"So tell me about yourself" These five simple words that have the capability of messing up your interview right from the start. This one question strikes fear, dry mouth, increased heart palpitations and not to mention unsightly sweat in all the wrong places in even the most capable applicants.

Where do you start? Do you go back to the early days? Are they really interested in “…it all started in a small town just outside of Waco Texas” or the more boring “I don't think you can read my resume so let me repeat everything that is written on it”. Which is akin to reading every slide in a presentation in case people can’t see or read. The third alternative is to just rattle on and on about how “I am the greatest thing since sliced bread and any company would be lucky to have me” speech. 

Well I know there is a much better alternative to the painful suggestions made by most recruiters. You see, when someone asks you tell them about yourself what they are really trying to do is answer a very simple set of questions in their mind:"What's in it for me to hire you?’ ‘What should I pay you for that will make me more money?’ And lastly, ‘Do I need your skills and if I so, do I like you enough to believe that you will be a good fit with everyone else that works here?" 

You see I believe that before you can answer any of these questions you need to be comfortable enough to understand exactly what are you good at, and what skills you possess that someone should pay you for. As you prepare for an interview ask yourself what kind of people you work best with and do they exist where you are applying? Secondly, is your conflict resolution style compatible with the firm you are hoping to be hired by? And lastly, if you could describe the perfect day of activities that you will be required to do does it match the job description? Seems simple enough, yes? Write it down, it will provide clarity. I have received countless feedback from those that I mentor despite how simple these questions seem they provide great clarity.  

Far too many people fall into the trap of describing themselves in terms of their CV or Resume, which in my opinion is nothing more than a trip itinerary of jobs. Seriously I always ask my clients and those I mentor, "Is that the single best document to describe who you are, what you are good at and why someone should hire you?" I sincerely doubt it and in all my years of asking the question nobody has ever said yes it is! But we still use the conventional resume...well I have a different I idea for you in how to revamp your resume and how to answer the dreaded question.  

In my book, "How to hire the perfect Employer", I outline how you can go about building your own infomercial so that when asked the question "Tell me about yourself" you will have rock solid pitch that will ensure that the employer will be able to figure out whether they need your skills and want you as in your personality and character.  So, for those that have not read the book, what does an infomercial look like? Let me share my infomercial with you, the one that I use every time I go on a pitch for new business. 

When asked the dreaded questions, I start by saying; "I am trusted advisor to CEOs, Department heads and managers of financial services organizations. I work with them in helping execute their plans by doing recruiting, consulting and coaching"I then continue to tell them that throughout my career I have hired over 900 people while I was at CIBC and BMO. I was responsible for numerous strategic initiatives both in their creation and execution. Lastly, I have mentored and coached numerous people that have gone on to great heights. I am collaborative in my conflict resolution style and the perfect day for me is doing all three of the above mentioned in my infomercial, working on finding good people, advising clients on how to improve their businesses and lastly but most importantly coaching people into finding the perfect fit in employment for them. 

The perfect employer for me is someone who is first and foremost seeking a trusted advisor with my background and experience. IF they are just looking for a Head Hunter to show them CV's then I direct them to the many other firms that do that for a living the way the client wants it done.With this clear understanding of my strengths and what I offer to each client I work with, I approach the dreaded ‘Tell me about yourself’ question with ease…. 
‘Let me tell you about myself, I am a trusted advisor to CEOs….”

What’s the worst thing you can do in a job interview? Rely on Your Résumé

Last week I was on a radio show on KLOO-AM in Eugene Oregon. I was there to talk about my new book, and we got into an interesting real life practical application where I was able to show some of the concepts in the book at work.

My host Bill Lundun told me of a situation where a new sports store was looking to hire 80 people from a group of around 1400 applicants.

He asked a great question: "what is the worst thing these applicants could do in the job interview?"

My answer? Simple. The worst thing they can do is to rely on their résumés.

I can’t begin to express how strongly I feel about this -- it’s so important to be able to stand out from the crowd, and you’re just not going to achieve that by sliding your résumé across the table.

So looking at this particular case study, how would someone stand out in a crowd of 1400 applicants? One word. Infomercial.

My concept of a personal infomercial™ allows you to cut through the crap and show yourself for who you really are, so that it’s crystal clear to an employer whether or not you’re a good fit. And you’ve equipped the interviewer with a short, effective speech for her to tell her boss why they should hire you.

I’ve helped many clients craft successful infomercials for high-level corporate positions, but the great thing is my approach is effective no matter where you’re applying for a job.

Let’s say one of the 1400 applicants for this sports store job is Sarah Jones. Sarah has done her homework. She has read the company site and annual report thoroughly; she is familiar with its core values; she has found and read as much press coverage as possible; she’s called her network to find employees, customers, suppliers – anyone who’s had contact with the company to see what they can tell her about it.

Sarah knows she is good at dealing with the general public, and that she is energized by contact with people. She has a great customer service personality. She has a strong knowledge of sports and sports equipment built up over a number of years playing a number of sports at various levels. She loves to work in a sports-oriented environment with other people who are obsessed by sports.

Sarah knows that she has found her fit, a target rich environment™. This is half the battle. But knowing that herself is not enough. The next step is for her to gather that information into a well-crafted personal infomercial that communicates exactly who she is and why she is perfect for this particular sports company.

If Sarah goes in and communicates her infomercial to the interviewer effectively, she’s going to have a huge advantage over most of the other applicants. She shouldn’t wait for the interviewer to ask her questions to draw these things out -- it’s her job to show her why she is what the company needs and wants.

So whether you’re applying for a top executive position or a job in a sports store, don’t leave it to chance. Have your infomercial ready and present it quickly and early … And let me know how you got on!

What’s the Best Way to Find the Right Job?

The tried and true method of finding a job has always been to send you resume to as many places as humanly possible while contacting as many people as possible, either directly, or through other contacts.

I like to call this approach the “let's throw as much bleep at the wall as possible and see if it sticks” approach. Tried and true? I’m not so sure about the true part.

In effect many people say “I’ll just let everyone else figure out what I am good at, how I might fit, and what I can do for an employer just by glancing at my résumé.” Then, if that’s not enough, they move on to plan B, which is “I’ll get my past employers or references to weigh in with their own descriptions of me and why they think I should be hired.”

I don't know about you but if I’m the employer doing the hiring, this approach doesn’t say to me that you’re taking responsibility for you own job search, or that you’re making sure that you’re being properly represented as a person, and an employee.

What that says to me is that you’re on a wing and a prayer. There must be a better way.

In fact, there is a better way, and the first step is to decide that you are going to be responsible for how the world sees you, how the world understands you, and where you’re going to look for a job.

You’re probably asking, “OK wise guy, how do I change how I do things?”

Well, first of all stop thinking about “looking for a job” and start thinking about finding the right match for you. Stop thinking about winning the job that happens to be in front of you, or figuring out how to answer the interview questions correctly.

Instead of relying on sending out résumés I recommend that you create your own “infomercial" -- an infomercial that really is about helping you find the right fit for you.

You see a résumé is really nothing more than a trip itinerary showing where you have been. It does a bad job of distinguishing you as a person and an employee.

As if that’s not enough of a problem, there’s the fact that there is no standardization with résumés. Each one looks and sounds unlike the next one, leaving the reader to try and interpret exactly what it tells them about the applicant -- other than where they have worked in the past.

Lastly, I have never known anyone to “under-fluff” their resume. Interviewers know this and they will usually take what's in there with a very large grain of salt.

Apart from all of these drawbacks the résumé is a pretty useful document!

So, back to the infomercial.

Your personal infomercial™ addresses the need to create a crystal-clear understanding of who you are. It summarises what you are good at, what types of people you work best with, and it makes it completely clear what you want to be doing everyday of your working life.

It’s so simple and so unambiguous that the interviewer is able to say whether or not you have the skills they need, and whether or not you are the type of person they want. There’s just no need to wade through all the other crap.

Clear and succinct. Easy to understand.

You’re thinking “OK, Jim, so how do I create my infomercial?”

Well, probably the best way (shameless plug here) is to pick up a copy of my book "How to Hire the Perfect Employer." Alternatively you can subscribe on the right hand side of the page to take advantage of the many free tips I’ll be giving you right here on my blog in the coming months.

Just promise me one thing -- that you’ll stop throwing stuff at the wall hoping for some of it to stick, and that you’ll start to think long and hard about the process of actually finding the right fit for you.

Look for a Career that Fits in Your Target Rich Environment

“Target Rich Environment™.”

What the hell is that? That's a very good question. The first time I remember ever hearing that expression was in the movie Top Gun. Maverick and Goose are standing outside a bar filled with women and Maverick says "Now Goose, this I what I call a target rich environment." ... I digress!

No, I’m not talking about a bar full of good-looking women, or men for that matter.

I’m talking about career fit.

I’m talking about a concept that defines the type of work, people, company, and industry where you fit. Your Target Rich Environment™ consists of a grouping of jobs and companies where you have the highest probability of success in finding the right fit for you.

These are workplaces where they need the skills that you possess -- workplaces populated by the types of people that you work best with, and where you can be doing what you enjoy doing every day. These are companies and organizations that are the right FIT.

So my question to you today is “are you guilty of looking outside your TRE (Target Rich Environment)?” If so, I suggest you take a step back and start doing your homework on which of the companies out there need the skills and qualities you possess.

Stop pointlessly sending your resume all over town, asking people to set you up for “a chat.” (You know what I mean, those meetings where they really know very little about you, or you about them, and that always starts with the over-worked "So what are you looking to do", which is code for “I have know idea of who you are, what you are good at or how and why you would fit here.”)

Don’t waste your precious time on random networking – be targeted.

In order to successfully find your TRE you must first understand what you have to offer, so you need to put together what I call your own "Personal Infomercial". In my new book "How to Hire the Perfect Employer" I help you understand how to build your infomercial and, once you’ve found your TRE, how to use it to find a job that represents your perfect FIT.

Do You Really Want the Jobs You’re Interviewing For?

There is a standard approach to searching for and interviewing for a new job. It goes something like this:

You browse a number of job listings, selecting several on the basis of a short blurb and/or the advertised salary. You then passively send out a résumé to selected companies. You proceed to wait by your mailbox for an unlikely acceptance letter.

Let’s say you get an interview and you find yourself sitting there under the microscope trying to convince your interviewer that you are perfect for a company you know almost nothing about. Even if you get the job, the question is do you really want it?

It may be a couple of years or (as in my case) decades before it becomes apparent to you that you’re in entirely the wrong job. Only then will you realize that what you did in your interview was convince yourself and your employer that you (a square peg) were a perfect fit for the position (a round hole.)

I have news for you -- there is a much much better way.

Imagine a different scenario. You’re considering interviewing for a list of companies, but this time, as you’re looking at each company on your list, you’re thinking:

• Why should I apply for this job?


• Will it give me the opportunity to use and add value with my skill set?


• Will this organization’s work environment fit with my personality type?


• Will this employer fit me and my goals?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then -- let me be clear -- you shouldn’t be interviewing for the job. Square peg. Round hole. It’s time to reconfigure and begin looking for a job that fits who you are.

That’s what my approach (and this blog) is all about -- understanding the importance of the Fit Factor™. It’s about knowing who you are and what you have to offer. It’s about understanding why you and a particular company are a good fit.

Thinking of a career change? Does your thinking need to change first?