Job interview: “Tell me about yourself?”?

wendy2pann: Job interview: “Tell me about yourself?”?
In a job interview, I hate when the interviewer asks “Tell me about yourself?” Are the asking for personal information, or work related? Do I say I’m a wife and mother, or how long I’ve been with the company? In short, what should I say?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Ghost of Zeuz
It’s an open-ended question that allows you to answer in any meaningful way. For example, you might want to tell them about your capabilities, your interests, your accomplishments, etc.

Answer by Dame
Do not tell them you are a wife and mother – it does not have anything to do with your job; and can indicate that, given such a high priority by youn, you may take time off when you should not to look after sick children or when you cannot get baby sitters (I won’t go into handling those problems – that is not what the question is about).

At all times – BE POSITIVE. I would say something like ‘I enjoy finishing things on time and making sure it is a job well-done. This can be in hobbies or at work. I like to try and learn a little bit each day; but I am not oppossed to formally learning through courses or professional development. I think life, both work and outside of work, is exciting – the challenges, the feeling of accomplishment. USE YOUR WORDS AND YOUR PREFERENCES – THIS IS ONLY A SUGGESTED TYPE OF PARAGRAPH RESPONSE. Be prepared to expand on what you say e.g. tell me about your hobbies?

Answer by FormerWM
You can use standard generic answers like, “I’m a team player, but can also handle a problem alone should it ever become necessary”. It helps if you have researched the company you are interviewing with. When you get the “Tell me about yourself” question you can say “I like the fact _____(company) has excellent employee retention”. Just make sure whatever you say regarding the company is based in fact.