HR Interview FAQ 1 - Tell me about yourself
In this FAQ series,
we will discuss the most commonly/frequently asked questions in an HR interview
and ways to approach them. Remember, the interview is an interaction between
two equal people. Do not think of it as the HR doing a favour for you. The HR
is doing his job. The job of HR is to find the right candidate for the vacant
position. Your job is to make him believe you are the one. It’s like a dance,
isn’t it? It’s a smooth waltz. You are sure to end on a sweet note if the two
of you are in sync with each other.
Tell me about
yourself
The idea behind the
question
a) The HR wants to
simply test your communication skills. He would like to see if you can string a
few sentences together and talk for a decent length of time. This skill is
required to explain any idea or concept to people in the workspace.
b) It gives him time
to scan through your resume when you are answering the question. So, if he
doesn’t give you eye contact and continues to look into your resume, do not
feel offended. Feel free to continue talking.
c) He knows you must
be a little nervous walking into a job interview. He wants to break the ice. He
wants to make you comfortable to start with. Hence, he asks you a question for
which you definitely know the answer.
d) He genuinely wants
to know more about you. Two pages of writing is too short to cover an
interesting life of 20 years.
Recommended answer
This is your
30-second audition. This is your chance to ease into the interview. There are
different ways of answering this.
Traditional Method
The traditional
method of answering this question is to have a quick recap of your life so far
in 30 seconds. An example is given below.
“I am Karthick. I am
in my final year of engineering at PSG Tech, Coimbatore. I love researching
microprocessors and digital circuits. In fact, I am currently working on a
burglar alarm circuit that gets triggered only when the home door is opened
between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM. My passion is to play chess and I love cooking. I
am an excellent team player and always do my best to motivate my team members.
And... I am looking forward to this interview.”
The above example is
a simple way of introducing yourself. The following are the things to include
when you prepare the answer to this question.
1) Name - Yes, some people
might argue the name is already in your resume. But always think from the HR’s
perspective. He is taking close to 35 interviews per day. Registering your name
in his mind one more time makes no harm. If you have just got introduced a few seconds
ago during the greeting, you can skip mentioning it again.
2) Qualification - Have a quick
mention of your college and the degree that you are pursuing (or completed).
This is especially necessary if you are in an off-campus placement drive.
3) Areas of interest - Without wasting
much time, directly jump into your areas of interest. This also gives the cue
to the HR to ask questions relating to those subjects.
4) Projects - If the HR finds it
interesting and relevant, he will probe on them further.
5) Passions and
Hobbies - Life is all about being passionate. Talk about the things you are
passionate about. Make sure you actually talk with absolute passion. If you are
nervous during this phase of the interview, talking about your passion will
ease your tension. It is sure to add a twinkle in your eye, thus spreading
positive energy.
6)Strengths - Make use of this
opportunity to mention your strengths and how it will benefit the company if
you are hired.
Alternate Method
There is a school of
thought that declares the HR doesn’t really want to hear anything that is
already in your resume. So, this is your chance to impress him with some really
cool facts about you that are not written in the two pages of your resume. I
was once taking interviews in one of the top 10 colleges in Bangalore. I asked
one of the candidates to introduce himself. I was expecting the usual,
“Hi Sir, I am so and
so....”
Rather interestingly,
he didn’t take the beaten path. He started directly with a,
“I am a National
Basketball player...”
Amidst hundreds of
traditional answers, I heard something refreshing. I immediately stopped looking
at his resume and started interacting with him about his exploits at
Basketball. There is a massive advantage in answering the question this way.
How long do you think
an HR interview usually lasts for? It is likely the HR is scheduled to take
around 35 interviews that day. The HR team usually runs on busy schedules and
probably have to take the 8:00 PM flight back to their home towns. So, they
must wrap up the entire process at least by 5:00 PM. My experience says, the
interview will not be for more than 15 minutes.
In those 15 minutes,
smart candidates draw the HR’s attention to their comfort zone. It is much
better than being asked random questions and getting into the unknown. Alright,
let’s play a quick little game here.
Do not think of a big
black elephant in Africa!
What are you thinking
now? Well, chances are you are actually thinking of a big black elephant in the
African forests. So, answer this question in a smart way to attract the HR to
the things you know and want to talk about.
It all depends on
your personality
We discussed the
traditional method and an alternate method as well. However, I recommend you
choose the one that best matches your personality. If you are someone who likes
to take it slow and ease into the process, go for the traditional method. If
you are a flamboyant personality and likes to be of high energy from the word go,
choose the alternate method. Whatever you choose, be confident and be
convincing.
Even today, when I
attend interviews to get corporate training opportunities, the very first
question I get asked is this. Even today, before the interviews, I prepare a
short and sweet answer to this question that is relevant to the requirement of
the company. So, be well prepared. If someone wakes you up at 2 AM and asks you
the question, you must be able to answer this with flair. Ensure you finish your
answer within 40 seconds.
This is an excerpt from my book, "Cracking the Campus Code". To know more about the book, click here.
Wishing you all the very best in your interviews.
Cheers!