"Tell us about yourself" is an interview question you can count on being asked. Sometimes candidates who answer other questions will freeze and fumble at this question. Here's how to answer and tips on what they are looking for.
NursesCareer SupportKnowledge
Preparing for the "Tell me about yourself" question is critical to the success of your interview. But it's such a broad question that it's hard to know where to start.
It's important to be focused and purposeful in your response. Everything you choose to say should be planned and have a purpose.
Answer Purposefully
It's probably not relevant to landing a nursing position in the ED that Valentine's Day is your favorite holiday, or who your favorite band is.
So how do you decide what to say? You have your whole lifetime to pick from, so how do you narrow it down?
Think back to a time when you were on a first date with someone who you knew you wanted a second date with. You shared things about yourself designed to further attract this person, right?
So you already have experience in selectively choosing what to share about yourself. It's the same in an interview.
Identify the traits and characteristics they are looking for in a candidate. For example, one thing every employer looks for is trustworthiness. Read the job description, and then read their mission statement to understand the kind of employees they are looking for. Look for keywords.
You may very well be a perfect fit for the organization and share the same values, but if you don't tell them, they will never know
Talk in Stories
Superlative words are soon forgotten, but stories are remembered.
Rather than saying " I'm a very loyal person", say "Once I commit to something, there's something in me that makes me see it through. Two summers ago, I planned to go on a mission trip to Mexico as a Youth Group Leader. I knew most of the teens in the group and we had been planning this trip all year. They were so excited!
At the last minute, a close friend of mine invited me to go on a Caribbean cruise with her and her family at the same time. I really wanted to go with them, but there was no way I could back out and let the kids down. I went to Mexico and have no regrets."
See what you remember from this article a week from now. You may not remember anything else, but you probably will recall the story of the Mission trip to Mexico.
Present-Past-Future Model
One way to organize your thoughts is to use the Present-Past-Future model.
Present: Tell them where you are now in your job or school situation
Past: Tell them about your previous work placement
Future: Tell them you hope to be employed by them
Here's an example of how to answer "Tell me about yourself:"
Quote
"Well, (smiling) currently I'm in my last semester of nursing school. I'm Class Secretary and received the Mary Shell Award for exemplary patient care and academic standing. I'm doing my Senior Practicum in Intensive Care. Before that, and up until last Summer, I worked as a waitress.
For the three years that I waitressed, I had perfect attendance and was often asked to train new waitresses. I made many friends at my job, including repeat customers, and still keep in touch. I tend to get involved in whatever group I'm in. I'm very social and I get my energy from interacting with people.
Last Summer, I interned as a student nurse on Telemetry at Happy Hospital in the same town where I attend university. The nurse manager asked me to stay on after graduation and work as an
RN on her floor. She said she really liked the way I interact with patients, even difficult patients. It's probably because I learned a lot from a module I took called "How to handle patient complaints.
But my family is most important to me, and I miss my cousins. I grew up surfing in the Summer, and can't wait to go to the beach again.
Now that I'm moving back to my hometown, I'm really looking forward to an opportunity to work here at Happier Community Hospital, where I can begin my career as an RN and grow."
Here the applicant started in the present, segued to the past and ended optimistically in the future.
She/he also communicated (in code) "I am a leader, a people person, a self-starter, savvy (I understand about pt satisfaction), and loyal"...right?
That's how to answer "Tell us About Yourself", friend! Hope this helps you nail your next interview.
