What to say when asked: "Tell me about yourself"?

Poi Dog · Oct 13, 2011

Paint yourself in a positive light: strengths, brief background, and what you can bring to the unit.

Now is not the time to bring up any habits, addictions, or fetishes.

allnurses Guide · Oct 13, 2011

This is your chance to give punctuation point highlights of your career, schooling or qualifications. If you graduated with honors, you mention it. If you spearheaded some kind of committee that got some major thing passed at some job long ago, you mention it. Leadership positions, volunteer work, whatever makes you shine. Name three or four major things that give an impression of who you are and then wrap it up nice and neat with why you are excited to be a nurse or to be interviewing with them. Make it specific to that company and/or job. It leaves things conversationally open for them to launch the next question.

What you don't do is tell them how old you are, how many kids/dogs/cats/fish you have, what you like to do in your spare time, share political views. They are trying to establish professional communication with you. It is ok that you are saying a few things that are on your resume - reading it and hearing it are two good ways to make it memorable. Just keep it conversational. Throw in some humor if you are good at that kind of thing.

SunshineAnytime · Oct 13, 2011

Do a search on all nurses for the john hopkin's interview guide. It's a great guide and tells you how to answer "tell me about yourself" and some other interview questions. I think a good tip to keep in mind is that managers are looking for a good nurse and a good EMPLOYEE. Tell them things about you based on your education and past work experience (healthcare or not) that shows that you will be a good employee and how you will benefit the floor.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Oct 13, 2011

"I am excited to begin a new career in a fascinating field. I believe that nursing will allow me to grow professionally and personally. "

Basically, I have a feeling the interviewer wants you to volunteer personal information like number of dependents, married or not, how far you away you live, do you hate the idea of working nights, just got married and wanting to start a family right away----------- I recommend you create a script then stick to it. Only volunteer what you what EVERYONE to know and it does not have to be personal at all.

NurseAndLovinIt, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2011

Thanks all for the info! That definitely helps me think of things. I've got some ideas in my head, I think I will write them down for me to read if/when I get another call. I just got to work on not rambling xD

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 13, 2011

classicdame said:
"I am excited to begin a new career in a fascinating field. I believe that nursing will allow me to grow professionally and personally. "
Basically, I have a feeling the interviewer wants you to volunteer personal information like number of dependents, married or not, how far you away you live, do you hate the idea of working nights, just got married and wanting to start a family right away----------- I recommend you create a script then stick to it. Only volunteer what you what EVERYONE to know and it does not have to be personal at all.

As someone who has interviewed people for possible hiring, I hate the answer quoted above. I would NOT recommend. It sounds totally "canned," impersonal and does not reveal anything about yourself. The interviewer wants to know about YOU -- not some standard generic drivel that basically doesn't say anything or do anything that helps you stand out in their minds as an individual. And one thing you never want to do in an interview is disappoint and/or frustrate the interviewer. It doesn't help your cause to appear to be dodging the question by giving an answer that sounds like it came out of a book.

Pick a few things about yourself that you don't mind sharing. They should be a bit personal and unique to you. Remember, they want to connect with you as a person. They want to know who you are, why you are applying for this job, and what you will be bringing into their work environment. So pick a few personal tidbits that you don't mind sharing -- and use that as your opportunity to establish a personal connection. For example, I wouldn't mind sharing that I am single, where in grew up, where I did my education and have gotten experience, what I am looking for in a job, why I am interested in this particular job, etc. Just be sure those things are all positive and do not include any "red flags" for them. If you have recently moved to the community, this is a good opportunity to tell them what brought you to the community -- and give them some reason to believe you plan on staying there a long time. etc.

In short ... identify a few personal qualities about yourself that make you an attractive job candidate and share them. Use that opportunity to make that personal link with them -- as opposed to the textbook phrases that often sound fake, insincere, or at least impersonal. Sound warm and friendly, like someone they would enjoy getting to know and working with on a personal level. We do that by sharing a few personal tidbits. After sharing a few personal tidbits ... then move the conversation into your skills and strengths -- things that you will bring to the job.

Remember: Hiring managers rarely hiring resumes. They hire people they want to work with. This is your chance to show them the person that you are. Be personal -- but only show them parts of yourself that they would consider positive.

Good luck!

anotherone, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2011

I don't agree that sharing any personal information is necessary. If that means I won't be hired, so be it. I give scripted replies, but more along the lines of (example), " I graduated from X university with a bsn in nursing and worked in adult poat surgical floor for x years, I am interested in pursuing a career in OR nursing and my background on a post surgical floor........................................" something like that. I think half the time the interviewers don't really know what to ask and are asking scripted questions themselves.

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Oct 14, 2011

I have also been hiring people for many years and I agree with everything llg said. It really is OK to give some brief personal information - but keep it kind of brief. I had one person start with "I was born in 1962 on a farm down on Green St. in Nebraska. My parents names are Joe and Jane. I have 2 brothers, 2 sisters, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a goldfish named Sam. I started kindergarten in ....blah, blah, blah" Ummm...I did not hire this person based on this answer. I also rarely hire the person who wants the job because "Uh - you had an ad on the internet"

I am interested in how the candidate answers this question but I am just as interested in how the candidate handles the question. The best ones seem to sit up straighter, lean in slightly, smile and act as if they are excited to tell me the best parts of them (without coming across as smug). I want to know maybe why you became a nurse, maybe what brought you to my facility or department for a job, what are your goals that may relate to this department.

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 14, 2011

I'm not saying you have to reveal a bunch of personal stuff -- or that you should reveal anything really private. I'm just saying that it is to the applicant's advantage to appear personable and establish a human connection between themselves and the interviewer. In today's economy, job applicants (particularly those without a lot of nursing experience) need every boost they can get. Use such opportunities to help yourself stand out and make a positive connection.

I interview approximately 75 nursing students per year for jobs at my hospital. I also interview 5-10 experienced nurses per year for leadership positions. I have a lot more applicants than I have jobs to fill. And I have been filling positions for over 20 years. Anyone who "plays games" with me during the interview, tries to pull the wool over my eyes, gives me "canned" answers from a book that don't really tell me anything about them as a person, or avoids answering the questions I ask ... is not doing themselves any favors.

I know that sounds arrogant and my sound offensive to some of you. I'm sorry. I don't mean to offend. I'm just telling you all what it looks like from the other side of the interview. Sure, there are some interviewers who don't know what they are doing. But those of us who DO know what we are doing don't like to have our time wasted by people reciting scripts that could be used by anyone. If we are taking the time to ask a question, we want an honest answer that reflects the uniqueness of the person who is saying it. If I want want "stock answers," I'll buy the book.

If you are not the right person for the job, I'll probably figure it out. So your best bet to get the job is to BE the best person for the job. Figure out what the hiring manager is looking for and BE that person. When there are several people applying for the same position, that's your best bet.

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 14, 2011

Nascar nurse said:
I am interested in how the candidate answers this question but I am just as interested in how the candidate handles the question.

That is SO true for me, too. For most of the questions I ask ... there is no "right" answer that I am looking for. I am often more interested in how the person approaches the question than the content of what they actually say.

For example, I often ask applicants about their learning needs ... what they see as their greatest needs, etc.. I don't have specific needs that I am looking for them to say ... I am looking to see if they are capable of assessing their own needs ... or do think they "know it all." Does their vision of the job include learning things, and if so, what are they interested in learning? Do they want to learn and grow? Or are they just looking for a paycheck?

ErinS, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2011

When I am interviewing people I ask this question to get a sense of what is really important to you. How do you take care of yourself? Do you have a life outside of work? Also, this question is meant to be non-threatening, give the interviewee a little bit of control (after all, you can tell me whatever you want), and help loosen things up. Often it helps find some common ground. I think most people who are interviewing are not trying to 'trick' you, and if they are- do you want to work for them? I perfectly fine answer that I give when being interviewed is: I have been a nurse for 4 years. I am finishing my master's in nursing education, but plan to also get a certificate in management. I have been married for 4 years, and we have no kids but 2 dogs and 4 cats. I love to garden and read, and I try to go hiking a few times a week.

Now this person knows about me, what I like to do, and what is important to me. I hope this helps.