More than 80% of the interviews start with this question and I would say many even END with it…. How???
It is rightly said “Well Begun is Half Done”. About 1/3rd of the recruiters decide within first 90 secs itself whether they like the candidate or not. Rest of the interview is just a process to strengthen their opinion. So if you started with a bang…. Good for you..!! Expect a healthy conversation where recruiter is looking out for more and more positives in you. Otherwise…. Put in extra efforts to change their opinion for you.
What can be included in this answer?
- Residing City
- Education Background (Just the Degree, Not the Institute unless it is a famous one)
- Work Experience (Company, Designation, Duration, Achievements)
- Relevant Internships (Company, Project Title)
- Additional Certifications (if, any)
- Hobbies worth discussing
- Significant Extra-Curriculars
- How this profile will help you in your career goal
Let us look at few Do’s and Don’ts to make this go right…
Here are some things to Follow:
- Prepare an “Elevator Pitch” of 90-120 secs covering 4-5 Star Points of your Profile
- Practice the Pitch several times to be comfortable in your own shoes
- Sound like Narrating a Story about your journey linking all the points and not like a Bullet Point List
- Keep the Most Important points in first 40-50 secs as you may not be allowed to complete your answer
- Mention only those areas which talk positive about you and you are comfortable discussing in detail. Because most of the questions ahead can come out of this answer.
- Sound confident as you are talking about Yourself..!!!
- Maintain eye contact with the recruiter(s).
Here are some things to Avoid:
- Do not mention anything negative about yourself unless asked (Eg. low scores, failures etc.)
- Don’t sound unprepared as it’s the most expected question
- Remember it’s an interview not a date..!!! So do not just focus on personal likings, habits and hobbies
- Do not summarize the entire Resume. Restrict your Introduction to important and relevant points only
So, let us take a pen and a paper and start by listing down the most attractive points of our profile and there begins the framing of your Answer…!!!
Comments