Blog Dis
"So, tell me about yourself..."
2025-05-01
These are the dreaded words that are heard pretty much by anyone and everyone when seeking a new employment situation. And, as much as no one wants to be expected to offer an answer to this query or that at some time in our lives we'll have to face it, to come up with a reasonable reply, this very query is the ideal benchmark to help determine a potential employee's suitability. When people are in the enviable position of The Interviewer, The Powerful, and you're in the position of The Interviewee, The Bullshitter, you can be assured that this is going to come up, and others—queries that are designed to test and annoy you.
I've a friend whose squeeze has found himself back in the job market, when his current work situation didn't pan out for the long-term. It was a good move in the beginning, only to take a sudden left-turn leaving him without gainful employment, putting him back on the streets, pounding the pavement, as the saying goes. Luckily, however, and according to statistics as compiled by Human Resources departments, the best time to seek new employment is in the month of May. This is due to new Fiscal Year budgets getting approval, but not necessarily taking effect until the first day of March, to coincide with the reporting fiscal year period of many corporations. After new budget-spending limits are assigned, departments are ready to hire. Now, you might say to yourself but summer is coming and I don't want to work. Remember, you need money. You like money and you need to work, unless you're independently wealthy, in which case you may need to interview others to work for you.
If this description fits, you may start your engines. Re-design your resume, and polish off your interview skills. You're going to have so much fun!
"So tell me about yourself."
"Well, how shall I say this? I'm an unruly woman, who is no prize to live with but I have very special talents that past lovers have wanted to give me awards for, and I'm obsessed with dark chocolate and eating my own home-cooked food. Furthermore, I shouldn't drink coffee but every day while not working I've been injecting into my veins the darkest, blackest espresso straight up, then buzzing around my abode like a wired woman - there's no mountain high enough of filth that I cannot transform into clean. I also have talents for writing twisted fiction but I shouldn't probably talk about that aspect of my personality... OHMYGOD, you want to know about the business me, right?"
The foregoing is an example of what not to say. đŸ˜…
We are two people, each of us is comprised of two people: the Worker and the Individual. The Worker is the one who begrudges having to fall into a routine and get up every morning, slog it out traveling into work, only to put on a false face of enthusiasm as you wade into the world of work-politics. The Individual is the one enjoying some downtime who sheds that professional edge and replaces it with whimsy and wants, desperately shaping a different life within that short period of off-time (the weekend) when you don't have to punch the office-clock. The Individual is the one who is the master with the grill and meat, the best friend, the sexualized partner, the thrift shopper, the lounge-lizard, the watcher of sports or player of video games, that when the sun shines, will gladly crack open a cold Corona beer or two with a wedge of lime, and wax philosophy with you, until the sun slinks behind the horizon, after which the roaring fire is lit up, and Midnight is rounding the corner.
I can't speak on your behalf tho' I can for my own. I know from personal experience that I make an awesome Individual, better than a Worker. My Individual-self is responsible for having written my novels not my Worker-self. My Worker-self has paid the bills and has thought of retirement and investment issues, and the inner workings of stupidity as my worker-self attempts to traverse the multitude of the stupid in hierarchies like the Government and also in various other forms of power in Corporations. There's just no end in sight for the Worker in having to cope with the wicked. But, as we all know and can attest, the Worker has his or her place in the world, as much as does The Individual.
But the Individual, the special brand of humanity that bleeds for the downtrodden and the exhausted is the same person who listens with calm and caring to their best friend or partner bitching about the illogic of their Worker world. Yes, the Individual is the reason why each of us persists in our battles and life trials. The Individual is the one who reaps the rewards like vacation and new clothes and cars and toys that zing along the road the way a new smart phone functions with an extra-smart camera and built-in features. The Individual is also the one who expresses him or herself with artistic endeavours because it's the only way to separate the line between Worker and Individual.
"So tell me about yourself."
I have the best answer. In the past, I'd begin with this as my formal reply. "Excellent question! Well... I regard myself as two people: the Worker and the Individual and because my resume details for you my work history, at least what is current and relevant, why don't I fill in some of the blanks about my individual life and tell you about myself personally?"
This well constructed answer has worked in the past and will work in the future. When the Interviewer is flinging out questions like dry flint being flicked off clothing, they must ever be mindful to not contravene human rights legislation, to avoid questions that fall under the category of ageism and prejudice, and be careful not to indirectly insult the interviewee. And as the Interviewee, if you choose to offer up personal tidbits of your own free will, the Interviewer will feel as though they've connected with a genuine Individual. After all, you're being hired as a Worker but its the Individual that will establish a connection, not the Worker.
And afterward, don't give it a second thought if you did well or shouldn't have said this or should have said that. Pour yourself an espresso, and discuss with your Worker-self the ins and outs of your Individual-self. Get to know one another, until you're great friends. Put some thought too into your resume. The latest trend in resumes is the Functional Style, which places more emphasis on skills and abilities, rather than your work history. Stay away from long-winded resumes with more than two pages. The average HR person spends less than 15 seconds per page. You might think they have the attention span of a bumble-bee, but they are in fact looking for what kinds of skills you have, not where you worked when you were a teenager.
Be mindful of the fact that you're not just looking for work. You are selling yourself and your skills inasmuch as the place where you're applying is looking to hire your skills. They're not doing you any favours by hiring you. You're doing them the favour by bringing to the table your skills, sincerity and genuine integrity. Speaking of which, integrity is the one quality I look for in a manager.
And should you be asked this question, "What's one mistake you've made in past jobs that taught you the most?" Answer, "I take extra pains now to ensure that I don't absentmindedly hit the 'Reply All' key. One time I did because I was rushed trying to meet a deadline, and I embarrassed the originator of the email. It took me one year to re-build the working relationship." [This is my true experience and I've never forgotten it].
Good luck to you, if you have a pending interview.
I've a friend whose squeeze has found himself back in the job market, when his current work situation didn't pan out for the long-term. It was a good move in the beginning, only to take a sudden left-turn leaving him without gainful employment, putting him back on the streets, pounding the pavement, as the saying goes. Luckily, however, and according to statistics as compiled by Human Resources departments, the best time to seek new employment is in the month of May. This is due to new Fiscal Year budgets getting approval, but not necessarily taking effect until the first day of March, to coincide with the reporting fiscal year period of many corporations. After new budget-spending limits are assigned, departments are ready to hire. Now, you might say to yourself but summer is coming and I don't want to work. Remember, you need money. You like money and you need to work, unless you're independently wealthy, in which case you may need to interview others to work for you.
If this description fits, you may start your engines. Re-design your resume, and polish off your interview skills. You're going to have so much fun!
"So tell me about yourself."
"Well, how shall I say this? I'm an unruly woman, who is no prize to live with but I have very special talents that past lovers have wanted to give me awards for, and I'm obsessed with dark chocolate and eating my own home-cooked food. Furthermore, I shouldn't drink coffee but every day while not working I've been injecting into my veins the darkest, blackest espresso straight up, then buzzing around my abode like a wired woman - there's no mountain high enough of filth that I cannot transform into clean. I also have talents for writing twisted fiction but I shouldn't probably talk about that aspect of my personality... OHMYGOD, you want to know about the business me, right?"
The foregoing is an example of what not to say. đŸ˜…
We are two people, each of us is comprised of two people: the Worker and the Individual. The Worker is the one who begrudges having to fall into a routine and get up every morning, slog it out traveling into work, only to put on a false face of enthusiasm as you wade into the world of work-politics. The Individual is the one enjoying some downtime who sheds that professional edge and replaces it with whimsy and wants, desperately shaping a different life within that short period of off-time (the weekend) when you don't have to punch the office-clock. The Individual is the one who is the master with the grill and meat, the best friend, the sexualized partner, the thrift shopper, the lounge-lizard, the watcher of sports or player of video games, that when the sun shines, will gladly crack open a cold Corona beer or two with a wedge of lime, and wax philosophy with you, until the sun slinks behind the horizon, after which the roaring fire is lit up, and Midnight is rounding the corner.
I can't speak on your behalf tho' I can for my own. I know from personal experience that I make an awesome Individual, better than a Worker. My Individual-self is responsible for having written my novels not my Worker-self. My Worker-self has paid the bills and has thought of retirement and investment issues, and the inner workings of stupidity as my worker-self attempts to traverse the multitude of the stupid in hierarchies like the Government and also in various other forms of power in Corporations. There's just no end in sight for the Worker in having to cope with the wicked. But, as we all know and can attest, the Worker has his or her place in the world, as much as does The Individual.
But the Individual, the special brand of humanity that bleeds for the downtrodden and the exhausted is the same person who listens with calm and caring to their best friend or partner bitching about the illogic of their Worker world. Yes, the Individual is the reason why each of us persists in our battles and life trials. The Individual is the one who reaps the rewards like vacation and new clothes and cars and toys that zing along the road the way a new smart phone functions with an extra-smart camera and built-in features. The Individual is also the one who expresses him or herself with artistic endeavours because it's the only way to separate the line between Worker and Individual.
"So tell me about yourself."
I have the best answer. In the past, I'd begin with this as my formal reply. "Excellent question! Well... I regard myself as two people: the Worker and the Individual and because my resume details for you my work history, at least what is current and relevant, why don't I fill in some of the blanks about my individual life and tell you about myself personally?"
This well constructed answer has worked in the past and will work in the future. When the Interviewer is flinging out questions like dry flint being flicked off clothing, they must ever be mindful to not contravene human rights legislation, to avoid questions that fall under the category of ageism and prejudice, and be careful not to indirectly insult the interviewee. And as the Interviewee, if you choose to offer up personal tidbits of your own free will, the Interviewer will feel as though they've connected with a genuine Individual. After all, you're being hired as a Worker but its the Individual that will establish a connection, not the Worker.
And afterward, don't give it a second thought if you did well or shouldn't have said this or should have said that. Pour yourself an espresso, and discuss with your Worker-self the ins and outs of your Individual-self. Get to know one another, until you're great friends. Put some thought too into your resume. The latest trend in resumes is the Functional Style, which places more emphasis on skills and abilities, rather than your work history. Stay away from long-winded resumes with more than two pages. The average HR person spends less than 15 seconds per page. You might think they have the attention span of a bumble-bee, but they are in fact looking for what kinds of skills you have, not where you worked when you were a teenager.
Be mindful of the fact that you're not just looking for work. You are selling yourself and your skills inasmuch as the place where you're applying is looking to hire your skills. They're not doing you any favours by hiring you. You're doing them the favour by bringing to the table your skills, sincerity and genuine integrity. Speaking of which, integrity is the one quality I look for in a manager.
And should you be asked this question, "What's one mistake you've made in past jobs that taught you the most?" Answer, "I take extra pains now to ensure that I don't absentmindedly hit the 'Reply All' key. One time I did because I was rushed trying to meet a deadline, and I embarrassed the originator of the email. It took me one year to re-build the working relationship." [This is my true experience and I've never forgotten it].
Good luck to you, if you have a pending interview.
