This question seems simple, so many people fail to prepare for it, but it's crucial. Here's the deal: Don't give your complete employment (or personal) history. Instead give a pitch—one that’s concise and compelling and that shows exactly why you’re the right fit for the job. Start off with the 2-3 specific accomplishments or experiences that you most want the interviewer to know about, then wrap up talking about how that prior experience has positioned you for this specific role.
Answer this question as if the interviewer has asked, “Why are you here today?”. Present your significant professional and academic qualities for the position. Do not include personal information such as your age. Be concise. Let the interviewer ask for further detail if necessary.
Express your knowledge of the organization and the position and how your experience and background matches it.
Based on your research of the career field express your knowledge of it. Mention the experience and skills you’ve developed through academics, internships, part-time jobs, and/or volunteer work that relate to the field.
I am a quick learner. Over the past 2 years, I have worked in 3 different workplaces and this has worked well for me to improve my skills. I have honed my skills in copywriting, editing as well some core principles of Graphic Designing and Digital Marketing. I am quite comfortable with Microsoft Office Suite and I have basic knowledge of certain tools like Adobe Photoshop and Pixlr Editor. It is my motto to keep learning every day and I actively seek feedback to keep growing.”
“I have the ability to work effectively with different kinds of people. Hence, I would say that organizational skills are one of the strongest points about me. I had to meet strict deadlines and coordinate with several departments simultaneously in order to deliver a project. I was ultimately able to deliver the project on schedule. In the end, this experience made me realise that I possess good organizational skills. But the entire episode also helped me to polish my time management skills and multi-tasking abilities side-by-side.”
My communication style can be sometimes blunt and harsh. Feedback is amazing but constructive feedback can make miracles happen. Hence, I am learning to reserve my judgment and write down my blunt criticism before I say it aloud. This has allowed me to communicate well and build strong professional relationships.
I had been assigned field work to collect feedback from the clients. I was given a file which had the list of names and addresses. I had to take their feedbacks and signature under their mentioned names. I had been given a time period of three days for the task. There were total 60 names in the file. On the first day, I managed to record feedbacks and signatures of 30 clients. In order to finish up the task before the third day, I failed to take signatures from some of the clients. When I submitted the file early on day 3, I was informed about my mistakes. I was given a chance to get the missing signatures. I went back and collected the signatures before the day ended. It worked out fine at the end but I taught myself to be more vigilant about the upcoming works. I learned that though mistakes are inevitable, being cautious can reduce the chances.”
“I worked in an organization where we had to communicate in person with prospective clients to seal the deal. We had a whole team working continuously to cold call as many clients as possible, for which each of us were given a list of client names and contact numbers. At the end of the day, we had to come up with three interested parties. On a busy day, I was done with two of my targets and moved on to the third. As I wanted to get it done as quickly as possible, I overlooked some details which were necessary to explain. Eventually, just before the end of day, this prospective client refused my deal which was a huge setback to my team’s daily target. I understood the gravity of my mistake and contacted the client again on the following day, and I made sure to apologize and also cleared out each and every point with precision. The client eventually agreed to the deal after a week and the load was finally off my shoulders. Yes, I messed up in the first place but I discovered fresh confidence after clearing up the mess.”
My hobbies are playing board games and solving all kinds of puzzles. Of the two, I spend most of my free time bent over a puzzle, like a jigsaw, general trivia, logic, cryptic, or even a Sudoku or crossword puzzle. On my 9th birthday, I remember receiving a Rubik’s cube and a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. That’s when this hobby got triggered. Over the years, I have realized that a tough puzzle can easily take anything between a few hours to a month to solve! There is always a table in my house adorned with an unfinished puzzle. In retrospect, this hobby has been a great teacher. I have acquired patience, consistent effort, planning, perseverance and observation due to my hobby. At the end of the day my motto in life is inspired by my love for puzzles – ‘have faith, all shall fall in place!’ Interestingly, even the Queen of England lists puzzles as one of her hobbies. That makes my hobby a royal one! ?
I am a deltiologist or simply, a person who collects postcards. Back in school, we had this wonderful exercise wherein we were supposed to exchange postcards with school children from Pakistan. The aim of the letter exchange was to foster peace and educate us about India’s neighbors. I received many gorgeous postcards from my pen-pal, Nazia. I remember one postcard in particular because it confused me deeply. It was a beautiful picture of Kashmir. Why was she sending me Indian postcards? Kashmir was in India, and she was in Pakistan! I was too young then to understand the bigger political scenario but it paved the way to question more. I have continued to grow my pen-pal circle and still use the postal service in the age of electronic messaging to send letters. I love receiving these postcards with photographs of tourist attractions or sunsets – it makes me feel like I’m in their homes, gardens or cafes for those few minutes. Now every time I travel I am on the lookout for different postcards. I have over 1500 postcards, and the number is growing.
“Judging by my previous assumptions, I have seldom landed to the place I had wanted to. It can be due to the unclear goals I have set in past. Due to the very same reason, I started setting up smaller targets which have led me to this place. Keeping this habit intact, I want to add some bigger targets. I want to work with your organization, doing the best I can for the tasks I am assigned to. During these years, I want to perform what is expected of me. If required, I will consider myself responsible for leading the team which can provide desired outcomes to this reputed organization. It is not as easy as it seems. I hope my decisions are rewarding at the end.”
Before answering any such question, do a thorough study of the position’s requirements and what skill-sets the job might need. This knowledge will help you immensely in matching your qualifications and experience with the job requirements, which in turn, enhances your image in the eyes of the HR and sets you apart from the competition.
For example − "As per my knowledge, you are looking for a Sales and Marketing Manager for your book-publishing department. I would like to mention that I have a strong background in trade book sales, 18 years of experience to be exact. I know the right contacts, methods, and management techniques that are needed for success in our industry.”
Any candidate can read and regurgitate the company’s “About” page. So, when interviewers ask this, they aren't necessarily trying to gauge whether you understand the mission—they want to know whether you care about it. Start with one line that shows you understand the company's goals, using a couple key words and phrases from the website, but then go on to make it personal. Say, “I’m personally drawn to this mission because…” or “I really believe in this approach because…” and share a personal example or two.
