Dear Thomas, the start phase is the most crucial phase, and your question is one I often encounter in career coaching sessions. An old marketing adage says, “The first impression is crucial; the last one remains memorable.” You have a great opportunity to make a strong start with the following question, which recruiters often ask: “Tell me a bit about yourself.”
Typically, most candidates begin by recounting their resumes, starting with their high school or other educational background and then moving on to their work experience and further education. And this is where the problem starts. Most candidates begin in this manner. Anything that sounds similar can be monotonous or trigger an internal dialogue in the listener’s mind. The person starts wondering, “How long will this take? Will it be the same boring litany as the last candidate?” If someone starts zoning out or thinking about other things, you lose their attention, and your words fall on deaf ears. That would be a waste of energy. Therefore, ensure that your conversation partner enjoys listening to you. Try using the WHAT-WHY-HOW model.
The WHAT shows what it’s about. The WHY highlights the benefit to the listeners. The HOW gives insight into the process, the content, and relevant points from your resume that you will share. You should use no more than five to ten sentences for the introduction. This way, you provide a valuable overview of what you will discuss, and your counterpart will feel comfortable and attentive, ready to listen to your words. To ensure this works, mention only points that are relevant to your future job. Anything else is irrelevant to the listener’s mind and irrelevant information will be replaced by more important details. When this replacement begins, you lose the listener’s attention—stop that!
Here’s an example: “I’d like to tell you about myself and my organizational skills (WHAT). To show you how I plan to prepare important meetings for Ms. Mustermeier (future boss) so she can fully focus on the meeting content (WHY). First, I will explain why I chose to study business administration. Next, how I managed organization in my previous office. Finally, I will talk about the skills I want to bring to your team (HOW).”
Another example: “I’d like to give you an overview of my career (WHAT). Especially, I want to show you how I achieve sales targets reliably and how I motivate the entire team in the process (WHY). I will first explain how I got into sales and what my previous employers appreciated most about me. Additionally, I’ve thought about your sales system and would like to share my ideas with you (HOW).”
This way, the person will have a picture of the next few minutes in their mind. Whether they are happy with it will be reflected in their body language. Pay attention to that. If the interviewer appears relaxed and interested, proceed with the details. If you feel you may have used the wrong words because your counterpart seems bored or not quite happy, ask: “Is this what you had in mind, or would you prefer a different approach to get a better picture of me?”
Remember, this message must be tailored to your future position. Talk only about points that prove you can excel in this job.
Dear Thomas and all readers, have fun trying this out.
For more tips from Doria, click HERE! 😉
