January 13, 2025 • 33 mins
In this episode of Career Composer, host Erin Ahart dives into how to answer the question 'Tell me about yourself' in an interview. Erin shares how to use the present, past, future model to craft the perfect response. She emphasizes the importance of making a great first impression and setting the stage for the rest of the interview. (And by the way, we can learn a LOT from Opening Acts in music when answering 'Tell me about yourself' and opening up the interview.) Special guest Matt Norawong shares his answer to this question, providing listeners with a real-world example from a different industry.
Timestamps: career content - 7:52
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Episode Transcript
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(00:18):
This is Career Composer.
I'm Erin, and I'm helping you,professionals under 30, navigate
your careers with a music themedtwist.
I'm giving you the job searchand career advice you need to
get that job, but we'll alsotalk about music, how to balance
our personal and professionallives, and figure out what we're
meant to do.
Ready?
(00:38):
Let's go.
Happy new year and welcome back.
I am your host, Erin Aheart, andthis is Career Composer, where
I'm helping professionals under30 navigate your careers with a
music themed twist.
If you're new here, I'm a fulltime career counselor in
Washington, DC.
Also in my twenties, sharing thecareer advice that I would want
for myself and also talkingabout music.
(00:59):
Today is a very special daybecause we're kicking off our
episodes for the year.
I'm so excited about what I haveplanned for you guys this year,
but I also have another veryimportant announcement, which is
that our very first themedcareer composer playlist is live
our interview hype playlist.
Of course, we already have ourmaster career composer playlist,
but these other themed playlistswere part of my original plan to
(01:22):
build our career composerrepertoire or music library.
If you will, it's my goal justto build a ton of different
career theme playlists that canhelp you with whatever situation
you're in.
This interview hype playlist wascreated with recs from friends,
some of the recs that you allhave submitted, and it really
has something for everyone.
You'll be able to tell that I'vereally been getting into hip hop
lately, which has been reallyfun.
(01:44):
I've also found that hip hop isamazing for running on the
treadmill, because a lot of thebeats in hip hop go perfectly
with running about 5 to 6 and ahalf miles per hour.
I don't know, maybe this iscommon knowledge, but I just
figured this out.
This also might be a good timeto share one of the tips that I
give people who are strugglingwith interview anxiety is to
create a routine and habits thatyou can implement both while
(02:06):
you're preparing for theinterview and on the day of your
interview.
This new interview hype playlistwill hopefully get you amped up,
excited on that day, but if youalso listen to this playlist or
other music that you enjoy whileyou prepare for the interview,
you'll feel that way when youpractice too.
The goal is for your interviewroutine to feel familiar and
something that makes you happy,and that's the science behind
(02:28):
why it's good to practice foryour interview with the same
routine and listen to that musicor implement that same routine
on the day of your interviewthat morning.
I plan to do an episode oninterview anxiety in the future.
And I also know that some peopleprefer more calming music as
they prepare.
So we'll add a more calminterview prep playlist soon,
(02:49):
which leads me to my next agendaitem.
Our next episode, two weeks fromnow will be your interview prep
checklist, where I'm going overeverything you need to check off
the list to ensure that you'reready to go for your interview,
whether it's in person orvirtual.
It's kind of like when you'repacking for vacation and you
can't figure out what to show Sojust what you're missing.
This list is to make sure thatthat doesn't happen to you
(03:11):
before your interview.
The links to our new interviewhype playlist and all other
information is in the show notesbelow.
Please follow us on Instagram atcareer composer.
If you liked this episode andyou want to stay up to date and
get some other supplementalcareer information that is all
meant to help you grow in yourcareer, let's get right into the
episode guys.
(03:31):
Opening acts and how to answer.
Tell me about yourself in aninterview.
The prelude is our musicappetizer to our career content.
If you want to get right intoour career topic, how to answer,
tell me about yourself in aninterview.
The timestamp is in the shownotes below, but today music is
kind of woven throughout theepisode because there are a lot
(03:53):
of similarities between openingacts, how openers set the stage
for the main event and how youcan set yourself up perfectly
for the rest of your interview.
Our discussion about openingacts reminded me of an event
that I went to pretty soon aftermoving to DC, and it was a part
of a music event startup calledSo Far Sounds.
So Far Sounds started in London.
(04:14):
It's now in cities across theUnited States, Washington DC,
Boston, Chicago, Seattle,Atlanta, LA, Nashville, New York
City, Denver, Houston, Austin.
And in each city, they hostconcerts in random places with
three artists or so who arelocal to that area.
There's no opener or headlinerand each artist gets equal time.
(04:35):
These events are prettyinexpensive.
I believe they're around 25, butI'm not completely sure.
I didn't pay for my ticketbecause the person I went with
knew one of the performers, butwhat's really cool about so far
sounds is that you don't knowwhere the show is being held
until a few days before theyjust give you the general
location or neighborhood withinthat city.
So.
And you also don't know whichartists are performing.
(04:58):
So it's a very secret, verymysterious kind of event, but
it's also very safe.
So please don't worry aboutthat.
the one I went to was in areally nice hotel in an event
space.
There was a wine bar, peopleshowing you where to go.
We also sat on the floor, andthat's common at most so far
shows from what I've heard.
So, there were string lights anda ton of people brought
(05:18):
blankets.
A lot of people were going thereon first dates.
It was just a really cute, cozyvibe.
Artists who played at So FarSounds before are Teddy Swims,
Leon Bridges, Yeba, all three ofthose I absolutely love, Ed
Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Hozier,Wolf Alice, Andra Noah Cyrus,
Anderson East.
(05:38):
All before they became reallyfamous.
I wanted to share this becauseopening acts are often up and
coming artists who are playingfor a headliner who has a
similar vibe or sound, whichhelps them gain fans.
So Far Sounds is a really coolway to support three local
artists who may not be as wellknown yet, and if you tell your
friends that you go to thesesecret concerts, you also sound
(06:00):
really artsy and cool.
One thing I forgot to mention isthat so far S O F A R is kind of
a shortened version of songsfrom a room.
So all of these artists areplaying in just one room with
their audience, a reallyintimate, connected feel with
the audience.
And so today I'm highlightingsome so far sounds artists for
(06:21):
you guys.
The first is Infinity Song.
This is a family band of twobrothers and two sisters based
in New York City.
My favorite song is HatersAnthem.
Sinking Boat and I Want You Backare also very popular.
But Infinity Song just has sucha unique sound that sounds a
cappella in a lot of ways.
This is not an a cappella band.
(06:41):
the reason I say that is becauseof the way that they use unison
and harmonies to create justReally unique, unexpected
sounds.
I'm not really sure that I'veheard anything like them before.
And I really love the songHaters Anthem.
The artist who I saw in personis Juliette Lloyd.
This is the artist who my friendknew when we went.
I'm adding her song High Road tothe playlist.
(07:03):
I really enjoy her songwriting.
And then next we have WolfAlice.
The songs by this artist areDon't Delete the Kisses and No
Hard Feelings.
I also mentioned that TeddySwims played at So Far Sounds.
Of course, I love the song LoseControl, but the song Some
Things I'll Never Know is justso gorgeous, I feel like it
doesn't get as much airtimebecause it's a little
(07:24):
depressing.
But there's also a version ofthis song that he did with Maren
Morris.
I might add a couple more Teddysongs to the playlist.
I also learned recently that hisname Swims.
His stage name, Teddy Swims, isan acronym for someone who isn't
me sometimes.
His new album comes out onJanuary 24th.
So definitely follow him, watchout for that new album.
(07:47):
I'm sure it's going to beinsane.
Now onto our career content, howto answer, tell me about
yourself in an interview.
We can't talk about how toanswer the tell me about
yourself question without firsttalking about how to open up the
interview itself in the firstplace.
That's essentially what thisquestion is.
(08:07):
You're opening up theconversation, introducing who
you are as a professional andsetting the stage for the rest
of the interview.
You're manipulating the otherplayers on the court so you can
go right in for the layup andjust give them a taste of what's
to come when you absolutelycrush the rest of your interview
like I know you guys will.
And just like opening acts, youhave a couple of jobs to do.
(08:28):
Know your audience, why they'rehere, and what they want.
Second, promote the show.
Give them a glimpse of whatthey're about to see from you.
Overdeliver.
Opening acts have this reallyunique opportunity to gain new
fans by opening for a morefamous musician.
This means that they're playingtheir best songs, and you're
highlighting your most relevant,most impressive skills and
(08:50):
experience in this question.
Most importantly, your job is toget the crowd excited for the
main event.
And what does this mean for you,the interviewee?
First, when you step into thatinterview room, whether it's
zoom or in person, you aregreeting them with a smile.
If it's in person and you feelcomfortable, shake the
interviewer's hands, show themwith your body language that
(09:12):
you're excited and ready to givethem what they came for.
I promise you, these people arehoping that you are the
candidate of their dreams, andthey want to leave your
interview feeling so relievedthat they finally found the
right candidate.
They don't want you to fail.
If they did, this would be ahuge waste of their time.
At this point, you also knowexactly who the audience is
(09:32):
already.
You've done your research andyou know the job description and
the company's mission, vision,and purpose.
Inside and out.
And this is all because you willhave listened to our next
episode two weeks from now,which is an interview prep
checklist that applies acrossall industries.
In a second, we'll talk abouthow to work this research and
knowledge into your tell meabout yourself answer.
(09:53):
However, despite knowing whatthe audience wants, you don't
know how many people are goingto be there.
You don't know if they're goingto be friendly, cold, or tired
from the other interviewsthey've already had that day or
that week.
Famous musicians are oftennothing like our vision of them,
and you don't know how thehiring committee is going to
start the interview either.
Interviews can be completelyunpredictable, especially in the
(10:16):
beginning of the conversation.
I've found that interviews aremost often started in one of two
ways.
The first possibility is thatthe interview is super formal.
They might briefly say somethinggeneric like, Thank you for your
interest in our company, andimmediately begin the interview
by saying, And our firstquestion for you is, As a side
(10:37):
note,, if the interview is thisformal, there's also a slight
possibility that they skip thetell me about yourself question
altogether.
Not to scare you guys, but Ireally don't hope for this
situation.
It's kind of my worst nightmare,but because of that, I created
the perfect response.
So myself, my students, and youall who are listening today are
never put in a tricky situationagain.
(10:59):
If this happens, they skip the,tell me about yourself question,
and they go right into adifferent question they have for
you.
You would simply say,absolutely.
That's a great question.
And thank you again for thisopportunity.
Before I answer, I'd love tofirst share a little bit about
myself and why I believe I'm agreat fit for this role.
Then give them a slightlyshortened version of what you
(11:20):
prepared for it.
Tell me about yourself, about a32nd elevator pitch, and then
transition to the question theyactually asked you by saying,
and in response to your originalquestion, dot, dot, dot, and
then you would get right intoit.
The second possibility is what Ipersonally hope for, and it's
what I've found is the mostcommon.
The interviewers greet you asnormal, they're enthusiastic
(11:42):
about you being there, and theystart by going around the room
and introducing themselvesfirst.
They might even share a littlebit more information about the
position and the company.
Then they'll either directlyinvite you to introduce
yourself, or there will be apause after they've all gone
around the room.
If they're going around the roomintroducing themselves, and
everyone has gone except foryou, this pause implies that
(12:03):
it's now your turn to share.
In this case, you would say, andmy name is so and so, and go
right into saying what you wouldsay for the tell me about
yourself question.
If you go around the room doingintroductions, they're not going
to ask you the tell me aboutyourself question directly.
Your introduction in that momentwas already your answer to the
tell me about yourself question.
(12:26):
But no matter how the interviewstarts in any of these
scenarios, whether it's formalor informal, or they explicitly
ask you to tell them aboutyourself, or they just go around
the room doing introductions,you want to give the same exact
answer that you plan to give forthe tell me about yourself
question.
This is your chance to make agreat first impression by
(12:47):
highlighting your most relevant,most impressive skills and
experience.
But it's also the only questionin the entire interview that you
pretty much know for a factthey're going to ask.
And you really need to answerit.
The reason why is because it'sthe buffer between when you
first entered the room and youmet them, and when you have to
be on your A game ready toanswer questions later in the
(13:09):
interview that you can't alwayspredict.
This is your chance to get yournerves out, say what you plan to
say, and again, set yourself upfor success for the rest of your
interview.
Finally, no matter how thisquestion is asked or what the
vibes are in the interview room,I know it's easier said than
done, but don't let how theinterview starts keep you from
your best.
(13:30):
When you start speaking, take adeep breath and start slow and
controlled.
If you can just take that deepbreath to collect yourself and
have some sense of control overyour speech, you will come
across as more confident, evenif you don't feel like it.
Make sure you smile and sit upstraight.
So you appear more confident, ofcourse, but so you can also
breathe deeply for my singersout there.
(13:52):
You all know that we're notsupposed to cross our arms or
sit down when we're singingbecause it collapses our
diaphragm.
So you're supposed to stand whenyou're in the interview.
The best thing you can do is setup straight and don't cross your
arms.
So how do you actually craftyour response to the, tell me
about yourself question?
Every good answer to the Tell MeAbout Yourself question has a
(14:13):
few key characteristics.
The main one being that it's nottoo short and not too long.
I recommend talking anywherefrom one to two minutes.
I've heard other peoplerecommend a 20 to 30 second
elevator speech, but that'sreally just not enough time to
share all the things that youwould need to share in the
context of an interview.
On the other hand, five minutesis way too long, so I would time
(14:36):
yourself and really try to keepit under two minutes.
The second key characteristic ofyour answer is that by the end
of your answer, the interviewershould know who you are included
in that is where you are in thepresent tense, what you've done,
or where you've been in the pasttense and where you're going in
the future.
How can you do that by followingthe present past future model
(14:58):
present comes first, not thepast.
Like you might think.
For present, start by sayingyour name and then describe your
current roles.
Remember that your roles can bea lot of different things.
Your primary role is most likelythat you are working in a full
or part time job.
Or if you're a student, then youwould state your role as a
student studying XYZ subject atyour college or university.
(15:21):
But your roles can also includeresearch, unpaid or volunteer
work you're doing, professionalorganizations you're involved
in, a specific project you'reworking on, and this can even be
an independent project outsideof work or school,
certifications you're workingtowards.
Basically, your roles areanything you are currently doing
right now that somehow relatesto your career.
(15:42):
But there are also plenty ofother things you can share it
when explaining who you are inthe present, you can talk about
your interests within the field,key areas of expertise or
specialization, some of your topskills.
You have a lot to choose fromhere, but while I'm giving you
these options to show all thatyou can say, remember that you
don't have to say all of them.
(16:02):
You've got an entire interviewin front of you.
You'll have many more chances toexpand on what you've shared or
mentioned something you forgotto say throughout your
conversation.
So choose what you want to sharein your, tell me about yourself,
answer based on what they'relooking for in the job
description and the experienceyou have.
That's most relevant.
Most recent, or that you're mostproud of.
(16:23):
If you're nervous, maybe yourheart's racing as you get
settled into the beginning ofyour interview, I know it can be
really tempting to regurgitateyour entire resume and say
everything you could possiblyplan to say in your interview,
because you have a fear offorgetting something.
Believe me, I've been there.
I've done that exact same thingmyself.
But guess what?
(16:43):
When you do tell them everythingfrom the start, you risk
overwhelming them withinformation, because that's
possible, too.
It can be very overwhelming foran interviewer to try and retain
information about someone theyjust met, to figure out what's
important and what's not.
It's much more likely thatthey'll forget everything you've
just told them if you tell themeverything.
(17:04):
Your job is to set the stage andpromote the show.
Give them a glimpse of whatthey're about to see from you.
By giving them the highlightsinstead of giving them
everything, now you've gottenthe crowd excited.
Now we're moving on to the past,but in a little bit, you'll hear
how I would answer thisquestion, incorporating the
entire present past futuremodel.
And I also asked a friend tocall in and share how he would
(17:27):
answer.
Tell me about yourself and acompletely different industry.
So just a little FYI, that we dohave some examples coming later
for the past, depending on howmuch detail you gave for your
present roles, you mightlengthen or shorten this section
just a little bit.
If you don't currently have ajob, you're going to focus more
on past experience.
(17:47):
If you have a phenomenal jobright now, that's extremely
relevant to the role you'reapplying for focus more on the
present and dive into that alittle bit more.
For the past, this is not aboutsharing your entire life story.
Rather, it's about beingintentional and sharing what
they will actually care about.
Nothing's more annoying thanthat musician who talks in
between every single song abouthow amazing it is to be there
(18:10):
and how much they love that citythat they just so happen to be
playing in that day.
You just want the artist to getto the music and sing the song.
So for you, what are thehighlights that are most
relevant to the role you'reinterviewing for?
And again, which are the mostrelevant or impressive, and
we'll leave them wanting to knowmore about you.
If you have a lot of relevantexperience, you could highlight
(18:31):
a couple of the roles that gaveyou the relevant skills or had a
big impact on who you are as aprofessional.
If you have experience that isnot directly related to the
role, you could mention how thisexperience diversified your
skill set and gave you somethingunique that not every applicant
is going to offer.
And if you feel that you have noexperience at all, which I can
(18:52):
assure you is not the case, Italk to students every single
day in my day job who think theyhave no experience and then I
ask them a couple of clarifyingquestions and it turns out we
can fill an entire page on aresume.
But even if this is true and youliterally have zero experience.
Still find a way to tell astory.
Even if you do have lots ofrelevant experience, telling a
(19:15):
relevant story could also workfor you and make you stand out.
How did you become interested inthe field?
What story could give them anidea of the kind of person you
are and how you show up in theworkplace?
Maybe a story that showcasessome of your key skills.
I personally love learning abouthow people become interested in
their field and what drivestheir passion for what they do.
(19:36):
It's a really easy way for thehiring committee to learn more
about you, but also in ourpersonal lives.
People are drawn to others whobring excitement and joy to the
conversation.
So that's your clue to bringyour passion into your answer.
And last but not least thefuture, where are you going?
And how does this position fitinto your career goals?
Why are you here in thisinterview at this very moment?
(19:59):
One really easy way to startthis part of your answer is.
I'm interested in this positionbecause dot, dot, dot, in order
to share where you're going andhow this position truly fits
into your goals, you have tostart by telling them why you're
interested.
Maybe you're interested becausethe job description perfectly
matches your interests.
Maybe you want to work for acertain kind of company, and
(20:21):
you're interested because youfelt a deep connection to the
company's mission and values.
Maybe you're interested becausethis position will allow you to
gain skills and experiences thatwill help you achieve your long
term career goal.
Do you see how in all of thesescenarios, your interest in them
is because what they can offeryou somehow connects to who you
are and what you want in thefuture in some way?
(20:43):
To make this even more clear,you really only have two choices
when sharing why you'reinterested in them in this part
of your answer.
To say that you're here One,because you want to do something
that interests you or work for acompany you're interested in, or
two, because this position willhelp you gain skills and
experiences that fit into alarger career goal you have for
yourself.
(21:04):
Honestly, I really can't thinkof any other options you have
here.
Any other option runs the riskof you saying, I need a job
versus I want this specific joband you never want to come
across like you're just tryingto get out of your current
situation.
And that is the present pastfuture model.
Before we get to our examples, Iwant to recognize that my style
(21:27):
is giving you guys all theinformation you could ever
possibly need.
So you don't have any questions.
However, I know that can be alot for some people.
So if the present past futuremodel is too much for you,
you're thinking, OMG, I did notknow so much goes into just.
Telling them about myself.
It seems like such a simplequestion.
Here's another way to thinkabout it.
(21:48):
Introduce yourself and your rolepart time full time role or
student, then list three to fiveother things about yourself that
are relevant to the role or arethe most impressive things
you've done in your career sofar.
Start with the most relevant.
That's typically the mostrecent, but that's not required.
And list the other things inorder of relevance.
After that, throw in a sentenceabout why you're passionate
(22:09):
about your field or the work youdo and wrap it up by telling
them why you're interested inthe position.
I promise if you startpracticing, you will get there.
I find it really helps topractice out loud so you can
feel how your answer flows,whether it sounds natural or if
it sounds too forced.
And some of you also might bewondering, how should I
introduce my current roles if Idon't have a job right now and
(22:31):
if I'm not a student?
In this case, I would considerflip flopping the past and
present and start with the past.
This way you're starting strongand confident with what you've
already done, and thatexperience then serves as
evidence for the other thingsyou share about yourself that
you bring in the present, likeyour knowledge, skills,
strengths, personality traits,without you having to list a
current role.
(22:52):
At this point, they've alreadyseen your resume.
They really should know thatyou're not currently employed,
but it also doesn't hurt toexplain why you're unemployed
after you've finished All of theother impressive skills,
experiences, and other qualitiesthat you bring.
They might ask you outrightabout this anyway.
So it just always helps to havean answer prepared.
(23:12):
Right, guys, I promise you someexamples.
So here they are for eachexample, try to listen for the
past, present, future model.
So we'll start with mine andthen we'll go to my friend,
Matt.
Hi, everyone.
Thank you so much for having me.
I really appreciate it.
Again, my name is Erin Ahart.
I'm a career counselor andcareer development professional
currently working at XYZUniversity.
(23:34):
In my current role, I have thepleasure of doing what I
absolutely love, which ishelping students identify and
work towards their career goals,primarily through delivering
workshops PhD students in one onone appointments.
I'm also extremely passionateabout career content
development.
So I started my own podcast andfreelance career coaching
business called career composer.
(23:55):
And my previous role, I planlarge scale career events for
Salem state university.
And I worked there full timewhile I completed my master's of
education degree in highereducation and student affairs.
Two highlights from my time atSalem state are that I became a
Gallup certified Cliftonstrengths coach and had the
opportunity to speak on channelseven news and WBZ radio about a
career closet event that Ihelped plan, which provided
(24:17):
Salem state university studentswith access to more than 2000
free professional attire items.
This experience, as well as myleadership and content
development and my naturalentrepreneurial spirit, these
all helped me realize that Ireally value having a broad
impact, which is one of thereasons why I'm so interested in
this position as associatedirector for career development.
(24:37):
This is truly a uniqueopportunity for me to combine my
skills and really do what I dobest and create exciting new
initiatives that will expandaccess to career education at
your university.
I'm really looking forward tothe rest of our conversation
today and learning even moreabout the role.
Okay, so what went well in thatanswer?
The first thing you might havenoticed is how I said my name
(24:59):
and how I said, thank you again,assuming that you've already
shaken hands and said, thank youfor having me, especially if
this is an in person interview.
I personally like saying my nameso people know how to pronounce
it.
And And because you literallycan't get your own name wrong.
So you already have a freebieright in the beginning.
I say thank you again, becauseit's polite, but also because
it's another buffer that givesyou a second to think and
(25:22):
breathe before going into themeat of your response.
Next, I shared my current roles.
I chose my full time job and mycareer composer business.
Then, I walked the interviewersthrough my recent past, sharing
that I worked full time whilecompleting my Master's of
Education degree, and sharingthe two most impressive
highlights from my previousrole.
I talked about how my pastexperience, combined with my
(25:43):
skills, are not only why I'minterested in this new role, but
I hinted at the fact that I'mlikely the best person for the
role because I used the phrase,Do what I do best.
I also chose that particularphrase because it has to do with
my Gallup global strengths coachcertification.
So if anyone on the panel were acertified strengths coach, they
would see that reference there.
(26:04):
I also took it up a notch andreally tried to come across as
confident because if you'reapplying for a leadership
position or a position like anassociate director position,
part of interviewing for a rolethat's at or above your level is
speaking as if you alreadyoperate on that level.
I have a lot more to say aboutthis.
This will be an entirelydifferent episode, but I also
just wanted to touch on that.
(26:25):
We also talked about how openingacts over deliver.
This is just a friendly reminderto not over deliver in terms of
the amount of content you share,but with how you deliver your
content with control,confidence, excitement, and
energy.
You might've also noticed that Iended my answer with a sentence.
I'm really looking forward toour conversation today and
learning even more about therole.
(26:47):
This kind of transition sentenceisn't always necessary, with how
to end your answers and withwrapping it up.
And it clearly signals thatyou're done speaking, at least
just for the tell me aboutyourself question.
You could also say somethinglike, I look forward to sharing
more about my experience andqualifications with you in our
conversation today.
You could say that instead.
(27:08):
Okay, everyone.
I would now like to welcome myfriend, Matt Norawang to share
how he would answer.
Tell me about yourself in aninterview.
I actually had no idea he wasgoing to come on this particular
episode, but it's so fittingbecause he's the one I went to
the so far sounds concert withand who personally knows the
artist we saw Juliet Lloyd.
Matt's going to share how hewould answer.
(27:30):
Tell me about yourself in hisindustry and also give you guys
a couple of music recs.
So get excited and let's hearwhat Matt has to say.
Hi everybody, my name is MatthewNorwong.
I'm one of Aaron's friends andI'm also a big fan of Career
Composer, which is why I'm superexcited to be here today to show
you all how I would answer thequestion, tell me a little bit
(27:50):
about yourself.
So a little bit about myself,I'm 27 years old, I currently
live in Washington D.
C.
I moved here about three or fouryears ago from Seattle,
Washington, and I currently workas a public affairs manager.
I'm currently for thePharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturing of America,otherwise known as PhRMA, which
is the trade group thatrepresents branded
pharmaceutical companies in theUnited States.
(28:11):
Part of my responsibilitiesinclude science and regulatory
communications, so I do a lot ofwork on vaccines, anti obesity
medicines, innovative pipelines,and I also help oversee our
patient advocacy program, calledVoters for Cures, which is a
network of about 8, 500patients.
Caregiver and patient voicesthroughout the United States.
And part of the reason why Ireally love my job is that I too
(28:33):
am a patient.
So I was born with a congenitalcataracts, which over the years
evolved into a very aggressiveform of glaucoma, which
essentially took sight out of myleft eye.
But because of a new treatmentthat was approved in the early
2000s, I was able to get on it.
And it was, for the most part,stabilized my condition and has
allowed me to live as close to anormal life.
a normal, productive, and ashappy life as possible, and also
(28:56):
help me avoid total blindness.
So I'm really thankful thatevery single day I get to get up
and go to a job that allows meto fight for a policy and
regulatory environment that, youknow, helps protect access to
innovative treatments of theday, but also ensuring cures of
tomorrow.
So outside of my nine to five, Itoo am a musician.
I primarily played bass guitar.
(29:17):
I started when I was in middleschool.
I took a little bit of a breakin high school, and college, but
then picked it back up, duringthe pandemic.
I currently play, in a bandcalled Pagoda Peak, which
recently just released our, our.
third or so EP.
And I also just started a newside project, called Haldi,
which I'm really excited to dosome, some new things with, uh,
(29:39):
uh, next year.
I'm a big advocate of, you know,having some sort of hobby or
some sort of passion that youcan really fall back onto
outside of your nine to five.
And for me, that's music, butfor other people, it could be a
sport.
It could be, you know, anactivity, whether it's like
jigsaw puzzles or cooking, uh,you know, I'm all for, you know,
having some sort of passion.
(29:59):
I was asked by Aaron torecommend a song that's to add
to the career composer playlist.
I'm going to cheat a little bit.
Um, so I have two, the first oneis just like heaven by the cure.
It was one of the very firstsongs I ever learned how to play
on an instrument.
Everything's there.
You know, it's melodic.
It's simple.
It's like four chords.
And it really just showed methat you don't need to be an
(30:21):
expert on music theory to writea really great song.
The next song I'm going torecommend is called No Fun by
Blink 182.
It's off their new comebackalbum called One More Time.
And I think that it's, it's,it's essentially about, you
know, living out your glory daysin your adulthood and some of
the faith and some of theproblems that you might face as
a young adult.
So I think that There is nobetter fitting song for this
(30:44):
podcast than that.
Thank you all and lookingforward to the episode.
Erin Ahart (30:50):
So first of all, let's give Matt a huge round of
applause.
I was originally going to do abefore and after with Matt.
And then I heard his answerwithout giving him any of my
tips and I could not believe howawesome it was.
No notes.
His story blew me away and heshared his connection to the
field and sounded so natural.
Yet he still included all of therelevant information he needed
(31:13):
to and ended with thisstatement.
I'm really thankful that everysingle day I get to get up and
go to a job that allows me tofight for a policy and
regulatory environment thathelps protect access to
innovative treatments of todaywhile also ensuring the cures of
tomorrow.
What the heck?
Wow.
So the only thing Matt didn't dowas talk about the future or how
(31:35):
the position he's interviewingfor fits into his goals.
And because I know Mattpersonally, I know that's
because he's not interviewingfor a new position.
He actually recently got apromotion at his current
company.
So we're so proud of you, Matt,for that.
And lastly, when Matt talkedabout music, that wasn't part of
his, tell me about yourselfanswer.
I'll be adding Matt's song recsto the playlist.
(31:55):
And I want to highlight his bandPagoda Peak.
So I'm adding their song.
Use your turn signal to theplaylist.
Make sure you check it out.
Matt is not only a greatmusician, but I'm sure you can
tell he's also just a reallynice person and a great friend.
Okay guys.
So that is how to answer.
Tell me about yourself in aninterview.
I hope you enjoyed this one.
Have a great week, have funlistening to interview hype, and
(32:18):
I'll see you in two weeks fromnow for all industry interview
prep checklist.
Thanks for listening.
Analogue 1 + 2 (Focusrite Usb (32:24):
I hope you found today's episode
helpful.
Career Composer will be backwith a new episode every other
Monday.
And if today's topic reallyresonated with you, I hope
you'll consider leaving a reviewwherever you listen to your
podcasts.
Reviews will really help thispodcast grow so I can keep
bringing you the career contentthat you want.
You can also email me atcareercomposerpodcast at gmail.
(32:46):
com with feedback or questions,because I want to give you the
career advice that you actuallywant to hear.
That's all for now.
Thank you so much for listening.
I'll see you next time and havea great day.
This is Career Composer.
I'm Erin, and I'm helping you,professionals under 30, navigate
your careers with a music themedtwist.
I'm giving you the job searchand career advice you need to
get that job, but we'll alsotalk about music, how to balance
our personal and professionallives, and figure out what we're
meant to do.
Ready?
(00:38):
Let's go.
Happy new year and welcome back.
I am your host, Erin Aheart, andthis is Career Composer, where
I'm helping professionals under30 navigate your careers with a
music themed twist.
If you're new here, I'm a fulltime career counselor in
Washington, DC.
Also in my twenties, sharing thecareer advice that I would want
for myself and also talkingabout music.
(00:59):
Today is a very special daybecause we're kicking off our
episodes for the year.
I'm so excited about what I haveplanned for you guys this year,
but I also have another veryimportant announcement, which is
that our very first themedcareer composer playlist is live
our interview hype playlist.
Of course, we already have ourmaster career composer playlist,
but these other themed playlistswere part of my original plan to
(01:22):
build our career composerrepertoire or music library.
If you will, it's my goal justto build a ton of different
career theme playlists that canhelp you with whatever situation
you're in.
This interview hype playlist wascreated with recs from friends,
some of the recs that you allhave submitted, and it really
has something for everyone.
You'll be able to tell that I'vereally been getting into hip hop
lately, which has been reallyfun.
(01:44):
I've also found that hip hop isamazing for running on the
treadmill, because a lot of thebeats in hip hop go perfectly
with running about 5 to 6 and ahalf miles per hour.
I don't know, maybe this iscommon knowledge, but I just
figured this out.
This also might be a good timeto share one of the tips that I
give people who are strugglingwith interview anxiety is to
create a routine and habits thatyou can implement both while
(02:06):
you're preparing for theinterview and on the day of your
interview.
This new interview hype playlistwill hopefully get you amped up,
excited on that day, but if youalso listen to this playlist or
other music that you enjoy whileyou prepare for the interview,
you'll feel that way when youpractice too.
The goal is for your interviewroutine to feel familiar and
something that makes you happy,and that's the science behind
(02:28):
why it's good to practice foryour interview with the same
routine and listen to that musicor implement that same routine
on the day of your interviewthat morning.
I plan to do an episode oninterview anxiety in the future.
And I also know that some peopleprefer more calming music as
they prepare.
So we'll add a more calminterview prep playlist soon,
(02:49):
which leads me to my next agendaitem.
Our next episode, two weeks fromnow will be your interview prep
checklist, where I'm going overeverything you need to check off
the list to ensure that you'reready to go for your interview,
whether it's in person orvirtual.
It's kind of like when you'repacking for vacation and you
can't figure out what to show Sojust what you're missing.
This list is to make sure thatthat doesn't happen to you
(03:11):
before your interview.
The links to our new interviewhype playlist and all other
information is in the show notesbelow.
Please follow us on Instagram atcareer composer.
If you liked this episode andyou want to stay up to date and
get some other supplementalcareer information that is all
meant to help you grow in yourcareer, let's get right into the
episode guys.
(03:31):
Opening acts and how to answer.
Tell me about yourself in aninterview.
The prelude is our musicappetizer to our career content.
If you want to get right intoour career topic, how to answer,
tell me about yourself in aninterview.
The timestamp is in the shownotes below, but today music is
kind of woven throughout theepisode because there are a lot
(03:53):
of similarities between openingacts, how openers set the stage
for the main event and how youcan set yourself up perfectly
for the rest of your interview.
Our discussion about openingacts reminded me of an event
that I went to pretty soon aftermoving to DC, and it was a part
of a music event startup calledSo Far Sounds.
So Far Sounds started in London.
(04:14):
It's now in cities across theUnited States, Washington DC,
Boston, Chicago, Seattle,Atlanta, LA, Nashville, New York
City, Denver, Houston, Austin.
And in each city, they hostconcerts in random places with
three artists or so who arelocal to that area.
There's no opener or headlinerand each artist gets equal time.
(04:35):
These events are prettyinexpensive.
I believe they're around 25, butI'm not completely sure.
I didn't pay for my ticketbecause the person I went with
knew one of the performers, butwhat's really cool about so far
sounds is that you don't knowwhere the show is being held
until a few days before theyjust give you the general
location or neighborhood withinthat city.
So.
And you also don't know whichartists are performing.
(04:58):
So it's a very secret, verymysterious kind of event, but
it's also very safe.
So please don't worry aboutthat.
the one I went to was in areally nice hotel in an event
space.
There was a wine bar, peopleshowing you where to go.
We also sat on the floor, andthat's common at most so far
shows from what I've heard.
So, there were string lights anda ton of people brought
(05:18):
blankets.
A lot of people were going thereon first dates.
It was just a really cute, cozyvibe.
Artists who played at So FarSounds before are Teddy Swims,
Leon Bridges, Yeba, all three ofthose I absolutely love, Ed
Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Hozier,Wolf Alice, Andra Noah Cyrus,
Anderson East.
(05:38):
All before they became reallyfamous.
I wanted to share this becauseopening acts are often up and
coming artists who are playingfor a headliner who has a
similar vibe or sound, whichhelps them gain fans.
So Far Sounds is a really coolway to support three local
artists who may not be as wellknown yet, and if you tell your
friends that you go to thesesecret concerts, you also sound
(06:00):
really artsy and cool.
One thing I forgot to mention isthat so far S O F A R is kind of
a shortened version of songsfrom a room.
So all of these artists areplaying in just one room with
their audience, a reallyintimate, connected feel with
the audience.
And so today I'm highlightingsome so far sounds artists for
(06:21):
you guys.
The first is Infinity Song.
This is a family band of twobrothers and two sisters based
in New York City.
My favorite song is HatersAnthem.
Sinking Boat and I Want You Backare also very popular.
But Infinity Song just has sucha unique sound that sounds a
cappella in a lot of ways.
This is not an a cappella band.
(06:41):
the reason I say that is becauseof the way that they use unison
and harmonies to create justReally unique, unexpected
sounds.
I'm not really sure that I'veheard anything like them before.
And I really love the songHaters Anthem.
The artist who I saw in personis Juliette Lloyd.
This is the artist who my friendknew when we went.
I'm adding her song High Road tothe playlist.
(07:03):
I really enjoy her songwriting.
And then next we have WolfAlice.
The songs by this artist areDon't Delete the Kisses and No
Hard Feelings.
I also mentioned that TeddySwims played at So Far Sounds.
Of course, I love the song LoseControl, but the song Some
Things I'll Never Know is justso gorgeous, I feel like it
doesn't get as much airtimebecause it's a little
(07:24):
depressing.
But there's also a version ofthis song that he did with Maren
Morris.
I might add a couple more Teddysongs to the playlist.
I also learned recently that hisname Swims.
His stage name, Teddy Swims, isan acronym for someone who isn't
me sometimes.
His new album comes out onJanuary 24th.
So definitely follow him, watchout for that new album.
(07:47):
I'm sure it's going to beinsane.
Now onto our career content, howto answer, tell me about
yourself in an interview.
We can't talk about how toanswer the tell me about
yourself question without firsttalking about how to open up the
interview itself in the firstplace.
That's essentially what thisquestion is.
(08:07):
You're opening up theconversation, introducing who
you are as a professional andsetting the stage for the rest
of the interview.
You're manipulating the otherplayers on the court so you can
go right in for the layup andjust give them a taste of what's
to come when you absolutelycrush the rest of your interview
like I know you guys will.
And just like opening acts, youhave a couple of jobs to do.
(08:28):
Know your audience, why they'rehere, and what they want.
Second, promote the show.
Give them a glimpse of whatthey're about to see from you.
Overdeliver.
Opening acts have this reallyunique opportunity to gain new
fans by opening for a morefamous musician.
This means that they're playingtheir best songs, and you're
highlighting your most relevant,most impressive skills and
(08:50):
experience in this question.
Most importantly, your job is toget the crowd excited for the
main event.
And what does this mean for you,the interviewee?
First, when you step into thatinterview room, whether it's
zoom or in person, you aregreeting them with a smile.
If it's in person and you feelcomfortable, shake the
interviewer's hands, show themwith your body language that
(09:12):
you're excited and ready to givethem what they came for.
I promise you, these people arehoping that you are the
candidate of their dreams, andthey want to leave your
interview feeling so relievedthat they finally found the
right candidate.
They don't want you to fail.
If they did, this would be ahuge waste of their time.
At this point, you also knowexactly who the audience is
(09:32):
already.
You've done your research andyou know the job description and
the company's mission, vision,and purpose.
Inside and out.
And this is all because you willhave listened to our next
episode two weeks from now,which is an interview prep
checklist that applies acrossall industries.
In a second, we'll talk abouthow to work this research and
knowledge into your tell meabout yourself answer.
(09:53):
However, despite knowing whatthe audience wants, you don't
know how many people are goingto be there.
You don't know if they're goingto be friendly, cold, or tired
from the other interviewsthey've already had that day or
that week.
Famous musicians are oftennothing like our vision of them,
and you don't know how thehiring committee is going to
start the interview either.
Interviews can be completelyunpredictable, especially in the
(10:16):
beginning of the conversation.
I've found that interviews aremost often started in one of two
ways.
The first possibility is thatthe interview is super formal.
They might briefly say somethinggeneric like, Thank you for your
interest in our company, andimmediately begin the interview
by saying, And our firstquestion for you is, As a side
(10:37):
note,, if the interview is thisformal, there's also a slight
possibility that they skip thetell me about yourself question
altogether.
Not to scare you guys, but Ireally don't hope for this
situation.
It's kind of my worst nightmare,but because of that, I created
the perfect response.
So myself, my students, and youall who are listening today are
never put in a tricky situationagain.
(10:59):
If this happens, they skip the,tell me about yourself question,
and they go right into adifferent question they have for
you.
You would simply say,absolutely.
That's a great question.
And thank you again for thisopportunity.
Before I answer, I'd love tofirst share a little bit about
myself and why I believe I'm agreat fit for this role.
Then give them a slightlyshortened version of what you
(11:20):
prepared for it.
Tell me about yourself, about a32nd elevator pitch, and then
transition to the question theyactually asked you by saying,
and in response to your originalquestion, dot, dot, dot, and
then you would get right intoit.
The second possibility is what Ipersonally hope for, and it's
what I've found is the mostcommon.
The interviewers greet you asnormal, they're enthusiastic
(11:42):
about you being there, and theystart by going around the room
and introducing themselvesfirst.
They might even share a littlebit more information about the
position and the company.
Then they'll either directlyinvite you to introduce
yourself, or there will be apause after they've all gone
around the room.
If they're going around the roomintroducing themselves, and
everyone has gone except foryou, this pause implies that
(12:03):
it's now your turn to share.
In this case, you would say, andmy name is so and so, and go
right into saying what you wouldsay for the tell me about
yourself question.
If you go around the room doingintroductions, they're not going
to ask you the tell me aboutyourself question directly.
Your introduction in that momentwas already your answer to the
tell me about yourself question.
(12:26):
But no matter how the interviewstarts in any of these
scenarios, whether it's formalor informal, or they explicitly
ask you to tell them aboutyourself, or they just go around
the room doing introductions,you want to give the same exact
answer that you plan to give forthe tell me about yourself
question.
This is your chance to make agreat first impression by
(12:47):
highlighting your most relevant,most impressive skills and
experience.
But it's also the only questionin the entire interview that you
pretty much know for a factthey're going to ask.
And you really need to answerit.
The reason why is because it'sthe buffer between when you
first entered the room and youmet them, and when you have to
be on your A game ready toanswer questions later in the
(13:09):
interview that you can't alwayspredict.
This is your chance to get yournerves out, say what you plan to
say, and again, set yourself upfor success for the rest of your
interview.
Finally, no matter how thisquestion is asked or what the
vibes are in the interview room,I know it's easier said than
done, but don't let how theinterview starts keep you from
your best.
(13:30):
When you start speaking, take adeep breath and start slow and
controlled.
If you can just take that deepbreath to collect yourself and
have some sense of control overyour speech, you will come
across as more confident, evenif you don't feel like it.
Make sure you smile and sit upstraight.
So you appear more confident, ofcourse, but so you can also
breathe deeply for my singersout there.
(13:52):
You all know that we're notsupposed to cross our arms or
sit down when we're singingbecause it collapses our
diaphragm.
So you're supposed to stand whenyou're in the interview.
The best thing you can do is setup straight and don't cross your
arms.
So how do you actually craftyour response to the, tell me
about yourself question?
Every good answer to the Tell MeAbout Yourself question has a
(14:13):
few key characteristics.
The main one being that it's nottoo short and not too long.
I recommend talking anywherefrom one to two minutes.
I've heard other peoplerecommend a 20 to 30 second
elevator speech, but that'sreally just not enough time to
share all the things that youwould need to share in the
context of an interview.
On the other hand, five minutesis way too long, so I would time
(14:36):
yourself and really try to keepit under two minutes.
The second key characteristic ofyour answer is that by the end
of your answer, the interviewershould know who you are included
in that is where you are in thepresent tense, what you've done,
or where you've been in the pasttense and where you're going in
the future.
How can you do that by followingthe present past future model
(14:58):
present comes first, not thepast.
Like you might think.
For present, start by sayingyour name and then describe your
current roles.
Remember that your roles can bea lot of different things.
Your primary role is most likelythat you are working in a full
or part time job.
Or if you're a student, then youwould state your role as a
student studying XYZ subject atyour college or university.
(15:21):
But your roles can also includeresearch, unpaid or volunteer
work you're doing, professionalorganizations you're involved
in, a specific project you'reworking on, and this can even be
an independent project outsideof work or school,
certifications you're workingtowards.
Basically, your roles areanything you are currently doing
right now that somehow relatesto your career.
(15:42):
But there are also plenty ofother things you can share it
when explaining who you are inthe present, you can talk about
your interests within the field,key areas of expertise or
specialization, some of your topskills.
You have a lot to choose fromhere, but while I'm giving you
these options to show all thatyou can say, remember that you
don't have to say all of them.
(16:02):
You've got an entire interviewin front of you.
You'll have many more chances toexpand on what you've shared or
mentioned something you forgotto say throughout your
conversation.
So choose what you want to sharein your, tell me about yourself,
answer based on what they'relooking for in the job
description and the experienceyou have.
That's most relevant.
Most recent, or that you're mostproud of.
(16:23):
If you're nervous, maybe yourheart's racing as you get
settled into the beginning ofyour interview, I know it can be
really tempting to regurgitateyour entire resume and say
everything you could possiblyplan to say in your interview,
because you have a fear offorgetting something.
Believe me, I've been there.
I've done that exact same thingmyself.
But guess what?
(16:43):
When you do tell them everythingfrom the start, you risk
overwhelming them withinformation, because that's
possible, too.
It can be very overwhelming foran interviewer to try and retain
information about someone theyjust met, to figure out what's
important and what's not.
It's much more likely thatthey'll forget everything you've
just told them if you tell themeverything.
(17:04):
Your job is to set the stage andpromote the show.
Give them a glimpse of whatthey're about to see from you.
By giving them the highlightsinstead of giving them
everything, now you've gottenthe crowd excited.
Now we're moving on to the past,but in a little bit, you'll hear
how I would answer thisquestion, incorporating the
entire present past futuremodel.
And I also asked a friend tocall in and share how he would
(17:27):
answer.
Tell me about yourself and acompletely different industry.
So just a little FYI, that we dohave some examples coming later
for the past, depending on howmuch detail you gave for your
present roles, you mightlengthen or shorten this section
just a little bit.
If you don't currently have ajob, you're going to focus more
on past experience.
(17:47):
If you have a phenomenal jobright now, that's extremely
relevant to the role you'reapplying for focus more on the
present and dive into that alittle bit more.
For the past, this is not aboutsharing your entire life story.
Rather, it's about beingintentional and sharing what
they will actually care about.
Nothing's more annoying thanthat musician who talks in
between every single song abouthow amazing it is to be there
(18:10):
and how much they love that citythat they just so happen to be
playing in that day.
You just want the artist to getto the music and sing the song.
So for you, what are thehighlights that are most
relevant to the role you'reinterviewing for?
And again, which are the mostrelevant or impressive, and
we'll leave them wanting to knowmore about you.
If you have a lot of relevantexperience, you could highlight
(18:31):
a couple of the roles that gaveyou the relevant skills or had a
big impact on who you are as aprofessional.
If you have experience that isnot directly related to the
role, you could mention how thisexperience diversified your
skill set and gave you somethingunique that not every applicant
is going to offer.
And if you feel that you have noexperience at all, which I can
(18:52):
assure you is not the case, Italk to students every single
day in my day job who think theyhave no experience and then I
ask them a couple of clarifyingquestions and it turns out we
can fill an entire page on aresume.
But even if this is true and youliterally have zero experience.
Still find a way to tell astory.
Even if you do have lots ofrelevant experience, telling a
(19:15):
relevant story could also workfor you and make you stand out.
How did you become interested inthe field?
What story could give them anidea of the kind of person you
are and how you show up in theworkplace?
Maybe a story that showcasessome of your key skills.
I personally love learning abouthow people become interested in
their field and what drivestheir passion for what they do.
(19:36):
It's a really easy way for thehiring committee to learn more
about you, but also in ourpersonal lives.
People are drawn to others whobring excitement and joy to the
conversation.
So that's your clue to bringyour passion into your answer.
And last but not least thefuture, where are you going?
And how does this position fitinto your career goals?
Why are you here in thisinterview at this very moment?
(19:59):
One really easy way to startthis part of your answer is.
I'm interested in this positionbecause dot, dot, dot, in order
to share where you're going andhow this position truly fits
into your goals, you have tostart by telling them why you're
interested.
Maybe you're interested becausethe job description perfectly
matches your interests.
Maybe you want to work for acertain kind of company, and
(20:21):
you're interested because youfelt a deep connection to the
company's mission and values.
Maybe you're interested becausethis position will allow you to
gain skills and experiences thatwill help you achieve your long
term career goal.
Do you see how in all of thesescenarios, your interest in them
is because what they can offeryou somehow connects to who you
are and what you want in thefuture in some way?
(20:43):
To make this even more clear,you really only have two choices
when sharing why you'reinterested in them in this part
of your answer.
To say that you're here One,because you want to do something
that interests you or work for acompany you're interested in, or
two, because this position willhelp you gain skills and
experiences that fit into alarger career goal you have for
yourself.
(21:04):
Honestly, I really can't thinkof any other options you have
here.
Any other option runs the riskof you saying, I need a job
versus I want this specific joband you never want to come
across like you're just tryingto get out of your current
situation.
And that is the present pastfuture model.
Before we get to our examples, Iwant to recognize that my style
(21:27):
is giving you guys all theinformation you could ever
possibly need.
So you don't have any questions.
However, I know that can be alot for some people.
So if the present past futuremodel is too much for you,
you're thinking, OMG, I did notknow so much goes into just.
Telling them about myself.
It seems like such a simplequestion.
Here's another way to thinkabout it.
(21:48):
Introduce yourself and your rolepart time full time role or
student, then list three to fiveother things about yourself that
are relevant to the role or arethe most impressive things
you've done in your career sofar.
Start with the most relevant.
That's typically the mostrecent, but that's not required.
And list the other things inorder of relevance.
After that, throw in a sentenceabout why you're passionate
(22:09):
about your field or the work youdo and wrap it up by telling
them why you're interested inthe position.
I promise if you startpracticing, you will get there.
I find it really helps topractice out loud so you can
feel how your answer flows,whether it sounds natural or if
it sounds too forced.
And some of you also might bewondering, how should I
introduce my current roles if Idon't have a job right now and
(22:31):
if I'm not a student?
In this case, I would considerflip flopping the past and
present and start with the past.
This way you're starting strongand confident with what you've
already done, and thatexperience then serves as
evidence for the other thingsyou share about yourself that
you bring in the present, likeyour knowledge, skills,
strengths, personality traits,without you having to list a
current role.
(22:52):
At this point, they've alreadyseen your resume.
They really should know thatyou're not currently employed,
but it also doesn't hurt toexplain why you're unemployed
after you've finished All of theother impressive skills,
experiences, and other qualitiesthat you bring.
They might ask you outrightabout this anyway.
So it just always helps to havean answer prepared.
(23:12):
Right, guys, I promise you someexamples.
So here they are for eachexample, try to listen for the
past, present, future model.
So we'll start with mine andthen we'll go to my friend,
Matt.
Hi, everyone.
Thank you so much for having me.
I really appreciate it.
Again, my name is Erin Ahart.
I'm a career counselor andcareer development professional
currently working at XYZUniversity.
(23:34):
In my current role, I have thepleasure of doing what I
absolutely love, which ishelping students identify and
work towards their career goals,primarily through delivering
workshops PhD students in one onone appointments.
I'm also extremely passionateabout career content
development.
So I started my own podcast andfreelance career coaching
business called career composer.
(23:55):
And my previous role, I planlarge scale career events for
Salem state university.
And I worked there full timewhile I completed my master's of
education degree in highereducation and student affairs.
Two highlights from my time atSalem state are that I became a
Gallup certified Cliftonstrengths coach and had the
opportunity to speak on channelseven news and WBZ radio about a
career closet event that Ihelped plan, which provided
(24:17):
Salem state university studentswith access to more than 2000
free professional attire items.
This experience, as well as myleadership and content
development and my naturalentrepreneurial spirit, these
all helped me realize that Ireally value having a broad
impact, which is one of thereasons why I'm so interested in
this position as associatedirector for career development.
(24:37):
This is truly a uniqueopportunity for me to combine my
skills and really do what I dobest and create exciting new
initiatives that will expandaccess to career education at
your university.
I'm really looking forward tothe rest of our conversation
today and learning even moreabout the role.
Okay, so what went well in thatanswer?
The first thing you might havenoticed is how I said my name
(24:59):
and how I said, thank you again,assuming that you've already
shaken hands and said, thank youfor having me, especially if
this is an in person interview.
I personally like saying my nameso people know how to pronounce
it.
And And because you literallycan't get your own name wrong.
So you already have a freebieright in the beginning.
I say thank you again, becauseit's polite, but also because
it's another buffer that givesyou a second to think and
(25:22):
breathe before going into themeat of your response.
Next, I shared my current roles.
I chose my full time job and mycareer composer business.
Then, I walked the interviewersthrough my recent past, sharing
that I worked full time whilecompleting my Master's of
Education degree, and sharingthe two most impressive
highlights from my previousrole.
I talked about how my pastexperience, combined with my
(25:43):
skills, are not only why I'minterested in this new role, but
I hinted at the fact that I'mlikely the best person for the
role because I used the phrase,Do what I do best.
I also chose that particularphrase because it has to do with
my Gallup global strengths coachcertification.
So if anyone on the panel were acertified strengths coach, they
would see that reference there.
(26:04):
I also took it up a notch andreally tried to come across as
confident because if you'reapplying for a leadership
position or a position like anassociate director position,
part of interviewing for a rolethat's at or above your level is
speaking as if you alreadyoperate on that level.
I have a lot more to say aboutthis.
This will be an entirelydifferent episode, but I also
just wanted to touch on that.
(26:25):
We also talked about how openingacts over deliver.
This is just a friendly reminderto not over deliver in terms of
the amount of content you share,but with how you deliver your
content with control,confidence, excitement, and
energy.
You might've also noticed that Iended my answer with a sentence.
I'm really looking forward toour conversation today and
learning even more about therole.
(26:47):
This kind of transition sentenceisn't always necessary, with how
to end your answers and withwrapping it up.
And it clearly signals thatyou're done speaking, at least
just for the tell me aboutyourself question.
You could also say somethinglike, I look forward to sharing
more about my experience andqualifications with you in our
conversation today.
You could say that instead.
(27:08):
Okay, everyone.
I would now like to welcome myfriend, Matt Norawang to share
how he would answer.
Tell me about yourself in aninterview.
I actually had no idea he wasgoing to come on this particular
episode, but it's so fittingbecause he's the one I went to
the so far sounds concert withand who personally knows the
artist we saw Juliet Lloyd.
Matt's going to share how hewould answer.
(27:30):
Tell me about yourself in hisindustry and also give you guys
a couple of music recs.
So get excited and let's hearwhat Matt has to say.
Hi everybody, my name is MatthewNorwong.
I'm one of Aaron's friends andI'm also a big fan of Career
Composer, which is why I'm superexcited to be here today to show
you all how I would answer thequestion, tell me a little bit
(27:50):
about yourself.
So a little bit about myself,I'm 27 years old, I currently
live in Washington D.
C.
I moved here about three or fouryears ago from Seattle,
Washington, and I currently workas a public affairs manager.
I'm currently for thePharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturing of America,otherwise known as PhRMA, which
is the trade group thatrepresents branded
pharmaceutical companies in theUnited States.
(28:11):
Part of my responsibilitiesinclude science and regulatory
communications, so I do a lot ofwork on vaccines, anti obesity
medicines, innovative pipelines,and I also help oversee our
patient advocacy program, calledVoters for Cures, which is a
network of about 8, 500patients.
Caregiver and patient voicesthroughout the United States.
And part of the reason why Ireally love my job is that I too
(28:33):
am a patient.
So I was born with a congenitalcataracts, which over the years
evolved into a very aggressiveform of glaucoma, which
essentially took sight out of myleft eye.
But because of a new treatmentthat was approved in the early
2000s, I was able to get on it.
And it was, for the most part,stabilized my condition and has
allowed me to live as close to anormal life.
a normal, productive, and ashappy life as possible, and also
(28:56):
help me avoid total blindness.
So I'm really thankful thatevery single day I get to get up
and go to a job that allows meto fight for a policy and
regulatory environment that, youknow, helps protect access to
innovative treatments of theday, but also ensuring cures of
tomorrow.
So outside of my nine to five, Itoo am a musician.
I primarily played bass guitar.
(29:17):
I started when I was in middleschool.
I took a little bit of a breakin high school, and college, but
then picked it back up, duringthe pandemic.
I currently play, in a bandcalled Pagoda Peak, which
recently just released our, our.
third or so EP.
And I also just started a newside project, called Haldi,
which I'm really excited to dosome, some new things with, uh,
(29:39):
uh, next year.
I'm a big advocate of, you know,having some sort of hobby or
some sort of passion that youcan really fall back onto
outside of your nine to five.
And for me, that's music, butfor other people, it could be a
sport.
It could be, you know, anactivity, whether it's like
jigsaw puzzles or cooking, uh,you know, I'm all for, you know,
having some sort of passion.
(29:59):
I was asked by Aaron torecommend a song that's to add
to the career composer playlist.
I'm going to cheat a little bit.
Um, so I have two, the first oneis just like heaven by the cure.
It was one of the very firstsongs I ever learned how to play
on an instrument.
Everything's there.
You know, it's melodic.
It's simple.
It's like four chords.
And it really just showed methat you don't need to be an
(30:21):
expert on music theory to writea really great song.
The next song I'm going torecommend is called No Fun by
Blink 182.
It's off their new comebackalbum called One More Time.
And I think that it's, it's,it's essentially about, you
know, living out your glory daysin your adulthood and some of
the faith and some of theproblems that you might face as
a young adult.
So I think that There is nobetter fitting song for this
(30:44):
podcast than that.
Thank you all and lookingforward to the episode.
Erin Ahart (30:50):
So first of all, let's give Matt a huge round of
applause.
I was originally going to do abefore and after with Matt.
And then I heard his answerwithout giving him any of my
tips and I could not believe howawesome it was.
No notes.
His story blew me away and heshared his connection to the
field and sounded so natural.
Yet he still included all of therelevant information he needed
(31:13):
to and ended with thisstatement.
I'm really thankful that everysingle day I get to get up and
go to a job that allows me tofight for a policy and
regulatory environment thathelps protect access to
innovative treatments of todaywhile also ensuring the cures of
tomorrow.
What the heck?
Wow.
So the only thing Matt didn't dowas talk about the future or how
(31:35):
the position he's interviewingfor fits into his goals.
And because I know Mattpersonally, I know that's
because he's not interviewingfor a new position.
He actually recently got apromotion at his current
company.
So we're so proud of you, Matt,for that.
And lastly, when Matt talkedabout music, that wasn't part of
his, tell me about yourselfanswer.
I'll be adding Matt's song recsto the playlist.
(31:55):
And I want to highlight his bandPagoda Peak.
So I'm adding their song.
Use your turn signal to theplaylist.
Make sure you check it out.
Matt is not only a greatmusician, but I'm sure you can
tell he's also just a reallynice person and a great friend.
Okay guys.
So that is how to answer.
Tell me about yourself in aninterview.
I hope you enjoyed this one.
Have a great week, have funlistening to interview hype, and
(32:18):
I'll see you in two weeks fromnow for all industry interview
prep checklist.
Thanks for listening.
Analogue 1 + 2 (Focusrite Usb (32:24):
I hope you found today's episode
helpful.
Career Composer will be backwith a new episode every other
Monday.
And if today's topic reallyresonated with you, I hope
you'll consider leaving a reviewwherever you listen to your
podcasts.
Reviews will really help thispodcast grow so I can keep
bringing you the career contentthat you want.
You can also email me atcareercomposerpodcast at gmail.
(32:46):
com with feedback or questions,because I want to give you the
career advice that you actuallywant to hear.
That's all for now.
Thank you so much for listening.
I'll see you next time and havea great day.
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