Most of us tend to take this question very casually and answer it as if we were at a party with an acquaintance we just met. This question is one of the most important questions to be asked at an interview.
A common mistake candidates make in answering this question is to read out their CV/Resume to the recruiter. However the recruiter does not want you to tell them what is written on your CV/Resume. If they are efficient recruiters they would have read through your CV and pieced together a profile of who you might be.
I hear you wondering why ask again? since they have read most of my academic and work life experiences on my resume? What is the point of the question?
This question is designed to assess some of your attributes. Which include:
- Your confidence
- Ability to communicate clearly
- How well you speak
- Composure
Confidence: The recruiter wants to see how confident you are in pitching yourself to anyone, you might be required to sell the business someday. We advise you cover the following areas when answering this question.
- Your Name
- What you currently do for a living (If employed)
- Your achievements so far academically and non-academically
- Your passion and what you enjoy doing
- Your plan for your career and future. Project yourself.
Although your resume largely covers most of the areas outlined above, it does not explain your experience from them, your resume merely lists them and this question gives you a chance to expand on them and complete or correct the preformed profile the recruiter may have of you. It is also very important to have the role you are being interviewed for in mind as well as the organisations corporate culture and values. These should shape your answer.
Below is an example of a typical answer to the question for someone who is unemployed but interviewing for an accounting role:
“I am Fola O, I hold a B Sc. degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos where I graduated with a second class upper division in the top 20 of my class. - ACHIEVEMENT- Whilst at the University I was an active member of the Faculty of Business Administration Student Society. With help from other members of the society I organised several student workshops on accounting standards and policies. -ACHIEVEMENT- I am passionate about corporate transparency which is why I am currently running a course with ICAN in this area - PASSION-. I have a year’s work experience working with Williams Ltd as an accounts officer. In this role I gained attention to detail, numeracy and analytical skills - ACHIEVEMENT-. I hope to finish up my course with ICAN and pursue a career in accounting regulations “-YOUR PLAN.
You need to deliver your pitch with total confidence, and you must highlight on your achievements, passion and plan. You might be nominated to represent the organisation in the future and confidence is a necessity in the dog eat dog world that we live in.
Ability to communicate clearly: It is one thing to have knowledge about something and another thing to communicate this knowledge to someone else with clarity. You must be able to communicate about who you are clearly, what you say must have a logical flow, if it was a story it must be a good read, not one that leaves its reader befuddled.
Just like a well written essay try to have an introduction, main body and a conclusion in what you say.
How well you speak: You must speak English properly, as this is the national business language in Nigeria. Practice does make perfect, practice your pronunciations, pace yourself, be eloquent. Try to avoid filler words such as 'erm/uhm/so/err' as much as possible.
Composure: You must be well composed when answering this question as well as throughout your interview. Sit upright, do not panic into a sweat, smile, try to maintain eye contact. Do not have shifty eyes or rub your hands together, dress appropriately. The recruiter is picking up on all of this!
Find below a video on this topic for your edutainment!
We do hope we have given you a better idea of how to tackle this question.
Till next time!
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