This question may come in other forms, such as "Will you tell me a little about yourself? Can you summarize what you've been doing these past ten years?" Some interviewees never quite "get it" when asked this question. As a result, they quickly lose control of the interview during the critical first five minutes—the time when first impressions count the most and set the tone for the remainder of the interview. Many interviewees never recover from this question, and the interview goes downhill from there! This is not the time to go into a lengthy history or a wander off into many different and disconnected directions. Your response should be both focused and purposeful. You should communicate a continuing pattern of interests and skills that relate to the position in question. Here you want to make a favorable first impression that will set the tone for the remainder of the interview. Consider your response to this question as a commercial that sells your services to an employer. The employer is looking for a brief autobiography. You should provide an answer that will include information about where you grew up, where you went to school, your initial work experience, additional education and special training, where you are now, and what you intend to do next. One of the most effective ways to prepare for this question is to develop a 60-second biographic sketch that emphasizes a pattern of interests, skills, and accomplishments. Try to focus your response around a common theme related to your major interests and skills. Take, for example, this response which emphasizes computers:

"

I was born in Canton, Ohio and attended Lincoln High School. Ever since I was a teenager, I tinkered with computers. It was my hobby, my passion, and my way of learning. Like most kids I enjoyed computer games.




When my folks gave me a computer as a reward for making the honor roll my sophomore year, I mastered DOS, Windows, and WordPerfect within six months. I then went on to teach myself programming basics.




By the time I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to study programming. From that point on, everything fell in place. My life revolved around computing. By my junior year at Syracuse, I decided I wanted to work for a major software manufacturer. That is why I worked an internship last summer at FastTrack Software.




I now want to work for a major player so I can be at the forefront of breaking trends and new technology. When my college roommate told me his cousin, Elizabeth Anne Jones, got her start in your department, I hounded him until he helped me get a referral from Liz, to the employment agency, to you.




I am prepared to answer any questions you may have about my education and experience.
"

This response sets a nice tone for starting the interview. The interviewee is able to say a lot within 60 seconds by being focused. The message is clear: the interviewee has both passion and focus relating to the position. Emphasizing a pattern, he stays on message and concludes by leaving the door open for additional questions about his education and experience. Unfortunately, some candidates get off on the wrong foot by rambling on for several minutes about their childhood, family, hobbies, travels, and interests. Nothing seems related to a pattern of behavior. Setting the wrong tone with such an unfocused answer, the interview tends to go downhill from there!




Individuals with lots of work experience may have difficulty developing a short and coherent answer to this question. In this case, another way to answer the question is to focus only on your professional experience. You might do this by first seeking clarification with this question directed to the interviewer: "Would you prefer that I discuss my most recent work with XYZ company or would it be most useful to include what I've been doing since graduating from college in 1986?" This question can structure your answer in line with the interviewer's expectations. However, your strongest response will be one that goes beyond the anecdotal. Throughout the interview, you should attempt to communicate a clear pattern of interests, skills, and accomplishments. In the end, the employer wants to hire your pattern of accomplishments, if it's appropriate to the company. Once he or she has a clear understanding of your pattern—which hopefully you've identified