This one interview mistake I see all the time is driving me nuts

I mean, I've been on both sides of the table a lot lately, and I keep seeing people mess up the 'tell me about yourself' part. They just list their job titles and dates, like a robot reading a resume. I had a guy last week who spent three full minutes just saying 'I was at X company from 2018 to 2020, then I moved to Y company.' It matters because that's your one shot to connect your story to the job, not just list facts. I know from hiring for my team that the people who get offers are the ones who say something like, 'I started in support, which showed me how users think, so I moved into product to fix those problems.' That shows you get it. Has anyone else had to coach someone out of this basic error?

3 comments

3 Comments

wrenstone1mo ago

Three minutes of just job titles and dates is a real problem though. If someone can't connect their own work history to a bigger point in that first answer, how do they handle explaining their work on a project? I get nerves, but that opener sets the tone. What do you do when you hear that robotic list start, do you try to steer them back on track or just let it play out?

pipera503d ago

Ever try asking what they're most proud of from that list? It cuts through the resume speak fast.

carr.willow1mo ago

But is it really that big of a deal? Some people are just nervous and default to facts. I've hired folks who gave a dry rundown of their jobs but were amazing at the technical questions. The story thing feels like a performance, and not everyone is good at that. Sometimes a simple list is just how someone starts the conversation before they warm up.