interview question

Tell me about yourself

Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the
position. Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to
match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In
other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single
most important strategy in job hunting.

So, before you answer this or any question it's imperative that you
try to uncover your interviewer's greatest need, want, problem or
goal.

To do so, make you take these two steps:

Do all the homework you can before the interview to uncover this
person's wants and needs (not the generalized needs of the industry or
company)

As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more complete
description of what the position entails. You might say: "I have a
number of accomplishments I'd like to tell you about, but I want to
make the best use of our time together and talk directly to your
needs. To help me do, that, could you tell me more about the most
important priorities of this position? All I know is what I (heard
from the recruiter, read in the classified ad, etc.)"

Then, ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly, third question, to
draw out his needs even more. Surprisingly, it's usually this second
or third question that unearths what the interviewer is most looking
for.

You might ask simply, "And in addition to that?..." or, "Is there
anything else you see as essential to success in this position?:

This process will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is
easier simply to answer questions, but only if you uncover the
employer's wants and needs will your answers make the most sense.
Practice asking these key questions before giving your answers, the
process will feel more natural and you will be light years ahead of
the other job candidates you're competing with.

After uncovering what the employer is looking for, describe why the
needs of this job bear striking parallels to tasks you've succeeded at
before. Be sure to illustrate with specific examples of your
responsibilities and especially your achievements, all of which are
geared to present yourself as a perfect match for the needs he has
just described.