Ace That Interview: Answering the Dreaded "Tell Me Something About Yourself" Question

Picture this: You walk into the interview room, shake hands with the interviewer, and sit down with your best interviewing smile. You are then asked one of the most crucial and most common question in the interview process, “Tell me something about yourself..?”

As the interviewee, you become totally unbalanced when asked this question at the beginning of the interview. This is because you begin to wonder what would make the greatest impact on the interviewer when I talk about myself? Here is the most common mistake: You think the focus is on you and you will talk with the focus being on you. However, please keep in mind that during the interview process, the focus is never on you. Instead, it is on how you “fit” with the company.

When practicing for this interview question, keep a few things in mind:

·         Begin by sharing your education experience and program.       

o   For example: “I am currently a student at Dorsey Schools and enrolled in the Medical Assistant program” or  “I am a graduate of Dorsey Schools and completed the Medical Assistant program.”

·         The next step is to share your externship experience and skills.

o   For example: “I have completed 180 hours of on the job training with Willow Pediatrics. A few of my skills consist of taking vital signs, administering injections, drawing blood, x-rays, EKG’s, charting, handling inbound calls while scheduling appointments, etc…”

·         If you have not started your externship or you are not required to have one, focus on the classes you are currently taking and the skills you have acquired thus far.

o   For example: “I am currently taking the following classes: Medical Terminology, Medical Insurance Coding & Billing, Anatomy & Physiology, etc… The skills I have currently acquired consist of vital signs, charting, phone etiquette,  health histories, infection control, venipunctures, etc…”

·         Wrap up the answer with a passion of yours.

o   For example: “I am very passionate about providing excellent patient care” or “My passion is to make a difference in people’s lives.”

If you have any questions in regards of an upcoming interview you may have, please contact Career Services, located in Building C.

Always remember, practice makes perfect!!

Christal Yono

Career Services Coordinator