Why is it that one of the hardest questions to answer is “Tell me about yourself”? By all means this should be an easy question to answer. Yet, every time I come across that line, I find myself hesitating.
Because, in most settings, it’s not “tell me about yourself.” It’s “tell me what I want to hear.” I’m dedicated, hardworking and passionate, and I believe I would be a great asset to your team. Everyone else is going to put something similar. But what else is there to say? Somehow your response must stand out while fitting predetermined criteria.
My high school English teacher made us write a personal narrative as part of our final. I adored that class and teacher, but I despised that assignment. Stories need conflict, lessons and something gained. A way to hold the reader’s attention and reward them at the end. Not to mention for this assignment we had to talk about a time our self-image was challenged.
I’ve probably had dozens of experiences like that in my life. Some are more impactful than others. But so did all of my classmates. I ended up writing about the first time I went skiing, how I’d lost my initial confidence, made an easy mistake and gotten hurt. It was a decent piece of writing. I got a good grade on it but I didn’t feel accomplished. It certainly felt weak compared to the stories my classmates shared.
The autobiographies that sell come from interesting people with intriguing lives. Those who’ve survived in the wilderness, solved great mysteries and found success despite oppression. To write about that they first had to believe their story was worth sharing.
Every person is so complex and full of so many nuances, it’s a wonder we can know each other at all. But, even the most basic response to “tell me about yourself” says something. My experience with that question, with personal narratives and with writing in general led to a story worth sharing.
