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This is the best way to answer when an interviewer says 'tell me about yourself'

Don’t ask them about where they went to school.

“SO, TELL ME about yourself.”

It’s one of the most ubiquitous interview questions, and often one of the most difficult. With such a wide breadth of possible answers, it can be overwhelming to know where to start.

Hint: If your go-to response includes a run-down of where you grew up or what you studied in college, you’ve probably already lost your interviewer.

While the hiring manager does want to get to know you, at this point they are only focused on figuring out if you’re the right person for the job — and your most critical task is showing them that you are, writes Skip Freeman, the CEO of executive search group Hire to Win, in a recent LinkedIn post.

To prevent hurting your chances before the interview even warms up, Freeman breaks down this question into a simple three-part response that will hook the interviewer without inundating them with unnecessary details. Here’s his technique:

Part 1: Start with a condensed version of your career history. Try and keep it as concise as possible, Freeman suggests.
Part 2: Next, give a brief summary of a specific achievement to capture the interviewer’s interest. “It must be an accomplishment that can easily be explained and/or illustrated,” Freeman says. “Plus, it must also highlight a ‘bottom-line’ impact for the potential employer.”
Part 3: Conclude with a few definitive sentences about what you hope to accomplish next in your career — but make sure it’s relevant to the position you’re interviewing for, Freeman warns.

Here’s an example from Freeman of a good one-minute response:

“I am a five-year veteran of LAN/WAN administration and systems engineering, with substantial experience using a variety of contemporary business software systems.

“Recently, as a long-term contract employee at a local regional bank, I learned that the bank was about to install a particular software system and was planning to use an outside firm for the project. I let them know that I had done a similar installation at my last assignment, outlined how we could get the job done with in-house staff, and successfully completed the installation for $55,000 to $65,000 less than it would have cost with outside consultants.

“For the next step in my career, I would like to move away from contract work and find myself as a direct employee of a large firm where I can join a substantial IT team and be involved with a group that focuses on email and network security applications, while having access to the knowledge base that would come with a large, diverse IT group.”

Instead of giving the hiring manager a broad overview of who you are, show why you’d be a great fit for the position. “You will clearly and quickly brand yourself as a true professional, someone who knows the value of what you have to offer a potential employer,” Freeman says.

Click here to read the original LinkedIn post.

- Emmie Martin

Read: Does what you wear to a job interview matter? >

More: This Dublin shop will clean your suit for free if you have a job interview >

Poll: What’s your biggest worry when applying for a job? >

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    Mute Pat Lonergan
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    Aug 1st 2018, 8:07 AM

    Day 1 and all ready I have made up my mind,what a poor selection.Really shows what a good President Micheal D is.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Aug 1st 2018, 8:32 AM

    @Pat Lonergan: shows how we are scraping the bottom of the barrel, all our best candidates have left, and we are left with the dross.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Aug 1st 2018, 8:33 AM

    @Pat Lonergan: he definitely is not.

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    Mute Boris Farage
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    Aug 1st 2018, 8:36 AM

    @Gus Sheridan: Best of that lot??? Without a shadow of a doubt.

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    Mute Pat Lonergan
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    Aug 1st 2018, 10:23 AM

    @Gus Sheridan: So which of the as of now declared candidates would you say comes with in as ass roar of Micheal D?

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    Mute Senan Hogan O'Brien
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    Aug 1st 2018, 7:58 AM

    How depressing

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    Mute James O'Brien
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    Aug 1st 2018, 8:03 AM

    A room full of headless chickens I’d say that was fun

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    Mute Colonel Grant
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    Aug 1st 2018, 10:47 AM

    There has to be a collective noun for a group of complete eejits . This was a classic case.

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    Mute Ray Hyland
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    Aug 1st 2018, 10:57 AM

    So it looks like we’re going to have a half dozen candidates again. All because it’s probably easier for the media to find stories if there’s more people involved. Pointless if you ask me.

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    Mute Victor Brown
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    Aug 1st 2018, 1:24 PM

    The Rás for The Áras…. Attention seekers

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    Mute anthony byrne
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    Aug 1st 2018, 2:57 PM

    Duffy who gets his kicks out of hunting innocent animals, not fit to represent Ireland, vile person.

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    Mute Mickey Fennessy
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    Aug 1st 2018, 10:48 PM

    Gavin Duffy if u like people who torture animals for fun

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    Mute Marie Setterfield
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    Sep 11th 2018, 5:03 PM

    Not much there to get excited about

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