"Tell us about yourself."What a heavy question.
Where to begin?
Well... waaaaaaay back in 1987, a stubborn, blond little lady was born in Tucson, AZ to a father just out of medical school and mother who doubled as a special education teacher.
Hah.
There is definitely an art to interviewing. Think about it ... if we treat each interview question as an exponential equation, the response given by the interviewee then guides the interview into unforseen territory. When someone asks (or more like states), "Tell me about yourself.", one can go in many different directions. The gist is the same but depending on where you begin and where you end, the entire direction of the interview goes down a different camino (path).
For example, I had an interview last Thursday at a wonderful public relations agency in downtown Seattle. They began with the loaded question. Amongst the verbal spewage that was my answer, I mentioned that I work with a rescue horse organization as a way of giving back. We then had a several minute conversation about animals because two of the three interviewers had either worked at a veterinary clinic, trained guide dogs or showed Quarter Horses.
And in a way -- that's the beauty of an interview.
There is no guide. No format. There's preparation -- yes. An interview is a two-way conversation and just like in normal turns of conversation, can go down surprising and unexpected paths.
I have my second interview today. This time a phone interview. I'm open and ready for the art of beautiful conversation.
And by the way, Korea is a no-go. Sorry but I was just gone for a year. I'm ready to be home. Meeting someone wonderful might have helped :) Details to come.
(PHOTO credit: image one - http://www.international-job-search.com/interview%20reduced.jpg.)
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