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Ask HN: How do you introduce yourself to inteviewers?

12 points by folz ↗ HN
It's my first interview tomorrow (I'm applying for college), and I've been practicing questions with my parents and teachers. I can answer the "Why do you want to go here?" questions pretty well, but I get tripped up on the more personal "Tell me about yourself" ones. I'm sure you all have had some experience with this sort of thing, and I'd appreciate it if you could share it with me.

21 comments

[ 160 ms ] story [ 1916 ms ] thread
elliottcarlson
When I ask someone the "Tell me about yourself" type questions, I am looking to see what excites them about the field. Since I interview programmers, I look for passion about the industry, I want to know if they are keeping up with various trends on their free time, and I want to know about personal accomplishments that they were proud of.

It may not be what other people are looking for when they ask that question, but that is what it means to me.

Good luck, and just act relaxed and confident :)

cperciva
Submitter: Bookmark this answer and read it when you're applying for a job.

What elliottcarlson says is great advice for job interviews, but not for college admissions. An employer wants to know if you'll be able to do good work for them; a college wants to know if they can mold you into a better person.

elliottcarlson
Though now I feel extremely foolish for not realizing (and obviously not reading correctly) that submitter was interviewing for college admissions - thanks though ;)
cperciva
It's still great advice, even if you gave it to the wrong person. And if he takes my advice and bookmarks it, he might come back and read it at the right time. ;-)
phamilton
People remember good stories. They shouldn't be "I'm awesome stories". They shouldn't be "I'm exactly what you are looking for" stories.

They should be novel and descriptive.

Describe what you do in your spare time. Everyone has the usual School/extracurriculars/etc. If you are a programmer, describe something you built, from concept to completion. Maybe a simple weekend project that you launched as a website. Or a lawn mowing business you ran instead of getting a job. Something unique enough to be memorable.

cperciva
Something unique enough to be memorable.

If you have something unique to mention, then absolutely do it. But be realistic about how exceptional your accomplishments are -- in my experience there's little a candidate can do which is more irritating than being the 20th person in a row to talk about a few hours of volunteering at the local hospital as if it qualifies them for sainthood.

pbhjpbhj
>there's little a candidate can do which is more irritating than being the 20th person in a row to talk about a few hours of volunteering at the local hospital as if it qualifies them for sainthood.

What field are you interviewing in? I've never met anyone that told me they volunteered at a hospital (but I know plenty of volunteers as it happens).

If you don't want them to tell you about themselves - eg what volunteer work they do - then perhaps ask a different question?

cperciva
What field are you interviewing in?

We're discussions college admissions here, not job interviews. :-)

pbhjpbhj
Yes, so what sort of college, a nursing college?
cperciva
I'm affiliated with a Canadian university; we cover pretty much every field except medical and legal.

I think the students who wax lyrical about their volunteerism are usually in the liberal arts, though.

pbhjpbhj
Do you find that most applicants have volunteer experience, is it very common in Canada to volunteer in hospitals? I'm really curious about this, it seems quite strange to me that this should be prevalent and also that you'd find it detrimental particularly (even if they're a bit full of themselves). At the normal Uni entry age most in my country wouldn't have done any volunteering not least in a hospital.
cperciva
Volunteer experience is very common here. In BC there was recently discussion of making some number of hours of "volunteer" activity a requirement for high school graduation.

I don't think such activities are detrimental in the slightest; but they're not at all exceptional here. (Also, it's a very common "resume-building" tactic, so there's always the question of whether a student performed the activity because they wanted to help the community or because they thought it would pay off in scholarships.)

pbhjpbhj
Thanks for your continued response, your last bit of info being vital to understanding the situation.
cperciva
Tell me about yourself

My answer: I'm not good at dealing with people. When I'm talking about mathematics or computer science, I'll argue with people without giving a moment's thought to who I might antagonize, because at that point I'm dealing with the subject and not with the people. In social contexts, by contrast, I can't avoid the human factor, and I back away from anything which could potentially result in a confrontation. I think holding my ground when I know I'm right is a good thing; but I'm working on being less of a wimp in social situations.

It really doesn't matter what you say here, as long as you say something coherent. The point of the question isn't to find out your opinions of yourself; rather, it's to determine your level of self-awareness. Saying "I have problems X, Y, and Z" shows far more self-awareness and will win you more points than reciting a list of your accomplishments.

SHOwnsYou
I don't believe this is correct. I'd suggest you stay away from this kind of answer. The last thing you want it someone to reject you because they think you can be argumentative. Never talk about weaknesses, but if you have to, make it as inconsequential as you can -- don't mention how you can be argumentative and not be aware of your surroundings.

Rather, stroke the ego of the person you're talking to. I grew up always knowing I wanted to do <whatever>. In high school I started learning as much as I could from the library and it really started to grow my interest as I read more and more. This school is particularly high on my list because I know you have some of the best professors and a culture that focuses on the students in a way that bigger universities cant.

That is assuming you're going to a small school. I imagine big schools don't have time to interview every single student that wants to apply.

This answer talks about you, your interest in whatever you're going to study, and why you think the school is awesome.

cperciva
Rather, stroke the ego of the person you're talking to...

Admissions people interview hundreds of students, and they're not idiots. They'll see through this in an instant.

SHOwnsYou
If that was the case ego stroking would never work. It does. It is the easiest way to get persuade people. Everyone deals with hundreds of people per day and ego stroking works on most people (maybe not to the extent that gets you what you want, but it works).

People like to be complimented on their work/skills/whatever. Context for receiving the compliment is irrelevant.

cperciva
Everyone deals with hundreds of people per day

Well, no -- I don't, for one -- but even leaving that aside, some people are more cynical than others. And the admissions people I know are some of the most cynical I know... probably only second to the scholarship people I know.

mrmagoo
Its important to be honest, however you really need to learn how to frame those issues a bit better. Rather than "I'm not good at dealing with people" something like "Sometimes, I can have some communication issues with colleagues" or something like that.
pbhjpbhj
When you say the question trips you up do you mean because you don't know what they're asking? Or because you know what they want to know but don't know what to say in response? Or because you know what information you want to proffer in return but not how to couch it?
noahc
From an interviewees standpoint, the point of the an interview is to introduce a narrative about your self. So, first decide how you want your self to be portrayed and work backwards. Are you a rags to riches golden boy, are you Mr. Accomplishment. Are you Mr. I bring Diversity. Once you know what you're going to sell them on, then the "Tell me about your self" point gets easier. Tell them a narrative that highlights whatever your story is. Also, throughout the interview reflect back on the narrative you're telling.

At the end of the "Tell me about your self" question don't say, "That's all" or something lame like that. Say, "Does that answer your question?"