A Long Multi-Round Process

Skim their history on LinkedIn, then move way down to the bottom. If they have endorsements and recommendations, it can give you a feel for their management style.

Twitter can help you guess at an interviewer's personality, interests, and values.

Your interviewer will probably open with some form of "Tell me a little about yourself." Plan your answer using a few quick bullet points to keep things brief en then commit it loosely to memory.

• Skip your personal history.
• Give two or three sentences about your career path.
• Mention how you decided to apply to this job.
• Leave enough curiosity that the interviewer becomes excited to learn more about you.

"Tell me about yourself" doesn’t mean “give me your complete history from birth until today.”  It doesn’t even mean “walk me through your work history.” It means “give me a brief overview of who you are as a professional.”

Interviewers who ask this question are generally looking to get a broad overview of how you see yourself, as a sort of introduction or an icebreaker before starting to dive into the specifics. 

• Summarize where you are in your career, note anything distinctive about how you approach your work and end with a bit about what you’re looking for next.
• Your answer only needs to be about 1 minute long.
• Don’t drag yourself. This isn’t the time to explain you were fired from your last job or to confess your difficulties finding the right career path.
• Keep your focus professional, not personal.

It might be a good idea to share something about yourself that is doesn't relate directly to your career. 

For example, interests like running might represent that you are healthy and energetic. Pursuits like being an avid reader might showcase your intellectual leaning. Volunteer work will demonstrate your commitment to the welfare of your community.

This is a simple formula to construct your response.

• Start with a short overview of where you are now (which could include your current job along with a reference to a personal hobby or passion).
• Reference how you got to where you are (you could mention education, or an important experience, internship or volunteer experience).
• Finish by describing a probable goal for the future.

• Present: Talk a little bit about what your current role is, the scope of it, and possibly a recent achievement.
• Past: Tell the interviewer how you got there and/or mention a past experience that’s relevant to the job and company you’re applying for.
• Future: Continue with what you’re looking to do next and why you’re interested in this job.

Interviewers want to know how your answer about yourself is relevant to the position and company you’re applying for.

This is an opportunity to articulate why you’re interested and how your objective fulfills their goals. In order to do that, spend some time researching the company. If your answers resonate with them, it shows that you really understand the role.

The interviewer is likely looking for someone who can solve problems, has good interpersonal skills and the ability to get things done using good judgment and effectiveness. 

Not every question lets you show skills easily, so reframing a question to get to the answer you want to communicate might be the best way to do so.

• Prepare a brief summary of the high points of each of your past positions, but do not turn it into a very long monologue that makes the interviewer glaze over with information overload.
• You do not have to brag, but don't rely on the interviewer to see past your humble exterior and figure out how great you are. Find a way to present yourself to your full advantage.
• This is not the time to talk about all your personal details. Focus on who you are as a professional.
• Because this question can be interpreted in many ways, do not be overwhelmed by it. Delve right in with your prepared answers.

• Address what your primary selling points are for this job. The number of years of experience or special skill.  Focus on the qualifications in the job description and how you meet and exceed it.
• Explain why you are interested in this position. 

Job interviews are still mostly subjective and rarely focus on merit, work quality, or important job skills. There are always biases, preferences and on-the-spot decisions that are not entirely professional or by the book.

Prospects are advised not to showcase their personal aspects in a job interview, and to keep it professional and ‘office-like’ in the video conference. The proper dress code and mannerisms of an actual job interview are to be mimicked, and that means the pants have to be worn!

• Spend some time reviewing the job description in the recruitment ad for the position and research the company.
• Prepare a short script that highlights the skills, strengths and expertise you have that make you especially qualified for this particular position. 
• Explain the reasons you’re applying for this particular job. Focus on career-related motivations.

Your purpose to the question "tell me about yourself" is to give just enough details of yourself to spark the interest of the interviewer.

Answering this question gives you a great opportunity to spotlight the skills and experience that make you the ideal candidate for the job.