Tell about yourself - Design Interviews (How to Nail the answer and get hired)

Tell me about yourself. How do you really answer this question? We all know that this is the only question which you will be expecting. Whether it's a phone call, interview, it's a virtual interview, physical interview, but have you ever find a sweet spot what you can exactly tell and which you can exactly tell out of your big career achievements and when you can exactly tell and how you can exactly nail this answer so that people get your attention in less than 30 seconds. If you're really curious, this podcast is going to give you the clarity, take a lot of notes and be ready. Guys, welcome, guys, welcome. So tell me about yourself is a very, very common question which all the interviewers really, really expect and they ask you, right? So here is the particular information which I'll be giving you. Okay, so again, this is not a template which you have to blindly follow. You have to just understand what is the information which is discussed here. And then I'm going to be giving you an activity and a small homework also after which you can able to nail the answer in a very perfect way. Okay, see remember, there is not a, this is not a straight template which you can directly apply with the caution. I'm just telling you this. Okay, so the very first thing when it comes to physical interview or virtual or anything over chat, if you're talking to some recruiters or a phone call, first of all you need to understand people are trying to understand about you, right? That's the only motive behind it. The very first element is tell about shortly who you are as a person. Very simple. You don't have to go into I am so and so, I'm living in this place, I'm working in this, I studied that. You don't have to really follow this kind of a scripted template, understand what is that person is expecting and try to answer this in a first go. Like let's say if they expect an interned role. Okay, so your introduction could be like, hi, I'm so and so, I'm looking for interested internship opportunity where I can start my career in design. Are you having an opening opportunity? Can you able to talk about it? That's it, it's a 10 seconds introduction, but I introduced myself and then I've also told about my intention behind it. Right? So this is what people expect. You don't have to tell stories and you're all this, that and all. So this is the very first thing shortly, giving an introduction and getting a hook for the person because definitely they are interested to take you. Definitely they wanted to understand you quickly so that they wanted to check whether your profile is suitable and fit for them. Right. The second important element which you can add if you get a little more time is you can talk about why did you choose design. You can talk about your passion and your hobbies, you can talk about your philosophy. Like this is what you really think you want to create an impact in design. Like, let's say this is like you get one or two minutes in interview to introduce yourself. You can tell about that. Okay, so I'm going to be making this podcast in a way to build it up more. Like let's say the first introduction, what I told you is for maybe if you get 10 or 15 seconds, the second step, what I told you, design philosophy and why design. Maybe if you get one minute, maybe if you get two to three minutes, you can talk about your strength, you can talk about your weakness, you can talk about your improvements. See, it's not exactly to point that word weakness. When people ask you like what is your weakness? You should not tell the word weakness at all. You should tell, I'm rather focusing on this area for improvement. Never use negative connotation word. Even if that recruiter uses, maybe he is not matured enough. Because normally people who ask this, they won't ask for weaknesses, they will ask you in a different way. In most cases, interviewers are asking this weakness. So you will have to answer this. Like improvements, where I am focusing myself to improve, to positively improve, to constructively improve. You should, you should use that words. Remember, in interview, you should always tell about yourself in a very positive note. Even if you tell a very bad incident in your life, tell about the positive note, what you gained from it and how you become successful. Finally, don't leave the listener with a sorrow sad thing. That's not the way in which introduction needs to be done. Okay, so if you get two to three minutes, you can tell about your strength, weakness and the kind of improvements what you're taking on a daily basis to collectively improve your characteristic and personality. Okay? And if you get even more three to four minutes, then you can talk about the suitability what you find is in this role. Okay? Because normally expecting, normally the expectation of the recruiter will be are you able to solve the problem of our industry through your skills? That's what indirectly they will ask you again and again and again and again. Very simple, guys. Listen to it one more time. They will only expect how you can able to solve your problem through your skills. That is why it is very good to tell about you first and then you can tell about how you are able to match their expectation with your skill sets you have. You can quote early experience in your organization, a similar project or maybe a similar achievement what you had or maybe a very similar experience. Like let's say if they ask for user research skills so you can tell about hey. Hi, I'm Jagdish, I'm so and so. I had a very interesting UX research done last week in my project where I went for a museum. I talked to a different different customers, how their museum is being enjoyed by them, what are the user experience for them and what are they really expecting about this museum. And I collected a lot of information by going and asking questions, did survey, collected information that was mind blowing experience what I had. And I'm really interested to do that kind of a UX research in your organization as well. So are you having the opportunity to go to the field? Can you tell me guys, can you tell me recruiter, can you tell me designer? Can you tell me the person who is in front of you so you can ask them a question, right? I always told you the power of questioning is really really important being a designer. So same strategy, you can use it to design interviews to tell about yourself and finally you ask a question so that you connect that person also to answer and engage. If you're not listen to that podcast, you can go back to the earlier episode power of questioning for a designer. You can listen and come back. Okay? So the very important thing is you should be able to tell your previous experience or your achievements or your biggest strength which is more relevant for the current scenario what recruiters are expecting. Okay? And if you get even more little time and if people are not intervening you and then they are patiently listening to you, now you can talk about your goals and aspiration. Very specific goals. You need to say guys, you should not say I wanted to become a big designer in the world. No tell what kind of a designer you wanted to become and how much money you are expecting and what is the real goal you wanted to really make sure you sit. I wanted to become a UX researcher and I wanted to earn at least 20 LPA and I wanted to solve some of the big problems what design industries are facing in research. I'm very specialized in doing user research and that's my core portfolio and with that skill only I'm going to be helping you see if you are very specifically telling your goals and aspiration like this, people will be more interested to ask questions from there, then they'll select you. Okay? And then if you get even more time, then try to understand what is the expectation of them, okay? See, whatever expectation you have set now, maybe it's a description what they given in LinkedIn profile or the job or anything, right? But now you need to understand what the person who is sitting in front of you is really expecting. Okay? Sometimes when you're telling this interview the major challenge, what will happen is people will try to interrupt you, okay? Your flow gets interrupted. It's okay, fine. It's very good that you can come back to that same point where you left off. That is why I asked you to do a small homework, right? You remember, the homework is. You will have to just listen to the podcast. I have explained you five different sections. Introducing shortly about yourself, telling your why in design and philosophy and story in design. Writing about your strength, weakness and opportunities. And thread writing about your previous achievements and experience, highlighting the one skill which can help this company. And try to write your goals and aspirations and understand how your skills can match this industry. If you are able to write lot of sentences about it, you this becomes a script for you. Okay? In this script, now try to understand if some of the person is asking a question in between, you should be able to clearly go back to that introduction and you have to start that. Yes, sir. Coming back to the point, let me tell about my achievements so far. I've worked on six different projects which is completely UX research and I love to work in the same part of your organization because I saw in the job description that you needed a researcher for a UX design role. I'm more than happy to help and tell me how I can get started and tell me if you need to explain my project about it. So you need to loop back to the same intro. What happens typically in the interview is when an interviewer asks a question in between when person is introducing himself, the person will take over the control, the interviewer. But the person, the student who is answering that question, he will lose the track. He will be just silent. When a silent happens in interview, it's a big problem. You are not in the control of that. You should be the one who should drive this interview. That is why I asked you to go and listen to the podcast which is questioning for a designer, okay? Because the person who is asking question will have the control over interview. You should not ask an irritating question. You should ask more sensible, to the point, crisp and clear, which is really making sense for that moment. And you should ask them, sir, how are you doing today? That's a Good question, right? That person will try to talk. I heard that there are a lot of vacancies in your company which you posted in your portal. I'm really happy to attend this interview. Can I show my project directly so that we can have an interview? So you should use this kind of a sentences to close the gap whenever you have the time and you can talk about. Hey sir, I saw about your mission of the company which was so inspiring. You should talk. Honestly guys, it's not like you talk something randomly blabber here and there, okay? That is why before attending any kind of an interview, before introducing yourself, you should have done lot of research and study about the organization. And when you are able to do that study, what happens is whenever you find a gap, you can able to talk about that company mission, vision, their products, their recent achievements, their recent, what you call particularly the last quarter. They would have gone some, they would have got some more design projects and they would have won some big client projects or they would have won some designer. What you have to talk about that, right? So it should be very, very, very subtle in that way. So that when a gap is there, you should be able to find it. If that is not there, first you tell about yourself continuously and consistently and make sure it is done. Then you go for some other extra addition things. Okay? That's why I told you in this podcast it is coming step by step. In step one itself, if people are intervening you that's okay, you can come back and explain your and go. Second is you can able to tell about your achievements and other things when you get a little more time. Third is goals. Fourth is understanding the tempo of the interviewer and telling about your script accordingly. Okay, so this is all the very, very important thing when it comes to attending interview and talking about this. So finally let me tell you one important element, guys. If person is asking you a question or if somebody is asking you tell about yourself. Sometimes this can come in the first time. When you go for the interview, the first question they'll ask is hey, hi Jagdish. Can you tell about yourself? Can you tell about who you are? It's a typical time right in Sometimes people don't ask this. Sometimes people may forget this. In that case you should be able to voluntarily ask the question and tell sir, can I introduce myself? Sir, can I first introduce yourself? Sir, can I know about yourself first? Like can I know your name? Like what is your position and designation? Yeah, hi sir. Okay, so you are so and so and you're a HR recruiter. Thank you sir. Thank you for introducing. Let me introduce myself. My name is Jagdish, I'm a designer. I'm looking for a design rule. See, this is how you have to close that statement also properly. Because people don't do that. They allow other person to ask question and they take the control, right? So if they don't ask this introduction question, you should be able to volunteer that. Even if the introduction, even if they ask you first itself, show me your projects. It's fine, you can explain about your project, but in between you should definitely introduce yourself. See guys, it is a human touch what you're giving when you're introducing yourself, right? We are not a robot sort of machine to go and work for our organization. Unless until if some recruiter is not interested to hear about you patiently, please ignore that interview. That company is not for you. You can find hundreds of different companies, which is really good. If somebody is not even having the patience to understand your introduction, please, you have to reconsider this interview, okay? And the same goes the other side. Also, if you are not interestingly introducing yourself for few minutes, then you need to work on the script. What I told you. You can follow this podcast, do it and you will get the thing, guys. Okay, so there are two things which I'll tell you which is very important. First of all you need how the interview is going. Like let's say if your interview is going on a morning session, the energy will be really high, right? Like let's say particularly if it goes on 12:30 or 1:00 clock where the people will be really hungry. Try to understand the expectation and the need of the other person. They may be really hungry, they may be very exhausted. They may be attending lot of interviews like you from the morning till second off, right? So they are very exhaustive. So please try to understand and tell them, sir, in one minute I'll be telling you who I am sharply. Then we can able to go for the project. Is it fine? You should ask this question and pass. They'll be like super Jagdish, can you tell me like the moment when you say I'm going to be introducing me in 50 seconds or one minute or two minutes, people will be more interested to pay close attention for your 1 minute rather than building up stories for 5, 10 minutes where people get really bored and they really take out the disturbing the attention from them, it is not correct. So make sure you ask them that permission and then you use that timing. That is why you need to understand the tempo of the User when the interview is talking fresh, you can able to introduce yourself more. When they are exhausted little bit try to understand their tempo and prepare a script for 5 minutes until and prepare a script for even 2 minutes until and prepare a script for Even 1 minute until. See guys introduction you need to have in four format 5 minutes pattern, 2 minutes pattern, 1 minute pattern and 40 second pattern. 40 second pattern is called elevator pitch. If you're able to tell yourself in 40 seconds definitely you will be getting hired guys properly. But you should know how to tell. That is why doing the research about the company and understanding what is their expectation and the expectation of the recruiter in front of you will be able to completely customize your self introduction format. This is the second important thing. The first important thing is understanding the tempo of the user. Second is customizing and tailoring your script accordingly. That is why I told in the start of the podcast do not have any template, just write it down the point what I told but on the interview use your presence of mind to tailor made this interview. If you get only one minute at a time where people are rushing. Jagdish, we have already selected all the candidates. Jagdish. Okay, so we have only few minutes time. We have to leave for the flight because we are going away. So can you make your interview very short and if we find you are interested, we will take you. Jagdish, come on. See already you are in a pressure now. So they gave you only few minutes and they said they have selected all the candidates. Now you have to impress yourself so that they really grab the attention and they give you the way. Okay, so then you have to use a script called. Hi sir, I'm Jack. Jagdish. Thank you so much for giving me that few minutes because I understand you're rushing for your flight. No problem. So this is me, Jagdish. I have worked in some of the big industries which is three different industries which is medical industry, electronic industry and aerospace industry. I have seven different projects which is having in my portfolio right now. I'll tell you one short introduction about myself. I got a national award for a medical product which I did for a medical device. You know what? I did that project in 30 days and people were able to appreciate in that. I work with lean and mean team with only five people and I've delivered this product for approval. Similarly, I would say if I'm working for your organization, I would be able to work in a very short span of time to really accomplish the goal that is my biggest USP sir. Rather than that I have all the skills what a designer typically has. But I will only highlight this USP skill. Because of this adaptability only I am able to work in three different industries. Are you ready to interview myself? Are you ready to interview me in a more deeper way? Can we connect after some time in the phone or virtual call right now? Because you are rushing, right? So can we do it? Sir? If you are able to tell this, chances are people will ask you. Jagdish, can you explain one more minute of what's your project which got your national award? Jagdish, can we have a interview tomorrow at the morning? Because we'll be reaching our office so that we can have either two things can happen. Definitely people will not ignore. But if you say something boring statements. Hi, I'm Jagdish. I'm coming from Chennai. I have completed my engineering and who cares what is that expectation of a person? You should be able to tailor made that self introduction. Okay? Remember this. 5 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute 40 seconds. If you are able to scrutinize this four different script and practice it again and again and again at least hundred times in front of your mirror and recording your voice in your phone and listening to it yourself again, 20, 30, 40, 50 times then you will be able to tailor me a very very very super self introduction format which is going to appeal you anything, right? For this to happen first of all you need to study about yourself. You need to take a best achievement of yourself. You should take the best details of that company data and then prepare that. If you're able to do it guys, there is nobody can stop you for you cracking that interview. Okay? I hope you have loved this podcast. I hope you taken some of the notes and important elements. Please go and apply it and as a homework do the steps immediately. Okay? Write about yourself. Write about the strength, weakness, goals, aspirations, achievements completely. And do this exercise of 5 minute script, 2 minute script, 1 minute script, 40 second script. And then go and practice it in front of the mirror. Practice hundred times and then record your finger phone and then hear it out yourself. Your voice. You know what guys, you will become a pro at answering questions. You will become pro when somebody asks you tell about yourself. When somebody asks you in LinkedIn or Facebook or chat or a recruiter. Can you tell about yourself? You will be able to nail that answer so that people will get your attention. Whether it's a phone call, interview, virtual interview, live, you'll be able to get it guys. Okay so thank you so much, guys. I hope you love this podcast. So if you find this is really useful, give me a best star rating. Thank you so much. Take care. Bye. Bye. All the best.