“Tell me about yourself”

I often use this as an opening question in interviews. There’s no right and no wrong answer, but when I ask it I’m looking to see if the candidate thinks differently to the crowd.

Most candidates will just regurgitate their resume, without thinking through the point that I’ve already read that document. But the really good candidate will open up a little and tell me something out of the ordinary. It might be what they think makes them special. It might be about themselves as a whole person (not just business, but other interests). It might be about what drew them to apply for this position.

Whatever the variation in the response, the key point is that they aren’t just another carbon copy. The secret to a successful interview is standing out from the crowd… in a good way.

The Naked CEO also has an article on the same question. You might want to check it out.