Tell me about yourself …

It is one of the most common questions asked at the beginning of an interview. It seems like such an innocent way to begin the conversation.

The truth is that most candidates fumble their way through a long-winded response that basically tells me nothing I want or need to know.  I often find myself praying it will end so we can just move on to a different question. Then there are those candidates who have super slick responses that leave me cold.

When the interviewer asks, “Tell me about yourself,” candidates should hear, “Tell me about your skills and qualifications for this…