I recently did an interview with a reader of my blog, asking me questions about how to answer resume-related interview questions. In this article, I’ll explain what the key differences are between different types of resume-based interview questions, and what they really mean.
When people ask “Walk me through your resume,” or “Tell me about yourself,” they’re usually thinking of something similar — a summary of their work history. But these two questions actually have very different purposes and should be answered in completely different ways.
“Walk me through your resume” is just the common opener for an interview. It’s designed to get you talking about your past work experience. The idea is that by grouping together qualifications from your past jobs, you can tell a story about your career path. If you don’t do it well, the interviewer might not understand where you’ve been, but at least they’ll know you’ve had some sort of job history.
“Tell me about yourself” is more complex. This question is meant to frame your answer around the qualities and skills that make you the best fit for the job. You need to think about what kind of person you are, and how those qualities and skills will help you succeed in the position.
These are two very different framings, despite the fact that both seem to involve summarizing your employment history.
What Interviewers Are Really Looking For
It’s easy to assume that when someone asks you about your resume, they want to know about your work history. But that’s not quite right. When employers ask questions about your resume, they’re not looking for a list of jobs you’ve held. They’re looking for evidence that you can solve problems and create value. A resume alone doesn’t tell a candidate’s full story, so employers look to behavioral interview questions to see if you can demonstrate those abilities.
For example, when an employer asks you to describe a time you made a mistake, they’re not interested in finding out which one you messed up. They want to know whether you can bounce back from setbacks and learn from them. Your answer should focus on how you responded to the situation and recovered, rather than focusing on the failure itself.
When employers ask about your work history, they want to know if you’re a good fit for the job. Behavioral interview questions give them a chance to see if you can solve problems and create value. So when answering resume-based interview questions, focus on demonstrating those abilities.
How to Prepare for Tricky Resume-Based Questions
The most difficult questions in interviews are often the ones that are based on your resume. These are tricky because they require you to talk about your work experience and show how you’ve grown as a professional over time. But if you prepare ahead of time, you can answer these questions confidently.
One way to prepare for these questions is to think about specific examples from your past roles. For instance, if you were involved in conflict resolution or faced ethical dilemmas, you can use those experiences to answer questions about resilience and problem-solving. And if you haven’t had much work experience yet, you can talk about times when an idea you came up with had a positive impact, such as fundraising for a charity or saving time on an assignment.
By preparing ahead of time, you’ll be able to answer any questions about your resume confidently.