When you go for an interview, it’s common to be asked questions about your resume. In fact, the most commonly asked interview question is “Walk me through your resume.” Here are some tips on how to answer them effectively.
In many job interviews, you’ll get asked questions about your resume. The most common one is probably “Walk me through your resume,” which I’ve written about before. But there are also other questions like “Tell me about yourself,” “What makes you unique?” or “Why should we hire you?” And then there are others that ask about specific mistakes or failures, or conflicts and ethical dilemmas you might have faced. These questions can be a bit tricky, but here are some tips on how to answer them effectively.
Walk me through your resume
When you’re asked to walk the interviewer through your resume, they aren’t really asking for a summary of your work history. They’re asking you to tell them a story about your career. This is often referred to as the “career story” method of answering interview questions. You want to group together all your qualifications and skills by past jobs, and tell a coherent narrative about how you got where you are today. If you do this well, you’ll not only make a great impression on the interviewer, but you’ll also give them a good idea of who you are as a person and what kind of employee you’d be.
The Muse distinguishes between “Walk me through your resume” and “Tell me about yourself.” According to The Muse, “Walk me through your resume” is a chance for the interviewer to learn more about your experience, while “Tell me about yourself” is a chance for the candidate to showcase their personality. So if you’re asked to walk the interviewer through your resume, don’t just list off your employment history—you need to explain why you did the things you did, and how those experiences helped you become the person you are today.
Reddit has an interesting take on what the question “Walk me through your resume” means. According to Reddit, “Walk me through your resume” is usually used to detect whether a candidate has exaggerated their CV or whether they actually have genuine hands-on experience. It’s a way for the interviewer to see if the candidate is being honest about their abilities and accomplishments. If you’re asked to walk the interviewer through your resume, don’t just recite your complete employment and personal history—instead, use it as a chance to talk about what interests you, what you’re passionate about, and what you hope to accomplish in your next job.
Tell me about yourself
If you’re ever asked to “Tell me about yourself,” you should think carefully about how you answer. Although it may seem like a simple question, it’s actually one of the most important ones you’ll be asked during an interview. Many people fail to prepare for this question, and end up giving vague answers that don’t show them at their best. If you’re asked to “Tell me about yourself,” you need to think about what kind of person you are, and what kind of employee you would make. Don’t just list your employment history—you need to talk about your personality, your goals, and your aspirations. If you’re asked to “Tell me about yourself,” make sure you’re prepared with a clear and concise answer that highlights your strengths and shows you at your best.
According to Indeed, “Tell me about yourself” is one of the 22 most common interview questions that require focused preparation and strategy. As such, it’s important that you prepare a thoughtful and compelling answer to this question. When answering this question, you should avoid listing out your complete employment and personal history. Instead, focus on telling the interviewer about yourself as a person, highlighting your strengths and weaknesses, and showing them why you’re a good fit for the job.
What makes you unique? / Why should we hire you?
Indeed includes both “What makes you unique?” and “Why should we hire you?” among its list of 22 most common interview questions. However, the two questions are treated as distinct. While “What makes you unique?” is meant to elicit a response about the candidate’s individual qualities, “Why should we hire you?” is meant to articulate the hiring reason. As such, the two questions require differentiated, role-focused answers.
Both “What makes you unique?” and “Why should we hire you?” are meant to elicit a response about the candidate’s individual qualities and strengths. However, they’re treated as distinct questions, and require differentiated, role-focused answers. “What makes you unique?” is meant to elicit a response about the candidate’s individual qualities, while “Why should we hire you?” is meant to articulate the hiring reason.
TargetJobs lists “What makes you unique?” and “Why should we hire you?” as two of the top nine tricky interview questions for graduate and competitive hiring. Both are designed to probe candidates’ experience depth beyond what a resume surface reveals. Candidates frequently stumble over these questions because they’re too generic. Rather than giving a generic answer, you should prepare specific examples of your skills and experience that demonstrate why you’re a good fit for the position.
Mistakes, failures, conflict, and ethical dilemmas
When you’re asked about your biggest failure or mistake, the interviewer isn’t necessarily looking for a detailed account of what happened. They’re interested in learning about your resilience and ability to cope with setbacks. This type of question is meant to assess your character, and whether you’re someone who learns from your mistakes. The Muse includes “Tell me about a time you made a mistake” as a standard interview question that candidates should prepare for. When answering this question, you should frame your answer around your resilience rather than weakness. Talk about what you learned from the experience, and how it helped you grow as a person.
TargetJobs lists “How do you deal with conflict?” and “Give us an example of a time when you faced an ethical dilemma” as two of the top nine tricky interview questions for graduate and competitive hiring. Both are designed to probe candidates’ experience depth beyond what a resume surface reveals. Candidates frequently stumble over these questions because they’re too generic. Rather than giving a generic answer, you should prepare specific examples of your skills and experience that demonstrate why you’re a good fit for the position.