QUESTIONS
RESPONDING TO THE #1 INTERVIEW PROMPT: “TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF”
A concise summary of yourself is needed in the form of a 30 second “elevator” pitch at a career fair or networking
event, as well as in response to the #1 interview prompt, “Tell me about yourself.” So, what should you say?
Do include:
• The Basics: your name, CMU major/minor, and year in school (i.e. sophomore)
• Experience: work experience, volunteer work, projects related to the position of interest
• Distinctions: your top, relevant accomplishments, strengths and skill sets
• The Future: your educational and career goals as they relate to the position
This will involve general and behavior-based questions. Your goal is to provide clear evidence that you have the
skill sets and experiences that best match. This will help you to showcase FOUNDATIONAL, TRANSFERABLE,
AND INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC skill sets. Consider using the BAR Method or STAR Method to develop your answers.
INDUSTRY
ex: technology,
content knowledge
Don’t include:
• Your age, marital status, ethnicity and other potentially discriminatory information
• Details about family, friends, co-workers, etc. Keep the focus on you!
• All of your work experiences-stick to what is most relevant for your listener
• Hobbies, unless you are able to make a clear connection between them and the position
Ex: How have you used “InDesign” to
create awareness around a product or
resource?
EXAMPLE ELEVATOR PITCH:
Position of Interest: Human Resources: Recruiting Internship with Ford Motor Company
TRANSFERABLE
ex: communication, teamwork, organization
Ex: Describe a time when you’ve
worked on a team to achieve a
common goal.
FOUNDATIONAL
ex: genuine, hard-working, positive attitude
B.A.R. Method
BACKGROUND
Ex: “Tell me about your self.”
“Why are you interested in this
position?”
“Why are you the best candidate?”
VIEW MORE EXAMPLE QUESTIONS BASED ON CAREER FIELD AND OCCUPATION THROUGH
THE RESOURCES BELOW:
S.T.A.R. Method
ACTION
RESULT
SITUATION/TASK
ACTION
RESULT
• Background/Situation/Task: orient your interviewer by providing the “who, what, when, where, why” of the situation.
• Action: describe what exactly you did in this situation and why you did it in that particular way.
• Result: conclude your example with the outcome of your actions and what you learned from the experience.
Interviewer:
Your response: In my HR Training and Development class at CMU this past semester, I worked with two classmates to
complete a semester-long training project for our business client, Enterprise Holdings. I decided to take the lead on the
project, and delegated responsibilities and tasks to my classmates. One classmate in particular had been late for two
-
My name is Victor Chip, and I am currently a junior studying Human Resources at Central Michigan University. For the
past two years, I have been the Recruitment Chair of the Society for Human Resource Management at CMU, as well as
a Mock Interviewer for CMU Career Services. I also recently completed an employee recruitment and retention project
with three classmates, and we won “Best in Class.” I welcome the opportunity to “Go Further” with Ford Motor Compa-
ny and enhance my recruiting skills through this internship.
I’m proud to say that we achieved an
A on the project and Enterprise Holdings will be implementing our work into their new employee training program. I
also learned that, as a leader, you should check your team’s understanding of the tasks before moving forward.
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www.jobinterviewquestions.com
Interviewer: “Do you have any questions for us?”
TIP
that...I was curious to learn more about...”).
You mentioned
!
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INTERVIEW