How to handle this common interview question.

I’ll never forget my first on-campus interview when I was graduating from college. When the interviewer said, “Tell me about yourself,” I started with where I grew up and told my life story from there. I didn’t get the job.

When interviewers say, “Tell me about yourself,” they aren’t giving you carte blanche to tell them every little thing. You should prepare for this question and its sibling: “Walk me through your résumé.”

Essentially, you want to build a story that explains how your background has given you a unique set of experiences that qualifies you for this job. You don’t want to go into too much detail; they can ask for more detail in the interview.

Start with something like, “I’ve always wanted to do ... ” or “The reason I am here is ... ” Then, begin walking them through your relevant experience (relevant being a key word). Make specific points about how your experience qualifies you for the job. And be succinct, but ask if they want more detail about any particular point.