Why do employers ask "Tell me about yourself" when they have already read my resume?

[jjfz3000]

If they have already read my resume and liked it enough to have an interview... why do they still ask "tell me about yourself". Do they think I didn't put my best qualities on the resume? Why would I hide anything?

[steevee]

Do you really think you can describe what you've done in a few of lines on a resume? Even when I read my own resume, I still can't tell what I really did (from the perspective of another reader). It's important that you further explain your resume in the "tell me about yourself" question.

[IceBlueShoes12]

It's also another way to find out things about you that they can't legally ask in some cases.
Like if you have any kids, are married or something.

[kkvvpp]

Resume is a few hundred words, a lot of people are going to essentially have the same resumes.

Example; The tens of thousands of people with B.Comm/BA/BSC/etc. degrees and a few years experience doing the same task.

Interview will give them a better understanding of you. You can't really list much in a few hundred words about yourself, at least you should hope not.

[BananaHunter]

It's a very open ended question and gives room for candidate to talk about whatever. It also filters out some of the less career minded people who will talk about non-job related things. A good candidate will talk about things that are relevant to the job but also serve as introduction. Answering this question can sound like sales pitch.

Plus, some interviewers don't read your resume prior to interview. Sometimes HR people will filter out resumes and the interview is passed on to the manager.

[airodus]

If they have already read my resume and liked it enough to have an interview... why do they still ask "tell me about yourself". Do they think I didn't put my best qualities on the resume? Why would I hide anything?

What would you rather they ask?

[UncleSteve]

This is like asking "Why would a woman want to get to know me before marrying me? She's already read my Lavalife profile?"

Seriously, based on this and your other posts, I'm beginning to wonder what's wrong with your resume. You seem to trying to figure out why employers are falling over themselves to hire you, based on 2 pages you typed up in Word.

[jjfz3000]

This is like asking "Why would a woman want to get to know me before marrying me? She's already read my Lavalife profile?"

Seriously, based on this and your other posts, I'm beginning to wonder what's wrong with your resume. You seem to trying to figure out why employers are falling over themselves to hire you, based on 2 pages you typed up in Word.

Well that's not a fair analogy. First, a resume and cover letter is more than just a profile. Also, marriage is a lot more than just a job, job is simply whether or not I'm qualified.

Look, if they ask me that question I'm probably going to repeat the 2nd paragraph of my cover letter and probably 90% of my resume.

What I want them to ask? Probably give me a case or scenario. Or ask me something specific from my resume... eg. how much sales I generated at my previous job, why I quit previous job and etc.

[steevee]

This is like asking "Why would a woman want to get to know me before marrying me? She's already read my Lavalife profile?"

But that's not true for men. If she's good looking, forget her personality :cheesygri

[UncleSteve]

Well that's not a fair analogy. First, a resume and cover letter is more than just a profile. Also, marriage is a lot more than just a job, job is simply whether or not I'm qualified.


They're trying to get to know you as a person, to find out if you're a good fit. If you think that all you need to get a job is the actual qualifications for it, you're going to be very disappointed in life. I've known many people that are highly-qualified, but I certainly wouldn't want to work with/for them.

I've also worked for people who were very technically skilled. Too bad they had the personality of a lump of coal and zero interpersonal skills.

[jjfz3000]

They're trying to get to know you as a person, to find out if you're a good fit. If you think that all you need to get a job is the actual qualifications for it, you're going to be very disappointed in life. I've known many people that are highly-qualified, but I certainly wouldn't want to work with/for them.

I've also worked for people who were very technically skilled. Too bad they had the personality of a lump of coal and zero interpersonal skills.

Well, "a good fit" seems very subjective. Unless the interviewer will be my boss then it's not for him to decide who the boss will be like. I know people who get jobs because they share the same fashion favourites as the interviewer. I don't think that's good for the company.

[Sylvestre]

Well that's not a fair analogy. First, a resume and cover letter is more than just a profile. Also, marriage is a lot more than just a job, job is simply whether or not I'm qualified.

Look, if they ask me that question I'm probably going to repeat the 2nd paragraph of my cover letter and probably 90% of my resume.

What I want them to ask? Probably give me a case or scenario. Or ask me something specific from my resume... eg. how much sales I generated at my previous job, why I quit previous job and etc.

If you think the only requirement to getting a job is technical qualifications then sorry, you are mistaken.

[Firebot]

Well that's not a fair analogy. First, a resume and cover letter is more than just a profile. Also, marriage is a lot more than just a job, job is simply whether or not I'm qualified.

Eh? no...

Diplomas are a dime a dozen. What makes you different then qualified candidate # 104? Why should you get the job over someone else who also meets qualifications? If you think a job is just wether or not you are qualified, you'll never land one except the most mundane and trivial ones.

[airodus]

Well, "a good fit" seems very subjective. Unless the interviewer will be my boss then it's not for him to decide who the boss will be like. I know people who get jobs because they share the same fashion favourites as the interviewer. I don't think that's good for the company.

Attitudes man, attitudes.

Work is such a big part of life for people that their working environment makes a significant impact on their overall quality of life. "A good fit" isn't necessarily with just your boss, it could also be with your boss's boss, your colleagues, those under you, people you meet in the lunch room, with the janitor or receptionist and in all regards it needs to be a "good fit" with the company culture. Qualifications mean very little when it comes to working, all it means is that you can perform a certain task. That's a very, very small part of the real working world.

[jjfz3000]

Eh? no...

Diplomas are a dime a dozen. What makes you different then qualified candidate # 104? Why should you get the job over someone else who also meets qualifications? If you think a job is just wether or not you are qualified, you'll never land one except the most mundane and trivial ones.


My point is not to say that interviews are pointless. I'm saying that the specific question "tell me what yourself" is pointless.

My response would be: I'm going to say "I'm a student from this school interested in this industry... I've had experience in x, y, z, and achieve goals such as a, b, c,. I'm interested in this job because blah blah..."

Is that a good response? If not then tell me how I can improve. But my point is, all of that would be on my cover letter AND/OR resume.

[MoreMiles]

My point is not to say that interviews are pointless. I'm saying that the specific question "tell me what yourself" is pointless.

My response would be: I'm going to say "I'm a student from this school interested in this industry... I've had experience in x, y, z, and achieve goals such as a, b, c,. I'm interested in this job because blah blah..."

Is that a good response? If not then tell me how I can improve. But my point is, all of that would be on my cover letter AND/OR resume.

You have a personality better suited for self-employment. Employers also do not want to hear the red flag words "student" "intention to return to school" etc. It's about work, not school any more. So focus on your career goal and not school achievement.

[UrbanPoet]

Why do they even have interviews in the first place?
If they like my resume enough to give me an interview, why can't they just give me the job?


;)

[airodus]

Why do they even have interviews in the first place?
If they like my resume enough to give me an interview, why can't they just give me the job?


;)

Fantastic! Your advice will save me a crapload of time in the future!

[lionheart216]

Why do they even have interviews in the first place?
If they like my resume enough to give me an interview, why can't they just give me the job?


;)

Melikes the sarcasm.

To other posters, in theory, what you guys are saying is right - it's how you answer the question, not so much the content.

But in reality, it doesn't work. Some employers and hiring managers are right down stupid. There was a cutdown in our dept and I was let go over another person who knew some technical whathaveyous (that was the reason i was given by my manager when I asked). Yet everyone in the department thought she was a bitchy dumb troll.