Video by stephaniereniers

Tell me about yourself. Never start with your past. It's almost always the very first question and most people blow it by reciting their biography. Every job in order from the beginning. The recruiter has heard that 10 times today. They tune out. 15 years heading Gentis and thousands of placements taught me that these first 30 seconds set the tone for the whole interview.

So here is exactly what to say instead. Right now, I do this and that's where I'm the strongest. Before that, I did Y and that's what taught me Zed. This role is exactly where I want to go next. Keep it simple, hold it to 30 seconds and make every sentence point toward the job you're after.

The most important part is your last sentence, the one that links your path to the role. There, you stop talking about yourself and start talking about what the company needs. Structure it as present, then past, then future. And end on the role you want. Comment answers and I'll send you my guide to the 20 hardest interview questions.