We’ve all heard that phrase at least once in our lives. Whether it’s from a bad sit-com, a job interview or even a first date, that line, “So, tell me about yourself” has a comfy home in the recesses of our subconscious. It is a scary thought knowing this question could pop up at any given moment, but the true struggle lies in giving an answer.
I am a waitress as well as a student, and one of my tables asked me the other day what I wanted to do after graduation. I animatedly began telling them the plans I had set forth for my last two semesters of college and where I would be going after walking the stage. I sounded confident; like I was positive about the path I wanted to take. But in reality, that morning I had literally crumbled into a mess of tears and dirty clothes, swearing to my two dogs (but an otherwise empty house) that my room was an exact reflection of my life and that I was messy, unorganized, falling apart and doomed to spend the rest of my life in that current state.
After a few moments of self pity and trying to ward off dog kisses (still not sure if they were concerned or just taking advantage of me being sprawled out on the floor to gain affections) I gathered up my less-than-hot-mess of a self and got ready for work.
As a twenty-something, one of the hardest decisions in your life is deciding how badly you want stuffed crust pizza and if you can really afford to splurge that extra jangle just to eat your pizza backwards. Because let’s face it, a $2 up charge for stuffed crust is like a whole Starbucks tea…and those things are fantastic.
So how is it that employers, prospective boyfriends and professors expect us to honestly answer the dreaded, “So, tell me about yourself” statement when we can barely make simple decisions in our day-to-day lives? The truth is that we are still trying to find out who we are. One day we think we have a pretty good hold on who we are, and the next, bam! Just like that, a new flavor of fro-yo comes out and the balance is thrown into turmoil once more.
While you may not know who you are right now, you can at least piece together enough information to answer the question. Call it a get-to-know-me starter pack if you will. One of the first things you should ask yourself is, “Who is asking the question?”
1. Potential Employer
Whether you’re in an interview, a job fair or meeting a company employee who is a few rungs further up the ladder than you are, always be prepared to tell them a little about yourself. These aren’t the kind of people you want to tell about your town hall level on Clash of Clans, or that time you and your best friend went skinny-dipping in your neighbor’s pool when they were out of town (in fact, don’t tell anyone that story).
These are the kind of people you need to maintain an air of professionalism around. Prepare what is known as an elevator speech. An elevator speech is a 30 second summary of yourself and your future plans. Why 30 seconds? That’s about the time it takes an elevator to get to its destination. That’s also plenty of time to either make yourself stand out to a CEO or to lose the job by remaining awkward and silent. So get to it! Even the busiest schedule can find time for a ten-sentence self-promotion speech.
2. Potential Boyfriend/Girlfriend
You’re sitting in a poorly lit restaurant or an obnoxiously loud theater. Why such places, you ask? Because you are on a first date, and those are just the kind of places where first dates happen. You take your seats and either order drinks or start to chow down on an oversized bag of popcorn with far too much butter. And then it happens. “So tell me about yourself?”
Panic sets in as you start desperately wracking your brain for something interesting to say. Should I tell them my favorite color? I wonder if liking NSYNC is a deal breaker? Are we going for ice cream after this? Maybe I should mention my lactose intolerance…Dating is tough these days. When your replacement is only a right swipe on tinder away, keeping your date is even harder.
Although you should always be yourself, mentioning any irregularities with your body should probably be saved for a few dates down the line. However, tastes in music are certainly an acceptable thing to share. Gauging the person you are with could also tell you a lot about what you can get away with sharing. If he wore a graphic tee to your first date, asking him if he sees kids in his future may cause him to shy away from you. Instead, you could always ask if he likes kids to determine where he stands in that area. Don’t try to talk about things that are over your head just to impress your date. If he is a die-hard football fan and you only know what the Super Bowl is because of the awesome commercials, you may not want to mention the score of the Cardinals vs. Panthers game you just looked up on your phone. It will take you yards down a field of stats that you care nothing about. Likewise, if she is hip with all the latest celebrity gossip, but you care more for the bottom of a Kardashian than her social life, steer clear of the sisters.
Always remember to have fun and don’t be afraid to be yourself. At the end of the day, if they really like you, a short conversation about an ex boyfriend or lactose intolerance won’t send them running for the hills.
3. Professor
With syllabus week over and in the books, you’re probably either waste deep in homework or parties. Possibly both. Assuming you actually went to that first week of classes, without fail your professor asked you to tell your peers a little bit about yourself. What did you say? Most likely you stumbled through your name, major, hometown and then sat down quickly so your seat didn’t escape from you. Those are not bad things to start off with. Knowing each other’s names could be extremely helpful later on during the year when you need help on assignments. But remember that everyone is going to be saying almost the exact same thing. Why not stand out? Contrary to popular belief, most professors (I do understand there are exceptions) want to help you succeed. Set yourself up so that they can. Instead of monotonously reciting your major, add some shizam and explain what you would like to do with it. Let your passions shine through in your description.
For example: “Hi everybody, my name is Dallas Dooley. I am an Agricultural Education major with a minor in animal science. I could really see myself teaching in an under privileged school because I have a passion for helping others learn and improving lives.”
One extra sentence and I am suddenly much more interesting. Another thing to add would be which clubs you are involved in on campus. What better way to market your club than to recruit your fellow classmates? Limit it to the ones you are most involved in though. Lastly, it is always fun to add a crazy fact about yourself nobody knows. You were a black belt in karate? That’s awesome! You hold the record for longest keg stand in your frat…choose another fact.
College is hard, and life is too short for bad conversation. So, tell me about yourself.