SUMMARY OF TIPS:
Your Goal: To prove to the interviewer that you have the skills and experience
to be the ideal or perfect candidate for the job
Ø Keep the answer short at about two minutes.
Ø Focus on work-related skills and accomplishments, not personal
Ø information.
Ø Tell the interviewer why you think your work-related skills and
Ø accomplishments would be an asset to the company.
Ø Describe your education or work history very briefly.
Ø Tell the interviewer about things you have done and jobs you have had
Ø related to the position you are interviewing for.
Ø Mention one or two personal characteristics that have helped you
Ø accomplish your goals, giving short examples to illustrate.
Sample Answer 1:
I have always enjoyed working with computers, so it was an easy decision to major in computer science at California University with a plan to enter the IT field. In school, I excelled in my computer-related classes and during my college years, I became particularly interested in software development, especially software that would help consumers. That’s why I applied for and completed a one-year internship with Lotadoe Industries. At Lotadoe, I learned how to formulate new ideas for software and how to communicate those ideas effectively to the rest of the development team.
I am a very focused person and I tend to be product-oriented. At Lotadoe, I made sure that whatever projects I worked on, I saw to completion. For instance, I worked with a team that was developing a new version of a piece of popular software called Rototype. I asked to be part of every step of software development and at the end of the project, I was given the responsibility of getting final technical approval. I made sure that I followed through with the right departments, keeping my team informed of the progress. This is the type of work I enjoy and that’s why I applied for a position with your company.
Your company is a leader in software development and is in the forefront of new ideas in the field. I think that the products your company has developed in the past several years have been outstanding and are the best on the market. I want to work in a company where I can be challenged and where I can make a contribution. I would very much enjoy working in your company to develop new software and to improve existing ones.