“Tell me about yourself”– such a simple yet profound question that could leave you stumped at your next interview. This vague opening question puts 9 out of 10 professionals on the struggle bus. Preparing for this question prior to your next interview is essential, and as your beauty recruiting partners, we are here to help! Our Premier approach encourages beauty professionals like yourself to create a ‘movie trailer.’
A movie trailer? – Yep. We love a good metaphor! Creating a personal “movie trailer” can help you successfully introduce yourself, highlight a wow-factor of your achievements and strategically set up critical talking points aligned with the job opportunity at hand. Statistically, 4 out of 5 hiring managers make a judgment on first impressions within the first ten minutes of an interview (SHRM). This is your shot to set the stage for a great interview.
When you see a good movie trailer, it highlights sneak peaks that give you a glimpse of the plot, the action/adventure, the romance or comedic moments, and it entices the audience to want to see the full length feature film. In the same way, your answer to, “Tell me about yourself,” should really be no more than 2 minutes tops.
Practice your response as a 1-2-minute movie trailer, sharing the highlights on your expertise and how it relates directly to this position using our 4 Premier tips:
- Successfully introduce yourself – Draw parallels that check off the boxes of what areas you are an expert in, as it relates to what they’re looking for to do the job. Simplify this into 3-4 key points.
For example: You’re interviewing for a VP of Product Development role with a skincare company that has shared that they’re looking for someone who can help improve processes/efficiencies and lead a team of three Product Development Managers. Your response can mimic something similar to the following:
“I’ve been in the beauty industry for 12 years. In the past 5 years I’ve been with ‘ABC Beauty Company,’ where I was brought on to mentor a team of three direct reports, partner with the founder on building a 3-year pipeline, partner with suppliers to resolve pain points through development and work with Executives to implement processes that would improve timelines and avoid additional costs of air shipping and retailer penalties.”
Use this opportunity to break down this portion of your trailer to identify who they are and exemplify that you have the adequate experience and expertise. No need to overthink it, it really is that simple!
- Highlight a ‘wow-factor’ of your achievements – Now that you’ve laid the foundation of basics, let’s take it a step further to share the unique impacts you have made building on the example above:
A VP of Product Development is interviewing for a Product Innovation leadership role for a founder-led cosmetics brand. She provides the following answer to “Tell me about yourself”:
“I have over 15 years of experience driving product innovation in a variety of categories, specifically in color cosmetics where I created a collection that moved ABC Beauty that grew sales by $20 million, making it their #2 selling brand. My expertise is partnering with a founder on new concepts and executing development to bring these products to life. I have managed lean teams and understand the urgency factor with indie brands to launch with fast timelines to meet projected trends. Based on your brand’s current product portfolio and expansion opportunities, I’m excited to understand the growth goals for XYZ Beauty within Sephora because I see huge potential.”
- Strategically set up critical talking points aligned with the job opportunity at hand –
Working in the job functions you’re an expert in that relates to the job’s needs (managing timelines, owning the P&L, driving new product innovation, leading 360 go-to-market strategy, spearheading cost savings, working with cross-functional teams to meet deliverables) as a short and sweet teaser, will allow the hiring manager to then ask deeper questions to whatever may have peaked their interest.
- Drive it home with WHY you’re interested. Is your career growth limited at your current company? Maybe you’re in hair care now and want to expand your skills into skincare? Are you currently with a Mass beauty brand and want to elevate your skills with a brand that retails more in the Prestige category? Whatever your inspiration for seeking a new opportunity may be, use this time to drive it home.
“While I love my current job, I’m really interested in this role because _________.”
Use these tips to make your personal movie trailer impactful and memorable, while most importantly, leaving the interviewer curious to get to know more about you.
Click here for more info on how to answer “Tell me about yourself”: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-set-stage-successful-introduction-answering-tell-me-chelsea-leon/?trackingId=J1VjYjxboQkkP8zc3%2Bxvuw%3D%3D
