Tell me about yourself… (hint – you only have two minutes!)
The famous question, “Tell me about yourself.” This is not an open invitation to incessantly talk for minutes on end about your life from start to finish in exquisite detail. I used to think everyone else thought my life was as interesting as I thought it was – wrong! The fact is, no one really cares (that much). You have two minutes to answer this question. And, it needs to be a structured answer that includes the following:
- Humanizer – make a connection and be likeable/personable
- Career progression – make sense of your career moves
- Value proposition – what are you known for?
- Personalize – what do you like to do? Make a connection and humanize.
If you only remember two things, simply be brief (around two minutes) and clearly communicate your value proposition. What are you known for? What is your calling card? Remember, organizations have needs and people have skills. Be clear about your skills and match them with the organization’s needs.
Author: Greg NielsenSince starting his healthcare career in 1997, Greg Nielsen has served as the CEO of hospitals in Ohio, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Greg is known for bringing energy and new life into organizations by inspiring others around a vision and executing strategies to achieve that vision. Greg has a passion for helping individuals and organizations achieve their true potential. He believes this is best accomplished by carefully and intentionally feeding your mind, body and spirit on a daily basis. Greg earned a bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and a master’s in healthcare administration degree from the University of Minnesota. Greg is married and has three children. Greg enjoys staying physically active and hunting pheasants with his lab, Ashe, when he’s not working or spending time with his family.
When Greg was in transition and working with Wiederhold & Associates, he executed his transition at the highest level and started the journey with the right amount of passion, attitude and confidence. Greg has graciously offered to speak with all our transition clients as they enter this extremely important journey and share his successful experience as encouragement.
