Tell Me About Yourself

Issue #4: Tell Me About Yourself

Welcome to the weekly issue of The Authentic Voice! Whether you’re reading for the first time or returning, I’m glad you’re here. 

In this issue, I’ll share a story about a challenge one of my clients faced, as well as a resource to help you collect story ideas that can be crafted into full stories.

Storytime: A Client’s Struggle with the Interview Question “Tell Me About Yourself”

Recently, I worked with a client who was having trouble with a common interview question: “Tell me about yourself.”

Despite being a skilled marketer with years of experience, her answer kept falling flat, and she wasn’t getting the job offers she wanted.

During our session, I suggested she share a story that could help her stand out. I asked, “What inspired you to get into marketing?” That’s when everything changed. 

She lit up as she explained how starting a baby accessories business had taught her branding, email campaigns, and paid ads.

But here’s the issue. Despite the story showcasing how her business taught her so much, she was afraid to mention her side business in interviews. 

She worried potential employers would see it as a lack of commitment or think her focus would be divided. So instead of sharing her most compelling story, she held back.

As her coach, I saw the blind spot. She wasn’t just hesitant in interviews. She was also holding herself back from fully embracing her business.

Ironically, her business had the potential to offer more financial success than the higher-paying job she was pursuing.

The fear of sharing her entrepreneurial journey was keeping her from landing a new role. 

That same fear was also holding her back from fully growing her business by keeping her origin story from potential clients.

This is where the real lesson lies. Where the fear is, that’s where the task is. 

By confronting her fear and telling her true story, she could either land a role that values her entrepreneurial journey or commit fully to the business she loves.

My role as her coach was to help her see what she couldn’t see for herself and guide her toward making a choice. Staying stuck wasn’t an option if she wanted to grow.

What’s your blind spot? What fear is keeping you from moving forward? Confronting that fear is often the first step to uncovering the path ahead.

Resource: Start Crafting Stories with Memory Mapping

The first step to telling better stories is to start collecting them. A useful tool for this is 

What is Memory Mapping?
It’s a quick exercise to help you uncover stories from your life. Start with a significant event and branch out to related memories. This will help you find small but impactful stories you might otherwise overlook.

Example:

• Studying abroad in Mexico ⇒ Taking salsa class ⇒ Developing a crush on my teacher ⇒ Not realizing she was interested ⇒ Regret not taking action (story for another day ;-).

Give it a try! Take 5 minutes to map out one key moment and see where it takes you. You may discover stories you didn’t know were there!

It’s never too late to become a better storyteller.

~Rico