Law Students

“So… tell me about yourself.” – 2 Steps to Tame an Interview’s Most Dreaded “Question”
By:  George Hayek, University of Houston Law Center

Interview season is finally here and it’s your first interview of the day. You walk into your assigned room and firmly shake your interviewers’ hands. You’re ready to answer just about any question they can throw at you, but before you’ve even had a chance to get settled into your chair, one of them breaks the silence: “So… Tell me about yourself.”

No question has struck more fear into the hearts of law students during interviews than this one, and it is not even a question, technically. But this dreaded beast of a (non) question can be tamed. And once you know how, you’ll start hoping every interviewer asks it.

Step 1 – Tell Your Story Passionately

This question is wonderful for the same reason it is terrifying; it leaves a completely open stage on which to shine bright or burn out. The best part is, you are free to tell your story, whatever it may be. Don’t just spout facts about yourself or regurgitate your resume. You’re not just talking about yourself. You’re really telling the interviewer who you are and what makes you tick. You don’t need to tell your life story, of course, only the discrete story you want to tell—the one you’re excited to tell. It can be how you found your way to law school, how hobbies growing up shaped who you are today, or what your passion is.

If you’re really struggling to pin down your narrative, consider the story you told in your personal statement—which got you into law school. It’s a story you told with vigor only one action-packed year ago.

When choosing, just follow one simple rule: Tell the story that lets your passion and personality shine through because of how you tell it, regardless of its substance. By passionately telling the story you want to tell, you’ll become a genuine, memorable person in the eyes of your interviewers. Because when they’re wading through a sea of qualified students, being more than another resume is key.

­­­­­Step 2 — Connect Your Story to Your Interviewer

Generally, you will have a chance to look up your interviewers before you find yourself sitting across from them. Look for parts of their background that connect with the story you want to tell. Perhaps you both attended the same university, where you came into your own as a person.  Or, if you came into your own by playing a sport or being on the debate team, your interviewer might connect with that aspect of your story.

Of course, there may not be an obvious connection like in the examples above; you may have to search deeper. One way is to look up the cases or deals on which your interviewer has worked. You may be able to relate the facts of the case or the companies involved in the deal to your story. Don’t be afraid to bring up those ties. By connecting your interviewer to your story, your interviewer becomes more than an intimidating stranger sitting across the table from you. Instead, by demonstrating who you are as a person and connecting your interviewer to that story, you will hopefully soon be colleagues.

Happy interview season, everyone!