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Interview Question: Tell me about your background.

What the interviewer is really asking:
When people ask this question, generally, they’re not interested in you reading your resume back to them.  They have it in front of them, so either they didn’t read it (a real possibility, especially if they’re very busy), or have forgotten.  This is sometimes used as a stall tactic.  However, it might be that what the interviewer really wants to hear is what YOU think is worth mentioning.

How to answer:
Be prepared to talk about what you've done and what you've worked on.  Don't talk forever, but spend a minute or two on each of the points that you consider important and relevant.  Typically an interviewer will ask for clarification or more information on areas that spark interest.

Personally, nothing drives me crazier than when I ask this question and somebody just reads their resume back to me.  DO NOT read your resume or discuss every single bullet point on it.  Not only is this boring, but it makes you sound like you can't remember what your career has been.  The other thing that drives me nuts on this question is when somebody just says 10 words and that's it.  This is a good opportunity to sound excited about what you’ve done, or highlight your experiences that you think are especially relevant to this interview.

The more enthusiastic about your work you seem, the more likely I’m going to be enthusiastic about hiring you.

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