What I Heard from HR – Practice, Practice, Practice 

Ah, the dreaded question: “Tell me about yourself.” 
 
It’s deceptively simple — and it trips up more candidates than you’d think. 
 
They’re not asking for your life story or every detail of your dissertation. They want to see how well you can communicate your story clearly and confidently. 
 
Here’s how to prepare: 
🎯 Craft your three-minute version of you. 
🎯 Practice until you can say it smoothly. 
🎯 Make it engaging and relatable — like explaining your research to your grandmother while she bakes Christmas cookies. 
 
If she can understand (and care!) about your work between batches, you’ve nailed it.    

Practice doesn’t make perfect — it makes prepared. 

Here are some more resources on this topic. 

By Esther Choi
Esther Choi McDougal Career Fellow