CAREER COACH
GO TO GREG
I graduated in May and took the summer off and, honestly, was just a beach bum. Now I’m ready to pursue a job, but how do I explain what I did this summer without it making me look lazy and hurting my prospects?
If you want to be bold, you could try listing “beach bum” on your resume, explaining exactly what a beach bum is, what you did and why. To be honest, if I received a resume with that on it — along with a creative cover letter explaining that after four grueling years of college and work (assuming there was relevant work and internship experience listed on the resume) you needed time to chill and recharge — I’d find you an attractive candidate to meet. But, not everyone is as enlightened and chill as I am, so only you can calculate if it’s a risk worth taking. A lot depends on you, your style and the industry you are applying to. Most people will and should play it safe. If you did just sit on a beach, leave that period blank on your resume. If you went to different beaches, well, say that you took the summer off to travel extensively before diving headfirst into your career. That plays well for recent grads with virtually any employer.
I’ve read that the easiest interview question is “Tell me about yourself” because it’s an open question. But I never know where to begin, what to say, or how far back to go. What’s the most effective way to handle this?
Well, technically it isn’t a question, it’s more of a command: “Tell me about yourself” — or else! Here are some simple tips. Companies want to hire people who not only can do the job, but that they will enjoy working with, too. So show some personality and humor. You can start by telling them about the type of person you are and some career highlights. Remember, they’ve read your resume, so merely reciting what’s there is the fast track to losing your audience. This is your opportunity to add color and context. Keep the response short — a few minutes — before asking what else they’d like to know. That will kick-start the meeting and it should flow from there. Gregory Gian grande is a chief human resources and communications officer in the mediaindustry.E-mailyourcareer questionstogotogreg@nypost.com. Follow Greg on Twitter: @gregg ian grande. His Goto Greg podcast series is avail ab leo ni Tunes.