Going to interviews, most people get lost when the employer asks them questions they need to prepare for. That is why employers often say: ‘Walk me through your resume.’ This question may seem strange because why talk about the summary if the employer can just read it? Nevertheless, you must be ready for such a question and know what to answer for successful employment. So, in this article, we will analyze in detail how to answer walk me through your resume.
Why do employers ask such a question?
Employers ask you to discuss your resume to get a general idea about you. That way, they want to hear how you see your career and whether you’re ready to talk. The employer or other interviewer still needs to read your resume. That is, your resume should be perfect. If you feel that you need more skills, you can get help. Everyone can check TopResume.com review and be sure that your resume will tell about your best features. Moreover, your resume will be read by employers before the interview. But sitting in an interview and communicating shows that you are a real person. After all, employers value live communication and want to make a particular impression about you. Hiring managers want to hear about your career history and expectations.
How to correctly answer the question ‘Walk me through your resume’?
When you start to answer the employer, the main thing is to make sure that the presentation of your thoughts is not chaotic and that you speak clearly. For this, it is best to start telling all the details chronologically. You can start with your past and tell more specifically about your experience, past work, and education. Don’t forget to mention your achievements, your promotion at work, and why you left your previous job. It is best to end your story with the current situation and specifically discuss your aims.
That is, you can share your expectations and tell what you want to get from the position you are applying for. Even if the employer does not ask directly, the best way to finish the answer is to explain why you want this particular position and why you are suitable. It is also recommended to focus more on information related to the current situation. In practice, you should also talk about other things, but the most significant part of your answer should still be devoted to the skills and experience that will help you get a job in this position.
What mistakes should be avoided?
The most common mistake made by all employees is that they need to read their resumes before the interview. It happens because a person usually writes one resume, sends it to several positions, and waits for a response. During this time, a person needs to keep in mind what he wrote in his summary. Accordingly, the employer requires an excellent impression of you and your resume. Thus, before the interview, it is recommended to re-read your resume to navigate it well.
You should also refrain from using phrases from your resume. That is, the employer has already read your resume, and he does not want you to repeat it. Thus, it would help if you tell everything in your own words. Also, take your time with stories about yourself. The answer can last 1-2 minutes. Employers highly value conciseness. Try to make a list of possible questions and roughly plan a response. But you should not write a speech and learn it by heart.
Don’t dwell too much on the past
At the interview, you should refrain from discussing the subjects you studied at school. Also, it would help if you examined only some of the jobs you worked on in detail. It’s okay to list all the companies you’ve worked for but only specify a few details. The best option would be to tell about the most recent work.
Practice the answers in advance
As already said, you do not need to write and learn speech. You should practice your conversational skills at home if you have never been in an interview. You can stand in front of a mirror and talk to yourself. It is worth thinking about what questions the employer might ask and try to answer them.
Examples of the correct answer to the question ‘Walk me through your resume.
To satisfactorily understand and prepare for the interview, we offer specific examples of answers to the question ‘Walk me through your resume.’ In practice, there is no one answer template. But each walk me through your resume example will help you better plan your answer and understand the structure.
The first example
My career began several years ago. That’s when I started working as a professional writer. At first, I worked in a newspaper published only in my city, and then I moved to an online news publication. I liked the second position and was promoted to the main editor there. Then I started managing a whole team consisting of five authors. Since then, my job has been to address various groups in various online publications. In addition, each magazine I worked on had about 2 million readers per year. I decided I needed to develop and move on, so I came to the interview for the director position. I want to take the next step in my career. As stated in my resume, I am still working for an online publication. I like this company and job but want to move further up the career ladder. That is why the position of editorial director that I found on your company’s website looks relevant and ideal for my goals.
The second example
Six months ago, I graduated from the university, and since then, I have decided to focus on finding a job in my specialty. I studied economics, so I was interested in the position of analyst. I also took many courses where I learned a lot about economic analysis and analytics. This position will be the perfect 1st step in my career.
Conclusion
So, the question ‘Walk me through your resume’ is not as scary and challenging as it seems. If you approach the task responsibly and prepare for the interview, then when you hear this question, you will be able to answer it confidently. So the next time you are going to an interview, use all the tips and be sure you will be hired.
