"Tell me about yourself."

A general question re: interviewing:

How do you typically answer the "Tell me about yourself" interview question? It's pretty common, but I'm never really sure where to start. I've read a few books suggesting one should tailor it to the position, but I'm not really sure what that means.

I'm particularly interested in how to handle issues of changing careers or interviewing for jobs that are non-traditional for someone with a given background. Do you just launch into why you're interested in the position?

Thoughts?

This week is ...

National Medical Laboratory Profesisonals Week!

Science policy fellowship links

Sheril Kirshenbaum over at The Intersection has posted links to a number of science policy fellowships through various organizations.

I haven't had a chance to look through all of them, but there is certainly a wide variety. If policy is something you're interested in, these will probably be a great resource!

Webinar!

There is a "Nontraditional Careers: Opportunities Away From the Bench" Webinar being held on April 28th, 2009 by the AAAS/Science Business Office.

Registration is free, but mandatory to participate.

Please visit this website for more details and to register!

Alternative Careers workshop

For those of you in the Toronto area, you may be interested in this workshop:

Exploring Career Options: Tracks Don't All Have to Lead to Tenure: This HCTP professional development workshop is designed to explore various career options for those who wish to pursue alternatives to the tenure-track positions offered by the academy. Panellists: Darrel Bricker (Ipsos Reid), Cheryl McLean (CCAHTE Journal), Shaun Young (Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care), and Roger Chafe (Cancer Care Ontario). Moderator: Raza Mirza (HCTP Fellow 2007-09 Pharmaceutical Sciences).

If anyone goes to this, report back in the comments section to let us know what you learned!