how to answer “tell me about yourself” when the interviewer has my resume right in front of them

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

A reader writes:

I had a bad interview which made me realize I needed to work on my interviewing skills. The interviewer asked me the classic “Tell me about yourself,” but then noted that she had a copy of my resume in front of her so no need to walk her through every step of the way. I did my pitch, kept it professional, kept it under 2 minutes, and connected it to why I was applying for the job.

Still, I’m thrown off by what is expected of me when they ask that question but specifically say they have my resume in front of them. Do they want me to highlight stuff from my resume or not?

I’ve seen advice to tell a story connecting the reason why I made certain career choices like going from one company to another, etc. because that’s more compelling than just listing metrics already on your resume. But I also feel like the majority of the advice I see is strictly, “Keep it professional! Highlight your resume! Talk metrics! Etc.”

I didn’t pass that interview but it’s fine because the interviewer and I both realized we were not each other’s best fit. But I want to do better going forward and I feel like I’m missing out by stumbling on the first question.

What do employers want to hear when they ask that question, assuming they’ve already seen your resume?

You can read my answer to this letter at New York Magazine today. Head over there to read it.