Welcome back to the look and sound of leadership, an ongoing series of executive coaching tips

designed to help you be perceived in the workplace the way you want to be perceived.

I'm Tom Henshiel, your executive coach, and today we're talking about how to answer, tell us about yourself.

Kendra was focused on job interviews.

She dedicated a good portion of every coaching session to developing the skills she would need to land a position at her level.

We composed emails together.

We discussed managing recruiters. We analyzed conversations

she had had. We strategized about the background information she discovered. And then she had her

first interview. She thought it went relatively well, except for one part. Annoyed, she said,

I really flubbed it when they asked, tell us about yourself.

Flubbed it how, I asked.

I started rattling off my work history.

I basically told them my whole resume.

Halfway through, I thought, why am I telling them this?

They can read this for themselves.

But I couldn't stop.

I didn't know what else to talk about.

Oh, I'm sorry, I said.

She said, so I have a whole bunch of questions for you, because I still don't know the answer.

What am I supposed to say when they ask that stupid question?

You think it's stupid, I asked?

Don't you?' she answered.

...