‘Tell me something interesting about yourself’. Uh. Um. Nothing? You cannot count on one hand how many times you have been asked this question. It is one of the most popular ice breaker and interview questions out there. So popular you would think people have an immediate answer. That’s never the case. In fact, people struggle to find an answer to this common question.
Interesting people are the ones who are remembered, the ones who make stellar first impressions (sometimes good, sometimes bad), the ones who get the job offers and the ones who can build rapport with just about anyone. Interesting people are the black sheep of society. Shucks. Are you that boring person that never gets the amazing job offer? Take some advice from Jessica Hagy and join the interesting crowd:
- Get out and explore everything
- Convey to others what you discover
- Accomplish something. Be active
- Embrace that you are weird and unique
- Start caring and others will care about you
- Lay off the swagger. Expertise > Ego
- Try anything. They say the magic happens outside of your comfort zone
- March to your own beat
- Be brave. Grow a pair
- Quit being boring and worrying about consequences
This list is a great starting point but the most important thing to remember is to be yourself. When you are yourself, you are bound to find someone with a common interest. When building rapport, consider what you enjoy doing in your free time on the weekends or your favorite past time with friends. Though some outrageous memories may come to mind, you are still showing the other individual who you are and what makes you so interesting. Just remember not to tell someone you just met about all your past endeavors. Make sure you save something for the next conversation.
A number of individuals feel they are not interesting nor have unique qualities that differentiate them. That is bogus. Everyone has something unique about them. It is just a matter of discovering what it is that differentiates you from others.
For more on building rapport and the power of relationships, be sure to check out the ultimate super connector himself, Keith Ferrazzi, and learn from his crack team of relationship experts at myGreenlight.
Think you are an interesting individual? Prove it. Share something interesting about yourself in the comments section below.
