By Priska Neely, Journalist, trainer and media leader
Hi! I’m excited to pop in as a guest writer on the URHired Newsletter. Allow me to tell you a little about myself: I’m a journalist, and plant lover, based in Birmingham, Alabama. I spent a decade reporting and producing award-winning work in public radio, before channeling that experience into management and training. I am truly fueled by helping others do their best work, which is why I’m so excited to be involved with this newsletter!
I did indeed want to share some facts about myself, but that intro was also a little display of how you might tackle the dreaded question that kicks off most interviews: Tell me about yourself?”
In this week’s URHired video, URL’s stellar recruitment team Leonor Ayala Polley and Sonali Kohli say it’s “trash.” But they also point out that it’s asked in the vast majority of interview situations, so it’s one you’ve gotta tackle.
Here are some hacks, with additional ideas from Charo Henríquez, Deputy Washington Editor, Strategy and Operations for The New York Times and Kim Binette, better known as Coach Kim, CEO and Founder of Elevate Your Life Coaching and Consulting:
- Do NOT just regurgitate your resume. They have a copy. What they’re trying to understand and learn is how you would show up on the team. What skills do you bring? What motivates you?
Charo says the goal is to “help hiring managers connect the dots between what they see in your written materials and how that relates to tangible ways you approach your work.” - Keep it short and specific. Anchor the response in at least one brief example where you demonstrate your impact or approach to work. Close by connecting that example to the job at hand. Coach Kim demonstrates this with precision in this viral video.
- Practice! Record yourself and watch it back. It’s very uncomfortable! Do it anyway! It should be no longer than 90 seconds. “To be unprepared for the inevitable is careless,” Coach Kim says.
- The question is not a trick! “It is genuinely an invitation to tell [a hiring manager] about yourself,” Coach Kim says, and an opportunity to get a conversation going. But she also warns that you should stick to business. “In fact, speaking too much about things that are not business-specific could disqualify you.”
And for hiring managers out there, consider a different opener; perhaps an icebreaker or a situational question. Charo, who is also on the board for ONA, wishes hiring managers would start out with more concrete questions like, “Why is this specific role appealing to you?” or “Why does it feel like the right next step in your career?”
But if they don’t, she says, you can still work the specifics into the conversation in a way that feels relevant to the discussion.
Job Board
| URL Media is recruiting for or supporting recruitment of these open roles and opportunities. Contact sonali@url-media.com if you’re interested in learning more about any of them. |
| Position: President & Chief Executive Officer Company: Independent Television Service (ITVS) Compensation: $275,000 Location: San Francisco, CA Position: Executive Director Company: National Association of Hispanic Publications Compensation: $180,000 Location: Remote Position: News Director Company: KUNC Compensation: $100,000 – $120,000 Location: Greeley/Fort Collins, CO Position: Senior Director, Membership Company: Oregon Public Broadcasting Compensation: $130,000 – $150,000 Location: Portland, OR |
| URL NETWORK JOBS The following are opportunities with URL Partners & friends of URL. We encourage you to apply directly! Position: Operations Coordinator Company: Documented Compensation: $60,000 – $65,000 Location: New York, NY Position: Caribbean Community Correspondent Company: Documented Compensation: $30/hour, 20 hours/week Location: New York, NY Position: Part-Time Electoral Journalist Company: Conecta Arizona Compensation: $15,000 (September – December 2026) Location: Southern Arizona Position: Development Associate Company: Baltimore Beat Compensation: $30/day, 30 hours/week Location: Baltimore, MD Position: Media Sales Account Executive Company: WURD Radio Compensation: Dependent on experience Location: Philadelphia, PA Position: Technical Producer Company: WURD Radio Compensation: Dependent on experience Location: Philadelphia, PA |
