How to Introduce Yourself — and Get Hired | Rebecca Okamoto | TED

Comments · 581

• SF

  @SF_Native · 7 months ago (edited)

  I'm 51 and I have worked in tech for the last 25 years (design, advertising, video, UX, etc). I haven't worked since last March 2025. Jobs are tough to get and I'm aging out (according to employers). I've excelled at interviews (the ones i actually land at least), but I always come up short. Multiple rounds, case study presentations, panel interviews. The reality is that I now have to pivot and work in a different career for the next 10-15 years just to make ends meet. I'm lucky to own a home with a low mortgage, I know other jobless people with families are not as fortunate. I just have to stay positive everyday and not get down on myself too much because the depression and stress is REAL. Having tons of bills, a kid away in college plus all his expenses...life has been tough. But I live to fight another day–  it could always be worse. God bless you if you're going through hard times. Know you’re not alone and I wish nothing but the best for you.

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• SU

  @SurvivingWeygnMoodyPHL · 7 months ago (edited)

  We just want jobs to feed our families and keep roofs over our heads. After tailoring every single resume for every job, then sorting through rejections but finally getting 1 single interview, we then have to focus on mental gymnastics and word soup to even be considered 😢. This sucks

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• MR

  @MrouhAga · 7 months ago

  Wouldn't you like to work with people who, when they want to find out something about you, say "tell me about yourself," and when they want to know what you can do for their company, ask "what can you do for my company?" Maybe, for a change, we should demand transparency and honesty from recruiters, rather than traps and ambushes, waiting for every slip-up and beating around the bush so that they can catch a future employee with a tricky question.

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• RA

  @rafaelh72 · 7 months ago

  Fact is that in an interview you are at the mercy of the person or group you have in front of you and their own style, which is unknown to you. And each mind is a world.<br><br>One of them will like straight forward answers, the other one will like to know your story, another one will love data talk, another will analyze your analysis/synthesis capabilities.<br><br>You can summarize who you are in 20 words and the person in front will think of you that you are concise, laser focus or simply that you didn’t put the minimum effort in that answer depending on who he is and what he/she/they expect(s) from you. You will never please everyone.<br><br>Something extremely useful, is before answering, requesting the context of what the group wants to hear to level up the communication channel.

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• SK

  @skyec8562 · 7 months ago

  &quot;I studied viral headlines and what made them irresistible&quot; just made me imagine introducing myself to an interviewer with &quot;You won&apos;t believe what this applicant&apos;s qualifications are!&quot; 😆

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• PE

  @PenelopeCrescibene · 7 months ago

  She also just taught you what to type in your LinkedIn profile heading.

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• HA

  @HandOfGod3.14 · 7 months ago

  MY FIRST JOB OUT OF COLLEGE - I told the interviewer I could easily do the job and would work for free for one week to prove it. &nbsp;They took me up on my offer. I worked for a week and they loved my work and hired me full time. &nbsp;They ended up paying me for my first week as well when I received my first pay check.

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• VI

  @vikaskhanna8559 · 7 months ago

  Habit Energy <br><br>“Forgetfulness is the opposite of mindfulness. We drink a cup of tea, but we do not know we are drinking a cup of tea. We sit with the person we love, but we don’t know that she is there. We walk, but we are not really walking. We are someplace else, thinking about the past or the future. <br><br>The horse of our habit energy is carrying us along, and we are its captive. We need to stop our horse and reclaim our liberty. We need to shine the light of mindfulness on everything we do, so the darkness of forgetfulness will disappear...”❤️<br><br>~ Thich Nhat Hanh

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• MS

  @MsJenipho · 7 months ago

  I hate jobs with 5 interviews and then you don&apos;t get the job at the end of the interview.

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• LE

  @leggomyeigonosensei · 7 months ago

  &quot;not good enough&quot;...nope. &nbsp;&quot;not smart enough&quot;...nope. &nbsp;&quot;not young enough&quot;...BINGO!

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• MA

  @Max-AGILE · 7 months ago

  No one cares about how smart you are they care about what you can do for them. &nbsp;That is incredibly sound advice. &nbsp;I just say I&apos;m in sales and then when they ask me for more I qualify them by asking if they have any experience with what I am talking about. Then I gauge my response on information needed. &nbsp;We are all happier this way.

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• AL

  @alveniamcqueen5696 · 7 months ago

  The interview process is why I stopped looking for jobs and decided to use my skills to start a thriving business. I get too nervous and my words come out jumbled.

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