Describe Yourself in Five Words

After reading an article about how to answer the common job interview request, “Describe yourself in five words,” I got to thinking how I would answer that question. Before I dig in, let me say I’ve conducted hundreds and hundreds of job interviews and I’ve NEVER asked this question. The best interviews are focused around skills, experiences and ability to learn, but I’ll leave my opinions on stupid interview questions for another day.

As for describing myself in five words, I decided to think this through just for shits and giggles. I quickly found myself overthinking far more than was sensible. Are these roles I fill or adjectives that describe my actions or feelings? Is this the essence of who I am and what I love or my attitudes towards work? Is this aspirational or truthfully speaking to my current state? If I only share positive attributes will I seem boastful or dishonest?

Good grief! I’m happy I’ve never been asked this question while under pressure. This is what makes job interviews so miserable. Being able to pull this out of a hat in just a few moments with someone staring at you from across a conference room table would be damn near impossible. I spent a good 20 minutes brainstorming and googling words to come up with a solid list. Anything I’d say off the cuff would be bullshit. It’s no wonder the hiring process is so damn broken!

Nonetheless, here’s what I came up with:

Perceptive, Creative, Respectful, Extroverted and Empathetic.

Now it’s your turn. How would you describe yourself? Do you have corrections or additions to my list? Please share in the comments or shoot me an email at mollie@midlifepickle.com.