"In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you."...Warren Buffet

While attending an interview, an interviewer will always want you to share something beyond what you have mentioned on your resume. The idea is to get a complete picture of your background. Your resume states the facts related to your past experiences and job profile, but the interviewer wants to know something beyond the work history to decide whether you’re a good match for the job and the organization.

One tricky interview question asked is: “Tell me something that is not in your resume”. This can be answered smartly if you first try and understand the purpose of asking this question. There can be various reasons for asking such open-ended questions for example: to know your personality or to test your confidence. So, before attending an interview, do an honest self-analysis and identify strengths that best fit the job profile.

Be honest

Never let fear rule you during your interview. Also, maintain a positive body language as the interviewers are smart enough to identify untruthful answers and might cross-question you to check if you are giving correct information. Hence, be consistent in your responses. Remember, the recruiters, hiring managers and interviewers are experienced, smart & intelligent. They are also well-equipped with psychometric tools and techniques to understand the correct picture.

Highlight your true potential

List your core strengths, for example – planning a communication strategy might be an important requirement in the job. If you have not had the opportunity to plan communication strategies in your current assignment, you may talk about earlier assignments or even college projects where you may have done the same.

Share something personal you are very passionate about

You can talk about  a serious hobby or interest which you are highly engaged-in and passionate about e.g. running a marathon, social work, helping the underprivileged, teaching children, reading, dramatics etc. etc.  This could become the conversation-maker and strengthen your chances at the interview.

The key to successfully answering this question is to clearly understand the job requirements, do a thorough self-analysis & respond honestly with total confidence