Every interview opens the same way. "So, tell me about yourself." Simple words, and somehow your brain goes completely blank.

You know your own life. You've lived it. And yet the second someone asks you to summarize it out loud, on the spot, with a stranger judging your job prospects, it feels impossible to know where to even start.

Here's the good news: this question isn't testing your life story. It's testing whether you can explain yourself clearly in under a minute. That's a skill, not a personality trait, and it's one you can build in an afternoon.

1. Think in Loglines, Not Life Stories

Movie posters don't summarize the whole film. They give you a single line, called a logline, that captures the idea and makes you want to know more. "A shark terrorizes a beach town" is Jaws. Nobody expects the poster to cover the third act.

Your answer to "tell me about yourself" needs the same restraint. You're not delivering your whole biography.…