The weather has been noted and the latest stadium expansion news dissected. The employer glances down at your resume, leans forward, smiles pleasantly and says, "Well, why don’t we get started by having you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

    You appreciate the soft, non-threatening beginning. You briefly highlight your recent work history, throw in a quick summary of your educational background, round it all out with a compliment or two about the job you are being considered for and how well you would like it. Feeling especially astute, you tack on a nice word about the organization.

    Bad news ... you have just made a big mistake, violating the most fundamental principles of effective interviewing. Employment interviews are not a mystery. The subject has been studied nearly to death, producing four major findings upon which there is nearly universal agreement.

    First, interviews matter. Even if it doesn’t get articulated right then and there, the employer is making the hiring decision during the interview, deciding whether or not to extend a job offer to you.

    Second, the early portion of the interview is all-important. Some researchers contend that this is mostly a visual process and the die is cast in the opening seconds of your encounter. Others say the process isn’t quite that speedy and extends into the first few minutes of the interview. But all agree it is extremely important to start strong.

    Third, the criteria upon which employers make their judgments tend to be highly subjective. They rapidly develop a perception of your personality, and with that comes a predisposition — favorable or otherwise — that shapes the rest of the interview. If they establish a good early rapport with you, it tends to be smooth sailing the rest of the way. But if you dig yourself a hole in the opening minutes, it’s tough to get out of it.

    Fourth, the personality trait most employers are attracted to can be summarized as confident and assertive.

    Now, let's reexamine your response to the "tell me a little bit about yourself" opening. Your resume had already been read by the employer, so the stuff about your work history and education was old news. That you would like to have the job was hardly a startling revelation; the employer was presuming that. The nice words about the organization were nice, all right, but who would really expect to hear critical comments? Points you made: zero.

    Making matters worse, if the employer had been conducting many interviews, this process was repeated over and over. Let's face it, who wouldn't be bored by your answer? You didn’t start strong and you needed to. You can do better and you don’t have to be a brash backslapper to do it. You can even be on the quiet side.

    Here is what you need to do: Answer the question literally. Tell the employer, as requested, "a little bit about yourself." The best possible "little bit" to focus on is your main strength, the quality you possess, whatever it is, that puts you a cut above others. This may indeed be your extensive experience, but it might instead be a personal trait, such as learning quickly or effectively dealing with pressure or any of a long list of possibilities. What matters is that it is your main strength and that you can speak convincingly about it, backing up your claim with specific proof. Your answer should have gone something like this: "I think the most significant thing I can mention is my . . ." (fill in with your main strength). "For example, I ..." (give your proof, making it as specific as possible).

    Mastering this small but important technique will positively affect your interviewing more than any other preparation or change you could possibly make. It guarantees you start strong and appear confident and assertive. As the research shows, that’s what interviewing is all about.

    Neil Murray is director of career services at UCSD.