"I started working in the warehouse at my first job just out of high school when I took a gap year before college. They were so impressed by my work ethic that I was promoted to supervisor within six months. But I explained I wanted to go to college, and they didn't want to lose me, so they offered to help pay for my education. I accepted, and that's why it took me six years to earn my bachelor's degree in business management because I was working full time instead of going to school full time. When I earned my degree, I was promoted to warehouse and logistics manager. I've been at the same company for ten years. I've built a lot of relationships there and improved the KPIs dramatically with several systems overhauls, rules, and procedures. But at this point, I have grown restless overseeing this well-oiled machine, and everything feels a bit too status quo with little room for advancement. I am ready for new challenges and to step outside my comfort zone."

"I have been the general manager of my store for seven years. I manage a staff of thirty, including my assistant manager and three shift supervisors. There are eight stores in our district, and I have a strong relationship with my regional manager. I started at the bottom and worked my way up. When our company started its expansion and asked for anyone interested in launching a new region in another state, I stepped up. That move launched my career. I fully embrace the brand, am loyal, and am ready to steer the ship in any direction the company tells me. I am in every way a real company man. However, the company has recently been experiencing some major cutbacks, especially with its difficulties in competing with an online market, and growth within the company has stalled. I am grateful for what the company has done for my career and proud of my contributions, but at this juncture, I want to prioritize my career path, which is what leads me here today."

"After obtaining my MBA in project management, I landed a job as a personal assistant for the head of our PR firm. I spearheaded and executed campaigns, acted as a concierge for client relations, organized benefits and galas, and arranged travel accommodations, meetings, and presentations. This has been a successful career for me, and I've learned how to accomplish the seemingly impossible at times, with little prep time and incredibly short timeframes. I am grateful for the networking opportunities it has provided and the experience I've earned, among other things. But I have considerably adjusted my career goals and am interested in moving into an official project manager position, as there's little growth opportunity in my role. I am ready for this next stage of my career to begin, and having worked with your company in my present position, this move feels like the right fit for me."

This is typically posed as an introductory question. You have your interviewer's attention; now is your chance to set a great first face-to-face impression. To maintain their interest, you'll want to showcase your talents. Exemplify your excellent communication skills by delivering a concise and well-worded professional bio. Think of it as your elevator pitch. Try to keep it around 200-250 words and make it relevant to the management role for which you are competing. When able, organically adopt the keywords and key phrases they have peppered throughout their values and culture statements on their website into your answer.

Stay away from over-sharing, bouncing around, or rambling. As a manager, you want to showcase how organized you are. So make sure your answer is linear and well constructed.

A simple guideline on what to cover when mapping out your career journey, and making it relevant to your career as a manager, is to cover the following basics: who you are as a person concerning your career choice, where you come from or where your career journey began, why you are here or how you feel the best next move for your career is with the company you are interviewing with, and where you are going, or how you hope this next career move will move you closer to your goals. These are the elements your interviewer is looking for in your answer.

"My story is one of humble beginnings. I started as a stock boy and worked my way up the ladder. Six years later, I was managing my own store and have been a regional manager for the past ten years. I am proud of how well my region has done and proud of each one of my managers and the KPIs in my region. After 16 years in the same company, with little growth on the horizon, I am ready for more. I promised myself long ago that when there was nothing more to strive for and little left to accomplish, I would consider moving on. I am impressed by how quickly your company is expanding, and I love your brands. It's something I would have no trouble getting behind, and I am interested in helping build something new which I could get behind."