"So, tell me about yourself."

There it goes, and you know it's coming. It's one of the most ubiquitous interview questions, and often one of the most difficult. So how did you prepare for it?

Hint: If your go-to response includes a run-down of where you grew up or what you studied in college, you've probably already lost your interviewer.

Here are some of the tips to keep in mind when you encounter this question:

1. List five strengths you have that are pertinent to this job and focus on them.

2. Start with attention-grabbing opener such as, "I can summarize who I am in three words.", "The quotation I live my life by is..." and  "When I was seven years old, I always wanted to be..."

3. Make it About Them, Too

Assess what's important to the company. It's not enough to talk about yourself and your own interest in the position-you'll want to make sure your pitch explains why you want to work for this company.

4. Keep it Short and Sweet

We already know that we're competing for the interviewer's attention, so don't waste a precious second on extraneous information.

5. Follow your script Practice. Don't underestimate the power of preparation. Practice with your script until you feel confident about what you want to emphasize in your statement. Your script should help you stay on track, but you shouldn't memorize it-you don't want to sound stiff and rehearsed. It should sound natural and conversational.

6. Conclude with a few definitive sentences about what you hope to accomplish next in your career - but make sure it's relevant to the position you're interviewing for.

While this may be misconstrued  as  a lazy at the same time an intimidating question, the truth is that "tell me about yourself" is actually a wonderful opportunity to take control of the interview. With some planning, those first few minutes into a chance to make a perfectly targeted pitch.