A Complete Guide to Answering “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview (Plus Examples! )
On by Ramsey
Why employers ask “tell me about yourself”
“Tell me about yourself , ” or questions like it, are common at the beginning of interviews as they ease both you and the interviewer into the interview. It allows the interviewer to hear a short summary of your background and skills, giving them insight into what experience and qualifications you think are most relevant to the position you’re interviewing for.
It’s also not lost on employers that although it’s a common interview question, it still has the tendency to fluster or stump candidates. By answering this question well, you are setting the tone for the interview as someone who is confident, good under pressure and attentive to the qualifications of the position.
Some interviewers might approach this question as an icebreaker by using your response to spark casual conversation to get to know you better while others may move directly into other interview questions after you respond.
Why Interviewers Ask It
“It lets them ease into the actual interviewing,” says leadership development coach Alina Campos, founder of Rising. “Often when the conversation starts it’s a lot of small talk and it’s a way to transition into it,” especially for less seasoned recruiters or hiring managers. “The interviewee’s nervous but the interviewer’s trying to get their bearings [too].”
It’s also a great starting point that can help inform the direction of the interview, says Muse career coach and CareerSchooled founder Al Dea: “Depending on what you say it’s going to help them figure out the next question,” which might help start a chain effect of follow-up questions and lend an easy flow to the conversation.
Beyond serving as an icebreaker and transition, Dea says, this introductory question also helps recruiters and hiring managers accomplish what’s often one of their major goals in the hiring process: getting to know you.
If you answer it well, the interviewers will begin to find out why you’re the best candidate for this job, in terms of hard skills and experience as well as soft skills. It’s a great opportunity to demonstrate that you can communicate clearly and effectively, connect with and react to other humans, and present yourself professionally.
There are plenty of times when you’ll hear these exact words: “Tell me about yourself.” But interviewers might have their own versions of the prompt that are asking pretty much the same thing, including:
Stand Out by “Tailoring” Your Answer to the Company
When you talk about what you’re looking to do next in your career, try to mention whatever you see this company providing for your career (leadership, technical challenges, exposure to new areas, etc.)
Example answer if you’re job searching while employed:
“Well, I’m currently working at XYZ Company and I specialize in doing ___. The reason I applied for this job is I saw ___ on the job description and I think I would be able to help you ___ and ___. One of my key accomplishments in my current role was helping my employer do ___, and I’m confident I can help your team get similar results here.”
Example answer template if unemployed:
“In my most recent position at XYZ Company, I specialized in doing ___. The reason I applied for this job is I saw ___ on the job description and I think I would be able to help you ___ and ___. One of my key accomplishments in my last role for XYZ Company was helping them ___, and I’m confident I can help your team get similar results here.”
Source:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/interview-question-tell-me-about-yourself
https://www.themuse.com/advice/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question-answer-examples
https://careersidekick.com/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question-answer/
A Complete Guide to Answering “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview (Plus Examples! )
Interview Question: “Tell Me About Yourself”
Open-ended questions like “Tell me about yourself” are frequently asked at the beginning of interviews to get the conversation started. Other examples include “Walk me through your CV,” “Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your CV” and “How would you describe yourself?” It’s natural to be thrown by these kinds of questions: they are ambiguous, and it can be hard to identify what the interviewer really wants to know. But there is an opportunity for you in that ambiguity—your interviewer is allowing you to choose how to respond.
In answering the “Tell me about yourself” interview question, there are a few important tips about what to avoid. If you are not prepared, there is a risk that your answer will become rambling and incoherent. This may undermine your chance at the position. Here are a few things to remember when you begin building a script for your response:
Avoid mentioning personal information such as marital status, children, political or religious affiliations, etc. These can be highly sensitive topics that might work against you as a candidate, not to mention such details should not be factors for the employer in determining your ability to perform the job.
Don’t list multiple, vague strengths without supporting examples. Instead, you may want to choose two or three qualities about yourself. Support each with short, polished stories that can be supported by your work experience.
Don’t rush into conversations regarding what you’re looking for in the role or how the company can benefit you—save such topics for the final stages of the interview process when they are “sold” on you as a candidate and you have more leverage.
Why Interviewers Ask It
“It lets them ease into the actual interviewing,” says leadership development coach Alina Campos, founder of Rising. “Often when the conversation starts it’s a lot of small talk and it’s a way to transition into it,” especially for less seasoned recruiters or hiring managers. “The interviewee’s nervous but the interviewer’s trying to get their bearings [too].”
It’s also a great starting point that can help inform the direction of the interview, says Muse career coach and CareerSchooled founder Al Dea: “Depending on what you say it’s going to help them figure out the next question,” which might help start a chain effect of follow-up questions and lend an easy flow to the conversation.
Beyond serving as an icebreaker and transition, Dea says, this introductory question also helps recruiters and hiring managers accomplish what’s often one of their major goals in the hiring process: getting to know you.
If you answer it well, the interviewers will begin to find out why you’re the best candidate for this job, in terms of hard skills and experience as well as soft skills. It’s a great opportunity to demonstrate that you can communicate clearly and effectively, connect with and react to other humans, and present yourself professionally.
There are plenty of times when you’ll hear these exact words: “Tell me about yourself.” But interviewers might have their own versions of the prompt that are asking pretty much the same thing, including:
A Simple Formula for Answering “Tell Me About Yourself”
Lily Zhang, Manager of Graduate Student Professional Development at the MIT Media Lab and a writer for The Muse, recommends a simple and effective formula for structuring your response: present, past, future.
This isn’t the only way to build your response, of course, and you can tweak it as you see fit. If there’s a particularly potent story about what brought you into this field, for example, you might decide to start with that “past” story and then get into what you’re doing in the present.
Whatever order you pick, make sure you ultimately tie it to the job and company. “A good place to end it is to give a transition of this is why I’m here,” Dea says. You want to be absolutely certain your interviewer is left with the impression that it “makes sense that [you’re] sitting here talking to me about this role.”
Make Your Answer Relevant
Tell Us About Yourself Examples
A: Well, I thrive in the excitement of a fast-paced office. As a receptionist at Drake & Caswell, I loved interacting with our 200 regular clients and managing training and travel schedules for 25 employees. Before that at Mindon Well Drilling, I really enjoyed being the contact point for hundreds of client calls and visits every week. In fact, I saved 20 management hours a month by triaging calls and emails . Those were great opportunities, but I’m at the point where this position at Maven Consulting Solutions would really let my talents shine.
Well, I’ve been a receptionist for the past seven years and I love it. You know, interacting with all the people and taking calls and just working with people in general. I’m a people person. I love the back and forth and energy. Even on my days off I love hanging out with friends and being around family. I’m also a hard worker and I’m very dependable.
The first of these examples addresses the employer’s actual needs. The second is just a cute story that tells the recruiter nothing about the actual value you can bring to the company.
Pro Tip: If you’re applying for a job that wasn’t advertised with an offer, you can check out LinkedIn profiles of the company’s employees. Also, explore the company’s website and/or social media profiles to understand its culture and identify the skills it looks for.
Practice a Lot and Follow Good Examples
Use the good tell me about yourself examples below to get inspired and then practice as much as you can. Deliver your introduction in front of the mirror, record yourself, practice with a friend.
Tell Me About Yourself Best Answers—Examples
A: I thrive in a fast-paced office where I can work on ratcheting up efficiency. At Castle Rock Mineral we often had over 100 customers a day come through the doors. I was able to cut scheduling errors by 25% and resolve complaints 50% faster than the previous assistant. Before that at TD Dental, I helped raise patient satisfaction scores 20% by streamlining our intake flow. I’m ready to grow into a position where my efficiency can make a difference to a larger team. That’s why I’m so excited about this role.
A: I’m a prolific web developer. At ExamTeam5, I regularly completed full-stack development for websites in 7 or 8 weeks. I cut delivery times at VerifEye Solutions by 30%. I enjoyed both positions, but HF7 Technologies is well-known for its aggressive work schedule. I think my productivity would really be valued here.
A: I love using my talents to bring more business to a worthy product. I worked as marketing manager at Ninequist Interactive for three years. During that time, my team and I presided over a period of 40% revenue growth. Before that at Spintegrity, I was able to increase conversions for email campaigns by 25%. I’m ready for a bigger challenge, and I would thrive in a fast-growing tech firm like Sequoia5 Global.
A: I really enjoy working as an OR nurse. For three years at Chrontos Medical, I received consistent commendations for my performance in the peri-operative setting. Before that at Barstow General, I was first-choice for the team of 15 surgeons. I’ve enjoyed every step along the way. Mass General was my first choice when I moved East because of your reputation for high-level health care in a safe, compassionate environment.
A: When I’ve got a product I believe in, I excel at selling it. I’ve loved working as a sales associate at Peterboro-Munchen for the past two years. The job gave me an opportunity to increase revenue by over $100,000 a year for some of the best pumps and hoses on the market. Before that at Belsden Group, I consistently outsold the other ten reps by 10% to 15%. Again, great product. Those were both great positions and I learned a lot, but now I really want to show what I can do. You’ve got the most respected, highest value security systems in the world, and a big market to sell them in. I’m very excited at the chance to use my skills to put your revenue through the roof.
Resource:
https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/interview-question-tell-me-about-yourself
https://www.themuse.com/advice/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question-answer-examples
https://zety.com/blog/tell-me-about-yourself
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