Tell Me About Yourself : How To Answer Interview Question And Answer Example

Published October 30, 2022 · · Updated August 23, 2024 · 8 minutes · by Kamerpower ·

Tell Me About Yourself: How To Answer Interview Question And Answer Example. It might seem like an easy win of an interview question after all, you know all about yourself! And good thing, too, because it’s often the very first thing an interviewer will ask you to do. 

Interviewers ask these kinds of questions in order to determine if you’re a good fit for the job. They’re looking not only for indications that you’re qualified to do the work, but that you’ll fit with the team and the company culture.

In this article, we offer tips on answering “Tell me about yourself” interview questions and provide detailed “tell me about yourself” sample answers.

Variations of “Tell me about yourself”

The interviewers might ask “Tell me about yourself” in various ways such as:  

• I’d love to hear more about your journey.
• Tell me a little bit more about your background.
• I have your resume in front of me but tell me more about yourself.
• Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume.
• Walk me through your resume.
• Describe yourself.

Why employers ask “Tell me about yourself”

They (Tell me about yourself) are common starting points to ease both you and the interviewer into the interview. It allows the interviewer to hear a 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.

And by answering this well, you set the tone as someone who is confident, good under pressure and attentive to the position’s qualifications. Also check on the 22 Signs You Will Get The Job After Interview | Signs & Chances Of Getting Job After Final Interview.

How To Answer Tell Me About Yourself In An Interview

1. Tailor your answer to the role and company.

When an interviewer asks that, they really mean tell me about yourself as it’s relevant to the position you’re applying for and this company. I think they’re giving you an opportunity to articulate succinctly why you have the right qualifications. Take advantage of the opportunity. In order to do that, you’ll want to spend some time combing through the job description, researching the company, and figuring out how you can tell your story in a way that makes it crystal clear why you’re interested and what you bring to the table that aligns with the role and company.

So when you’re in the midst of a job search looking for a particular type of role, you might have a basic template you use for every interview, but make sure to tweak it to fit the company. “It’s an opportunity to show them right away that you get it.

2. Speak with passion.

Keeping your answer professional, however, shouldn’t stop you from shedding light on why you’re passionate about your work or about this company, even if that broaches slightly more personal territory. You don’t have to go into a huge amount of detail, but if your goal in an interview is to stand out among the applicant pool and be memorable, then infusing this answer with some passion can help you do that.

3. Practice, but stop short of memorizing.

You don’t want to wait until you get this question in a live interview to try out your answer for the first time. Think through what you want to convey about yourself ahead of each interview and practice saying it out loud. You can leave yourself a voicemail or record your answer and then wait an hour or more before you listen to it to give yourself some distance and perspective. When you finally play it back, see if the answer sounds solid and credible to you.

4. Remember this is often your first impression, and it matters.

Most hiring decisions are made in the first minute, which includes your greeting, handshake, eye contact, and the first thing you say, which may very well be your response to “Tell me about yourself.” Be prepared for this question and show interviewers you prepared for it. The confidence that comes across in this is a really good place to start from.

5. Consider how your current job relates to the job you’re seeking

Is it a more senior role? If so, explain how you are taking on more responsibilities in your current position. If you are making a lateral transition to a role with different skills, describe how your existing skills translate into the new position.

6. Know your audience.

As with any interview question or conversation for that matter you’ll want to make sure you understand who you’re talking to. You might get some form of “Tell me about yourself” at every single stage of the interview process for a job, from the phone screen through the final round, but that doesn’t mean you have to give the same exact answer every time.

If you’re speaking to a recruiter who’s not immersed in the hard skills of the team you’d be joining, you might keep your answer more focused on the bigger picture, whereas when you speak to your prospective boss, you might get a little bit more technical.

7. Don’t ramble.

Whatever you do, don’t waste this time regurgitating every single detail of your career. Most people answer it like they’re giving a dissertation on their resume, but that’s only going to bore the interviewer to tears. It’s not just about entertaining or engaging your interviewer. You’re also giving a hint as to how you’ll speak in meetings with coworkers, bosses, and clients. Are you going to ramble for 10 minutes every time someone asks you a somewhat open-ended question?

8. Keep it professional.

This question carries an invisible addendum: “as it’s relevant to this role and company.” So you’re best off keeping your answer professional. The norm in some countries might be to share personal details at this point, but in the United States. you should avoid talking about your family and hobbies, for instance, unless you know something very specific about the company that would lead you to believe otherwise.

9. Keep it positive.

If you were fired or laid off from your last job, this probably isn’t the best moment to mention it. There’s a time and place for everything—you don’t have to cram it all into this answer. If you view this as your first impression professionally, give them a window into that but don’t give them everything.

10. Format your response

For your response to be clear and concise, you’ll want to make sure you organize your answer following a format or formula. There are two common formulas you may consider: Present, past and future. Past, present and future. Both of these formulas work for your response, but you may choose one based on the roles from your experience that are most relevant to the position you’re seeking.

11. Mention experiences and successes as they relate to job

Begin by rereading the job description. Take note of your required skills and identify recent actions that demonstrate them. Ideally, it would be best to draw primarily from recent professional experience; however, volunteer work can also support your narrative while demonstrating a commitment to your community.

Using the Present-Past-Future Formula To Answer “Tell me about yourself”

If it feels daunting to generate an answer from scratch, you can rely on a simple formula to construct your answer. The “present-past-future” formula is a way to share key background points while ending on a high note.

• Begin with a brief overview of where you are now (which could include your current job along with a reference to a personal hobby or passion).
• Reference how you got to where you are (here you could mention education, or an important experience such as a past job, internship or volunteer experience).
• Finish by touching on a goal for the future.

What Not to Say

• Avoid potentially contentious subjects such as political or religious leanings, unless you are absolutely positive that your opinions would be well-received by your interviewer.
• Avoid sharing personal information about your family. There is no need to discuss spouses, partners, children, or any other strictly personal information.
• Don’t talk about a hobby that might seem to be more important to you than your career. No employer wants to take a chance on hiring someone who will miss a lot of work or ask for extensive vacation time to pursue their passions outside of work.
• Don’t share too much or too little information. The interviewer doesn’t want to know everything about you, but disclosing too little can make him or her wonder why you aren’t more open.

sample answers Templates for “Tell me about yourself” 

Example Answer #1 How To Answer Tell Me About Yourself 

I participate in charity walks several times a year. Recently, I did the Walk for Hunger and I have a few events planned for the summer and fall, as well. I walk for exercise with friends after work and on the weekends. I enjoy the fresh air, learning new routes, and connecting with new people. I also like the fundraising aspect, which has come in handy in my job. I’ve learned how to connect with people to increase their commitment to the.

Example answer #2 to “Tell me about yourself” for a recent graduate

Absolutely! I graduated from Howard in May with a major in computer science and a minor in theater arts and have been spending this summer interning at a theater nonprofit. I’ve had a chance to put my coding skills to good use by helping revamp the organization’s ticket sales page. Since it launched two weeks ago, the time it takes patrons to get through the purchasing process has decreased by 43% and scores on a popup satisfaction survey have gone up by nearly 20%.

It’s been particularly exciting to be immersed in this environment because I’ve been in love with theater since I did my first school play in 7th grade—it was 13: The Musical and I landed the role of Patrice—and even led The Howard Players my senior year. This internship experience has only reinforced my desire to merge my CS skills with my passion for theater, which is why I knew I had to apply as soon as I saw the junior web developer role here.

Example answer #3 to “Tell me about yourself” for someone transitioning from an agency to an in-house role

Well, I’m currently an account executive at Smith, where I handle our top performing client. Before that, I worked at an agency where I was on three different major national healthcare brands. And while I really enjoyed the work that I did, I’d love the chance to dig in much deeper with one specific healthcare company, which is why I’m so excited about this opportunity with Metro Health Center.

Example Answer #4

When I’m not working, I like to spend time exploring with my dogs. I take them hiking, visiting historical sites, or even just walking around town. A surprising number of people are drawn to dogs, and I always enjoy talking with who I meet. I feel that communication is one of the most important aspects of my professional life as well. When talking with people, being able to guide the conversation in a particular direction is one of the ways I’ve been successful in different situations at the office.

Example Answer #5 to Tell Me About Yourself: How To Answer In A Job Interview.

The past few years, I’ve gotten really into geocaching. I love the challenge of finding caches and spending time outdoors with friends. I like using my problem-solving skills to find the ones that are really well-hidden. Learning how people hide things—and where people are likely to look—has helped me tremendously in my design work. It’s all about learning to see things through someone else’s eyes.

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