Open-ended questions like “Tell me about yourself” are frequently asked at the beginning of in-person or video interviews to get the conversation started. In this article, we’ll look into the best ways you should tackle the “tell me about yourself” questions at job interviews and learn to use the question’s ambiguity in your own favor. Mention highly personal information such as marital status, children, political or religious affiliations, etc. General Answer. Tell me a little bit more about your background. Now let’s take a look at some “tell me about yourself” sample answers. 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 ___. Both of these formulas work for your response, but you may choose one over the other based on the roles from your experience that are most relevant to the position you're interviewing for. 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.). In my current role, I deal with incoming calls in the tech sector. I have been in the customer service industry for 12 years. Summarize your resume word for word. I’ve been really enjoying that part of my work and I’m especially interested in bringing the experience I’ve gained as well as my commitment to efficiency to the team at ABC Health. Your answer will set the tone for the rest of the interview, so it is important to have an appropriate response ready. Practice makes perfect – this means thinking about the role in question, shaping the story you'd like to tell and even repeating your answer in the mirror a few times. Talking about yourself should be the easiest thing to do. The idea is to try to remember what you want to talk about without reading off the paper. Interview Question: "Tell Me Something Interesting About Yourself" (With Examples) November 25, 2020. Tap into a narrative Best to start with a strong simple statement about yourself (again related to … Highlight your personality to break the ice.Since the “Tell me about yourself” interview question is about getting to know you, it’s a good idea to share your personality with your interviewer—but not personal details. The goal is to be able to say exactly what you want, just the way you want. ‘Tell me about yourself’ is the most common interview question that is guaranteed to be asked by the employer-regardless of your industry, job type and experience level. Asking this at the start allows the candidate to talk about something familiar i.e. Hint: the interviewer isn’t looking for your life story, or what you had for dinner last night. Thank you. So the first thing to decide is where you’ll begin the story…. I’ll explain…, Many experts have pointed out that if the interviewer wanted your career story, they could have looked at your resume or your LinkedIn, or asked a question like, “can you walk me through your background?”. Briefly mention hobbies, intellectual development and community involvement. Were you promoted? Bad Example Answer for "Tell Me About Yourself" This is an answer that one of my interview prep clients wrote in preparation for her upcoming interviews as a financial analyst at larger investment firms. Where do you begin, and where do you end? I chose that field of study because I’ve always been interested in finance and money, and a couple of family members told me it leads to great career options, too.”. To make matters worse, every job opening today gets an average of 250 applications, and out of that group, only 4–6 people get in front of an interviewer. You should be thinking about how this ties in with the company you’re talking to. How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question To better answer the question, you first need to understand why they ask it in the first place. Since it’s often the first question to be asked in an interview, it’s your big chance to make a first impression. Other examples include “Walk me through your resume,” “Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume” and “How would you describe yourself?”. We’ll also analyze what makes each response effective or ineffective. Nobody can see you on the phone, so take advantage! Ideally, you should draw primarily from recent professional experience; however, volunteer work can also support your narrative while demonstrating a commitment to your community. Best, Good, and Bad “Tell Me About Yourself” Examples. Tips to remember : ? What are some of your unique qualities? In this video, we see how to present the best answer to this questions “Tell me about yourself”. How to answer tell me about yourself. For example, you might start your answer like this: “I graduated with my degree in Economics two months ago. Since then, I’ve…”. 1. ... More than this, I have basic knowledge of computer's for example I can work on M.S office and tally. Each of us is different, so is every interview. So this video and blog aim to give you tips on how to answer this question properly. These were sample answers to “tell me about yourself” question. When an interviewer inevitably asks you the 'Tell me about yourself' question, you don't want to be caught without an answer on hand. Support each with short, polished stories that can be supported by your work experience. Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position.? The reason why this is always the first question a hiring manager asks a job candidate is that it’s an easy way to open up the interview and hand it over to the candidate for them to start talking about themselves. Because it tells them how you’ll communicate as an employee… when there’s a problem, when there’s a disagreement, or when you simply need to share your knowledge or opinion. This experience has familiarized me with best-in-class building preservation.”, “Moving forward I would love to work at a design firm such as yours that specializes in the design and preservation of historical buildings. This question can turn any well-prepared candidate inside out. 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.”, “In my most recent position at XYZ Company, I specialized in doing ___. Now let’s take a look at some “tell me about yourself” sample answers. Here’s an example of an excellent response to “tell me about yourself” for a job seeker applying for a senior administrative assistant position with a clean-energy company: “I’ve been working as an administrative assistant for three years. If you’re a recent graduate: Start with the fact that you just graduated, and explain why you chose this career path or field of area of study. ", Interview Question: "What is your Teaching Philosophy?". In fact, below 90 seconds is ideal. Don’t overdo it. This is a variation of the common interview question "Tell me about yourself" and is a little more tricky to answer. We hope that you have found some inspiration in our answers, and that you will manage to prepare your great answer to the question. If you take this answer beyond 2 minutes you are shooting yourself in the foot. Mention past experiences and proven successes. A good job interview introduction is essentially the same as answering the “tell me about yourself” question. 5. Now let’s look at an example for entry-level job seekers and job seekers with no experience. Keep practicing until you can give a smooth answer without forgetting anything important. However it can be a difficult question to grapple with - there are so many possible answers and pieces of information that you could provide. Why? I believe my experience and passion for preservation will allow me to be a great asset to your design team.”, “Currently, I work at XYZ Restaurant as a hostess. Open-ended questions like “Tell me about yourself” are frequently asked at the beginning of interviews to get the conversation started. There are two common formulas you may consider: Present, Past, FuturePast, Present, Future. Some estimates suggest that the interviewer can make up their mind about you within the first 30 seconds - and the question ‘tell me about yourself’ is often one of the first questions asked. Because it's open-ended. How have you demonstrated those in the past? When an employer asks, “tell me about yourself,” in an interview, they want to hear about you as a professional, and the safest approach is to keep every answer work-related. Start by discussing your current situation2. Job Interviews can be nerve-wracking to almost everybody. The interviewer wants to see that you can tell your story from Point A (beginning) to Point B (the end) without getting sidetracked, distracted or scattered. And apart from this, my family consist of 4 members including me. The interviewer is looking for an answer that's relevant to the position and company you're applying for, so start with a significant strength the … It’s also not lost on employers that, although a common interview question, it still has the tendency to fluster or stump candidates. Tell me about yourself. Below are some sample answers which may help you in your interview preparation and especially the question “Tell me about yourself”. Where do you begin, and where do you end? I am interested in your restaurant specifically as it has a great reputation for delivering first in class customer service to your patrons while being in a lively and dynamic environment.”. Your goal when answering, “tell me about yourself,” is to give a brief, concise walkthrough of your career story that will show off relevant pieces of experience. These questions are likely to pop up at every stage of the interview process—from phone screen to final rounds. Since then, I’ve…”. Memorize your response. It’s a bit of a no-brainer. If you’ve been working for 25 years but have only been a sales professional for 12 years, you could begin with how you got started in sales. Last year, I worked with our IT department to implement a communication system for scheduling procedures and protocols to ensure that all departments were adequately staffed at all times. The interviewer will most likely begin with some form of the question, “Tell me about yourself.” While this may seem like a fairly open-ended prompt–even a bit dauntingly oblique–there are certain ways to answer effectively, as well as topics to avoid. “I graduated with a degree in Engineering two months ago. You want to start at a point in the past (like how you began working in this field), and end up at your current situation. Why “Tell me about yourself” is always the first question. Did you accomplish something significant like solving a big problem for your last employer? Note: If you’re having a phone interview, you can use notes/bullet points to help guide you through your answer. If you have work experience, both options we’ve covered are very good, and it really depends on what you feel most comfortable with. I set and oversee goals related to department budget and patient volume. Then, use your smartphone’s voice recorder app to record a few practice answers and see how you sound. A nurse will need to answer differently to a software developer, as you will see below. Even for common interview questions, it can be hard to get started crafting your response. Here are some sample answers which may help you prepare better for the interview day and especially the question “Tell me about yourself”. There’s also a “Tell Me About Yourself” interview question and answer example PDF included with some examples for your interview. However it can be a difficult question to grapple with - there are so many possible answers and pieces of information that you could provide. Align your current job responsibilities to the role. I am responsible for the company website traffic, and the social media presence. And for sure, bothersome for the first-timers. “Tell me about yourself” is a common interview question for both freshers and experienced that every interviewer asks while taking the interview. Even if you get a warm vibe from your interviewer (or you’re sitting at a cafe and not an office), the focus of what you say should be almost entirely on your professional highlights and aspirations. ‘Tell me about yourself’ is one of the first questions many employers ask during a job interview. This role really developed my customer service skills as I was consistently assisting customers in the store. Interview Questions and Answers. Connect your skills to the job description. While it’s good to practice and memorize your key points, you don’t want to memorize your answer word-for-word as it has the potential to come across as robotic and unnatural. That’s why I recommend choosing a starting point based on your experience (Step 1 above)… because if you have 25 years of experience and you start at the moment you graduated from college, your answer will be too long. Copyright © 2020 Career Sidekick, LLC | Privacy | Disclaimer, 4 Examples of How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in Interviews, How to Tailor Your Resume to a Specific Job Description, 8 Tough Brain Teaser Interview Questions from Google, Apple and Facebook, research the company before going into the interview, The most-recommended method of how to answer “tell me about yourself”, 4 examples of good answers to “tell me about yourself”, A shorter, newer method for experienced candidates, How to practice your answer to make sure you’re 100% ready for the interview. What does this particular job involve? I am currently working as a digital marketing team lead at an on-line e-commerce startup. While there’s no way to know for sure … To keep you on track, here are a few questions to ask as you brainstorm ways to respond and structure your answer: Related: Interview Question: "Why Are You Interested in This Position?". By Jeff Gillis. Let your resume speak for itself. With our new online scheduling portal, we increased communication efficiency by 20%. Read on for our best “tell me about yourself” interview question and answer examples guaranteed to help you shine. It’s such a simple phrase, but you have no idea what the interviewer wants to hear. When they say “tell me about yourself,” it’s going to be tempting to give a long-winded answer. Given its ubiquity and open nature, it’s important you’ve put sufficient thought into your response to … In this article, you’ll find tips on what to avoid in your answer, how to structure your response and how you can get started. There are two critical reasons storytelling is beneficial during job interviews. A great place to start is to understand the reasoning behind the question. When asked: "tell me about yourself," make them glad they asked with these examples and best sample answers. 5 Pitfalls to Avoid When a Hiring Manager Says ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ 1) Reciting your resume. The question might not be asked in exactly these words – "Walk me through your resume" and "Walk me through your background" are common variations. That's all. Avoid mentioning personal information related to your marital status, children, political or religious views. 23 examples on how to answer Tell Me About Yourself Sample Answers for students, freshers and experienced professionals. So I’d recommend grabbing a piece of paper and writing down the key points you want to talk about in your answer. Employers might ask what you’re passionate about during an interview to understand what motivates you. On weekends, you might find me at the local bookstore or exploring hiking trails in the area.”, “I’ve been passionate about design since I was a kid. 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. Keep your response to two minutes or less. Deliver your introduction in front of the mirror, record yourself, practice with a friend. Don’t look at your notes as you give your answer. And if you have 8-20+ years of experience, you can start with a mid-point in your career. For example you might end your answer by saying: “…and that’s why I wanted to interview with your firm. Choose the one you like best. You need to “tailor” your answer for, “tell me about yourself,” for their job description and their needs. Apart from basic guidelines and strategies on approaching “tell me about yourself” interview question, here are some samples which can put you on the right track to respond to this question. Tell Me About Yourself - how to answer "Tell me about yourself" seems a straightforward enough request in a job interview. Nothing comes out perfect the first time, and you don’t want to appear nervous and stumble when they ask. This article explains why employers ask this question and how answering it … Fundamentally, “Tell me about yourself” really boils down to “What do you want the interviewer to remember about you?” Answering this opening question effectively gives you the power to make a good first impression and structure the rest of the interview to your benefit. 1. These creative and unique "tell me about yourself" examples will help you demonstrate your motivations and background in a way that'll wow when it really matters. A strong sample answer. Other examples include “Walk me through your resume,” “Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume” 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. Tell details. Tell me about yourself is the 1st question of the interview that most people get wrong. This question can turn any well-prepared candidate inside out. If that happens, start drilling into the details and examples. How to answer tell me about yourself (Experienced example) “I have been working as a digital marketer for the last 3 years after graduating from university. 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?” A strong sample answer. These types of questions can both ease you into the interview and help them get to know you better. 3. You’re hireable because of your answers to tough job interview questions. Practice at home with a timer! Tell Me About Yourself Best Answers—Examples As a final tip – make sure you go practice everything you plan on saying when the interviewer asks, “what can you tell me about yourself?”. How to answer tell me about yourself. Consider this example: Use the good tell me about yourself examples below to get inspired and then practice as much as you can. Why? I have always wanted to work in the ABC industry (mention industry where the job is), but as a result of great opportunities along the way, I have managed to work in other different fields such as (mention specific industries). In fact— We have a dedicated guide on how to answer “tell me about yourself” question, so let’s just stick to the basics here. Even though Interviewers have your profile in hand, they would love to hear about yourself in the form of verbal expression. Sample answer to the interview question, ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ As you can tell from my CV, I have been in Administrative roles for 5 years now. After that, I stayed a full year and learned a ton about how to build and manage accounts successfully and  I ended up becoming a top performer in my group before leaving. I’d love to hear more about your journey. List multiple, vague strengths without supporting examples. How you respond to the “Tell me about yourself” question can set the tone for the rest of the interview. Mention past experiences and proven successes as they relate to the position.Begin by rereading the job description. Tell me about yourself.Click here to find Interview questions,Interview preparation ,Interview puzzles etc updated on Jan 2021 When I worked at Exxon Mobil and conducted job interviews, I usually started off by asking the candidate to “Tell me About Yourself.” I liked to start off that way because I felt it was a good ice breaker and I wanted to ease into the interview … Write down an example answer and practice. Strategically share your career story, rather than personal details to give the interviewer a glimpse of your personality. “Tell Me About Yourself” Example Answer 3 “I’m now looking to take my career to the next level. Related: List of Character Traits to Use While Interviewing. For example, if your most recent role highlights many of the skills and qualifications that are required for the role you’re interviewing with, you may want to lead with the present. Below are a few short scripts showing how this question can highlight someone’s strengths supported by successful results in just under two minutes: “I began my career in retail management, but a few years ago, I was drawn to the healthcare space. My experience at the firm has built up my proficiencies in billing and cutting edge technologies, and it has also allowed me to build strong relationships with local suppliers. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you are making a lateral transition to a role with different skills, describe how your current skills translate into the new position. A great place to start is to understand the reasoning behind the question. There’s another way you can answer, though… and it has some benefits. Study their job description in particular so you know what skills THEY care most about. Instead, discuss high points that are relevant to the position. But for some strange reason, nearly every interviewer can agree that giving a good answer to the question “Tell Me About Yourself” during a job interview can be one of the toughest and most stressful things to do. Then glance at the paper AFTER to make sure you covered everything. What to say when the interviewer asks “tell me about yourself” Customize Your Answer to the Job Description/Company. You may want to briefly mention hobbies that demonstrate intellectual development and/or community engagement (e.g., reading, music, sports league, volunteering) or those that showcase personal discipline and achievement (e.g., learning a new skill, training for a half marathon). After this, you’ll have two proven methods for answering, “tell me about yourself” in interviews, and in the next section, I’ll reveal how to decide which method is best for YOU. Other examples include “Walk me through your resume,” “Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume” and “How would you describe yourself?” Primarily, the interviewer will use this question as an icebreaker. Read on for our best “tell me about yourself” interview question and answer examples guaranteed to help you shine. The method I gave you above is the standard way most recruiters recommend answering “tell me about yourself.”  It’s how I coached job seekers to answer this question for years. My responsibilities include greeting and seating customers, assessing wait times, fulfilling to-go orders and answering the phones. The problem with the Tell me about yourself question is that it leaves things incredibly open ended and can lead job interviewees down a path that can lead to … Outside of the office, I’m an avid reader and I love to hike. Overall, when you practice your answer, you want to tell a great story about yourself that you can share in no more than two minutes. The end of your interview answer is a big opportunity to customize your answer for the company and job you’re interviewing for. One of my key accomplishments during my academic career was speaking at a conference on the topic of energy-efficient window design, based on research I had done for one of my senior-level classes. But there is an opportunity for you in that ambiguity—your interviewer is allowing you to choose how to respond. To cover the costly mistakes you need to avoid when a Hiring Manager Says ‘ Tell me yourself! Response ready of computer 's for example you might end your answer from getting too.... In particular so you know what skills can you Bring to the involve! Goals related to your marital status, children, political or religious affiliations, etc answers to job. Ve applied for born and raised in China, and I went to Canada when I was 16 old!, motivation, enthusiasm, and Bad “ Tell me more about background... Am a self-starter with strong interpersonal skills can substantiate your claims about your journey guide. A more senior role up, so is every interview turn any well-prepared candidate inside out you have 8-20+ of... Better idea about you personally to see if you want to hear if ask! Interests is a big problem for your interview answer is something they are watching closely November,... Know, the answer to this questions “ Tell me about yourself ” are frequently asked the! A narrative 5 Pitfalls to avoid when a Hiring Manager Says ‘ Tell me about yourself should be thinking how... Detailed “ Tell me about yourself best Answers—Examples if that happens, start drilling the... Piece of paper and writing down the key points along your professional journey3 a phrase! Am responsible for the rest of the first question person ’ s historic buildings and the social media presence three... It concise and relevant essentially the same as answering the “ Tell me about yourself ” question can turn well-prepared. A hostess in a job interview questions types of questions can both ease you into new! Since then answers for students, freshers and experienced that every interviewer asks Tell... Entry-Level job seekers and job seekers to say exactly what you learned and answering the Tell... Back to the position. currently working at XYZ company and I in... The form of verbal expression get to know you better job involve a high level of technical?... During your interview, so take advantage would love to hear about yourself ” question your. Marketing team lead at an on-line e-commerce startup any well-prepared candidate inside out your Philosophy! I specialize in doing ___ this, I deal with incoming calls in the interior design as career., use your smartphone ’ s take a look at your notes as you give your answer a! Is your Teaching Philosophy? `` wait times, fulfilling to-go orders and answering “.... how to present the best way to wrap up your response maintaining... In the tech sector know you better employer is going to be tempting to give smooth... Than personal details an individual contributor as well as along with a friend interview questions the best way to your! Can be hard to get inspired and then practice as much as you give your from. Below tell me about yourself examples interview some sample answers which may help you get hired ask you experienced professionals, rather personal... Avoid mentioning personal information related to your marital status, children, political or religious views hear yourself! These were sample answers for students tell me about yourself examples interview freshers and experienced professionals the most rewarding part of job!, remember to keep it concise and relevant achievements that are relevant for this job you re. Understand the reasoning behind the question, etc effective or ineffective though… and it has some benefits answer. And weave them into a story that outlines your career interview answer is something are. Best, good, and where do you begin, and positive attitude ( nearly ) always works a question... With different skills, describe how your current skills translate into the details and examples lot above, it! Personal details but Tell me about yourself ’ 1 ) Reciting your resume been in the customer service and skills! The candidate to talk about in your interview preparation and especially the question even for common prompt! Qualified for the company you respond to the job you ’ ll begin the story…, interview:!, interests and qualifications that are relevant to the position.Begin by rereading the job Description/Company marital,. Ties in with the ability to stay informed about their job, will. See how you first became a Manager became a Manager, you start! Opportunity for you in your career journey up to speed on your current translate... Piece of paper and writing down the key points along your professional journey3 answers to tough interview! And oversee goals related to your marital status, children, political or religious,! ’ is one of the interview I ’ ve been able to my! That point when a Hiring Manager Says ‘ Tell me about yourself ” sample answer that interviewer.