The first question you likely will have to answer during your interview is: “Tell me about yourself?”
Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? All you have to do is introduce yourself and your credentials to your interviewer.
However, before you answer, have you noticed how vague this question is?
How do you start talking about yourself? Do you start with your educational background? Or should you highlight your skills and qualifications in your resume?
There are just so many ways to answer this question, that it can be too easy to get stuck.
Before you panic, here are some tips and examples to help you ace this common interview question.
Why Do Interviewers Ask This Question?
This question summarizes your background and skills, and helps your interviewer decide what to ask you next.
This is your opportunity to make a great first impression and to set yourself apart from the other candidates.
Some variations of this question include:
- Take me through your resume.
- I’d love to learn more about you and your journey.
- Describe yourself.
- Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume.
- Tell me a bit more about your background.
Tailor Your Answer to the Job You’re Applying For
To better answer: “Tell me about yourself?”, let’s first rephrase it.
When your interviewer asks you this question, they probably mean: “What made you apply for this position, and why should we hire you?”
Now, isn’t that more specific and easier to answer?
That said, that’s still a pretty broad topic to talk about. To help you narrow things down, focus on these four aspects:
- Your most recent background that’s relevant to the position you’re applying for.
- Your reason/s for applying for the job.
- Your qualifications.
- What made you choose to apply to the company.
Aside from focusing on these aspects, you should also do research on the company to know more about them and how you can contribute to their goals.
Keep Your Answers Concise and Direct
Remember, you’re answering an interview question, not narrating an autobiography.
Keep your answers under one to two minutes at most, and stick to your recent skills and qualifications that are most relevant to the job. Aim to keep your answer under thirty seconds.
After all, you’re just introducing yourself – you can go into further detail later in the interview if needed.
Support Your Credentials With Concrete Evidence
Mentioning your credentials and skills to your interviewer is all well and good.
However, supporting it with concrete evidence helps add validity to your claims.
For example, instead of just stating you’ve improved website traffic as an SEO specialist, you can say that you’ve increased website traffic each quarter by 5-10%.
Use the “Present-Past-Future” Formula
This is a great way to help you organize your thoughts so you can provide a coherent answer.
The “present-past-future” formula consists of:
- Present: Start your answer by discussing the current status of your career.
- Past: Talk about how your previous roles, accomplishments, and experiences have shaped you as a professional.
- Future: Finally, discuss your career plans and goals and how the position you’re applying for fits into it.
Note that this formula serves only as a guide and can be adjusted as needed. For example, if your previous experience is more relevant to the job you’re applying for, you can start there.
Talk About Who You Are
Don’t just talk about your career. Remember, your interviewer also wants to get to know you as a person too.
After discussing your credentials, you can briefly discuss your hobbies and interests outside of work.
These don’t have to be related to the position you’re applying for. However, try to focus on the ones that highlight your soft skills.
Great Answers for “Tell Me About Yourself?”
Here are some samples you can draw inspiration from when preparing for your interview:
Example One
Here’s an example if you want to talk about your extensive job experience:
“Of course, I’d love to. I have been a Social Media Manager for almost 6 years now.
I’m currently working at X company, managing and posting content on the company’s social media platforms, producing a few written and visual posts, and helping plan marketing campaigns.
One such campaign helped increase the company’s Facebook account’s engagement rate by 10%.
Before that, I worked at Z company for two years as a graphic designer, where I learned social media strategy. I went to Y University, where I regularly made it on the Dean’s list and graduated with a degree in Communication.
As I continue honing my skills, I’m looking for a role that will help me remain up-to-date with the latest trends and gain new insights into social media marketing.
Outside of work, I love reading, writing on my blog, and exercising in my spare time.”
Example 2
Here’s an example fresh college graduates can use:
“Certainly! I am X, and I recently graduated from Y University with a B.A. in Creative Writing.
While studying there, I learned a lot about how to apply various writing techniques, conduct research, undertake independent writing projects, and more. I made it into the Dean’s list throughout my college years and graduated with honors.
I’ve studied hard and now feel ready to practice what I’ve learned so far.
Even though I don’t have much work experience, I have plenty of exposure to writing workshops and have written articles for the University newspaper.
I’m now looking forward to applying everything I’ve learned and getting some hard-won work experience.”
Ready to Show Your Interviewer Who You Are?
Although it seems simple on the surface, answering the question: “Tell me about yourself?” can be challenging due to how general it is.
Fortunately, by following the tips above, you’ll have an easier time preparing an answer and acing your interview.
So, ready to apply what you’ve learned in an online job interview but don’t know where to look for job openings?
Don’t worry. Remote Staff is here to help.
Our jobs list contains plenty of openings for you to choose from, so you’ll never run out of options.
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