Tell us about yourself is one of the most common questions a job interview starts with. It’s often regarded as a ‘warm-up’ or introductory question. It’s one you can prepare for – and ace! So, what is the best answer for  “Tell me about yourself?”

Why Ask You to Tell Them About Yourself?

The reason you’re asked to tell an interviewer about yourself is twofold. The first reason is they’re breaking the ice with a question you know the answer to. The second reason is that it’s an easy way to get a quick overview of your background, qualifications, and experience. It also reveals how composed you are in replying to an amicable question, and what it is you focus on in reply.

As they already have your CV and have shortlisted you for an interview, how you say what you say is important. Essentially, a Tell Me About Yourself question is about making a memorable impression. They’re asking you to succinctly tell them in your own words why your experience, interests and skills make you the strong candidate for the job.

What Should You Include When Asked Tell Us About Yourself?

While it’s tempting and seems to have a personal element to it, your answer should primarily relate to your career. As this is usually the first interview question, there’s no need to share everything about your career when answering it. Think of your answer more as a highlight package than an in-depth documentary. It’s helpful to think of the question and structure your answer in three parts.

Three-Part Answer Approach to this Interview Questions

1. Start with where you currently Share what your current job is, responsibilities and a work-related achievement that’s relevant to the job you’re interviewing for.
2. Dip into the past. Briefly highlight previous relevant job experience, making sure to align your experience with what’s asked for in their job description.
3. End off with the future. Clearly outline why you want the job you’re interviewing for and from their perspective why you believe you could be a good fit.

The ideal answer to Tell Us About Yourself is longer than an “elevator pitch” of 20-30 seconds. Yet still concise and well-focused. At most, it should be no more than two minutes long. Keep in mind the end goal of successfully distinguishing yourself from the other candidates.

How to Choose What to Say

Within an interview situation, what you say needs to be purposeful. Therefore, what you choose to share in an interview needs to continuously underscore why you’re a strong candidate for the job. Practically, this means that unless the information is directly relevant to the job you’re interviewing for leave it out.

How Personal is Too Personal in an Interview?

Specific examples and anecdotes can assist in highlighting your strengths and skills. Often when you’re able to do this, you can create a unique and direct link between you and the job. If you feel that it’s appropriate and you’re comfortable to do so, thread a relevant personal anecdote or detail into your three-part answer. For example, if you want to highlight that you are tenacious then mention an activity that requires practicing or consistent training to become proficient. To show you have patience, think along the lines of something musical, artistic, or craft-inclined. Or if you want to show you work well in a team, make mention of a team sport you play.

Remember that when using something personal to augment a professional attribute, keep it simple and short. You don’t need to go into detail, just make a link between an activity or interest and the skill you’re saying you’ve mastered.

What Not to Say

There are a few things that you should not say when asked Tell Us about Yourself. What you want to avoid saying during an interview, is anything that brings attention to activities that don’t paint you in a good light. Therefore, keep away from clubbing and drinking stories or recreational drug use. It’s also most often best to stay away from sharing political or religious viewpoints.

Another common pitfall when answering an interview question is to resort to cliches, such as I’m a perfectionist. Rather choose to find a way of answering that makes you stand out from other candidates. For example, I like to pay attention to detail or I tend to be detail orientated when looking for solutions. Then give an example that relates this attribute to the job at hand. Additionally, avoid comparing yourself to someone else or running them down to display your skill set in action.

25 Tell Us About Yourself Sample Answers:

1. A good example that comes to mind…
2. I’d like to share with you the most relevant experience and skills…
3. This is why I will be able to add immediate value to the company….
4. I feel that my skill set is a great fit for your company because I can…
5. I am proud of…
6. I consider my greatest strength to be…
7. My biggest source of motivation is…
8. I take pride in…
9. When I worked for…
10. In my role as…I was responsible for…
11. My most recent experience has been…
12. My main areas of expertise include…
13. I have a proven track record in…
14. I developed some important skills when I…
15. My experience in this field meant I was able to…
16. I solved this…by doing this…
17. I am proud of (project or accomplishment) because…
18. I’d say my best career accomplishment so far is…
19. I work well under pressure which is why I was asked to…
20. A big part of my job is…
21. I graduated from…
22. What I’m looking for now….
23. I am looking at furthering my career in…
24. Training is important to me because…
25. During my career I’ve been upskilling myself by…

How to Prepare for Expected Interview Questions

Questions like Tell Us About Yourself are ones that you can prepare for. Begin your interview preparation by thinking through the three-part answer approach. Then write your answer down, edit it until you’re happy and memorise it. Ideally, get some feedback, so once you’ve learnt your answer practise saying it to someone else. And ask them what their impression is. You want a natural flow to your answer and not to seem like you’re parroting a prepared script. Aim to sound (as well as look) confident while you’re sharing who you are. And remember to smile, you’re talking about the person you know best – Yourself!

We have also provided a guide on how to prepare for second interview questions which you can read here:

Find the Right Talent

Finding the right person for a job can be challenging. It requires time and resource investments without guaranteeing a successful outcome. Often the recruitment process negatively impacts management’s productivity and increases stress levels. This is why many companies choose to work with a reputable recruitment agency. At the Key Recruitment Agency, we make finding the right talent for your vacancies easier. Get in Touch with us today to begin your successful candidate search.