Do you have an upcoming job interview? Make sure you know how to answer the “Tell me about yourself” interview question! Other examples with similar answers include “Can you tell me about yourself?“, “Can you walk me through your resume?“, “How would you describe yourself?“
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This interview question can be quite challenging because it’s broad, open-ended and always asked at the beginning when nerves control and influence your response.
The immediate thought process most candidates have is: “What do you want to know?” OR “How am I supposed to summarize my entire work-life story?”
That’s why you need to prepare in advance and use a simple and effective way for structuring your response. Check out the example answers on this page!
Example Answer
For candidates WITH EXPERIENCE
INTRODUCTION
“First of all, thank you for inviting me to be interviewed for this position today. As you already know, my name is [Name Surname] and I’d describe myself as an ambitious and self-motivated person with experience in the [Sector].
PAST
I started my career as an intern one year ago with [XYZ Company] where I performed [Task 1] and assisted with [Task 2] on a weekly basis. In that role, a major accomplishment I’m most proud of was that I was able to [Situation] within [Timespan] by doing [X]. This resulted in [Accomplishment].
PRESENT
Currently, I am a fourth-year student with great interest in website design and digital marketing which brought me to [University XYZ] where I am working on my master’s degree.
FUTURE
I find joy in social interactions and thrive working with a dynamic group of people to achieve very specific goals. That’s why I’m excited to be part of your team and help you with [tasks listed in the job description]”
Example Answer
For candidates WITH NO EXPERIENCE
PAST
“I grew up in [City] where I attended [High School]. During those years, I got interested in website design and actively contributed to the school’s website in terms of content management and optimization.
PRESENT
My passion for web space development brought me to [College Name] where I’m currently pursuing my third year bachelor of [Field of Study]. In my spare time, I like to occupy myself with [Skill 1] and [Skill 2] to create responsive and optimized WordPress websites.
FUTURE
Although I haven’t actual working experience yet, I’d love to dive deeper into [Subject] within the [Industry], which is why I’m excited about this opportunity at [XYZ Firm].”
Example Answer
For candidates who want a CAREER CHANGE
“Thanks for having me. I am an aspiring [Job title] with 4 years’ experience in [Expertise 1] and [Expertise 2] at [Corporation XYZ]. I really enjoyed the progress and work I did over there, but now I want to pivot my career from digital marketing to website design due to my passion for web space development and [Personal trait], which is why I’m excited about this opportunity at [XYZ Corporation].”
TIPS
√ Do tailor your response to the job description
√ Do tell why you are a good fit in terms of experience and qualifications
√ Do focus on relevant skills, personal traits and unpaid experiences
X Don’t talk about your personal or family life (unless asked)
X Don’t mention vague strengths without supporting examples
X Don’t memorize a script because it needs to come off as authentic
