The "tell me about yourself" question is one of the most common opening interview questions. Interviewers ask this for a few key reasons, and we’ll cover some of the most reasons in this blog article.
Why Interviewers Ask “Tell Me About Yourself”
This question isn’t just part of an interviewer’s script and it’s not just polite conversation. With “tell me about yourself” they are trying to determine three key things.
- Assess communication skills. How you respond to this question allows interviewers to evaluate your communication and storytelling skills. They want to see if you can concisely and confidently summarize your background, experience, and qualifications. Your tone, cadence, eye contact, and body language also demonstrate your communication abilities.
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Understand personality and potential fit. Your answer provides a window into your personality, work style, motivations, and values. Interviewers can get a sense of whether you'd be a good cultural fit for the company. They look for signals on whether you're a team player, self-starter, innovative thinker, or dependable worker based on how you describe yourself.
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Learn about your background and goals. The “tell me about yourself” question allows you to walk interviewers through your background, career journey to date, future goals, and how this role aligns with your aspirations. They can understand why you're interested in the position and what skills and experience you bring to the table. Your answer should highlight your relevant accomplishments and convey your passion.
How to Structure Your Answer
Start with a brief personal introduction to showcase your personality. Share details like where you grew up, your education, and hobbies or passions outside of work. Keep it short, at about one to two sentences.
Next, highlight your most relevant professional experiences and accomplishments. Focus on experiences that pertain directly to the job you're interviewing for. Mention specific skills you gained and provide brief anecdotes to showcase achievements or successes from your past roles.
Then tie it back to the role and company. Explain why you're interested in this opportunity and how your background makes you a strong match. Align your skills and experience with the job description. Show that you understand the organization’s business goals and can contribute to its mission.
Conclude by expressing enthusiasm for the role and company. This structure – brief personal background, job experience, and why you’re right for the role – allows you to provide an overview of who you are while emphasizing fit and motivation for the specific job opportunity.
Crafting an Engaging Narrative
With thought and practice, the "tell me about yourself” question can be an opportunity to showcase your storytelling abilities. Interviewers want to get a sense of who you are beyond just skills and qualifications. One of the most effective ways to make your answer memorable is to share relevant anecdotes and stories.
For example, instead of simply stating “I led a team of five designers,” you could say “When I first started as lead designer, I inherited a team of five junior designers who had low morale and lacked direction. By getting to know each person, aligning projects to their strengths, and setting clear goals, I was able to re-energize the team. Within six months, we launched three new product lines and received the department's highest customer satisfaction scores.”
This story brings your skills to life. It also demonstrates empathy, leadership abilities, and quantifiable results. Aligning your career journey with the company's needs also helps. For a startup, you may want to focus on examples of innovation, creativity, and hustle. For a larger corporation, highlight achievements in process improvement, team development, and scaling projects.
Highlighting Relevant Skills and Strengths
When answering “tell me about yourself,” it's crucial that you highlight two or three core competencies required for the job based on the job description and your research.
Don't just claim you have certain skills. Back it up with tangible examples and metrics. Draw clear connections between your skills, achievements, and the role requirements. For instance, if the role requires sales skills, recount a time you exceeded a sales target or won over a high-value client.
Quantifying your accomplishments makes your answer more memorable and convincing. Say “I increased sales by 30% over two years” rather than a vague “I improved sales.” Numbers stick in people's minds better.
Showcasing relevant skills in a quantified, results-driven manner will make you stand out. You’ll show you can fulfill the core job expectations and highlight what you can bring to the team.
Differentiate Yourself from Other Candidates
The “tell me about yourself" question is the perfect opportunity to explain why you are the ideal candidate for this specific role. When crafting your answer, think about what makes you unique compared to other applicants. Highlight how your background, experience, and passions make you a great fit.
For example, if the role requires international experience, emphasize how living abroad helped you develop a global mindset. Or if it demands creativity, share an anecdote about spearheading an innovative campaign.
When you’re talking to an interviewer, communicate genuine enthusiasm. Convey how the role aligns with your interests, values, and career aspirations. Let your passion come through in your voice and body language.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with "Tell Me About Yourself"
Here are some of the pitfalls you need to avoid when answering this common interview question.
Rambling aimlessly without a clear narrative. Some candidates get nervous and talk about everything under the sun – childhood stories, hobbies, past jobs, or family details. While trying to fill the silence, they end up providing irrelevant information that doesn't highlight their fit with the role or company.
Lacking confidence. It may feel strange for some people, but an interview is a place where it’s OK to brag a little. It comes across poorly when you can't speak confidently about your background. Practice your response to gain composure.
Not relating your answer back to the role or company. Failing to explain why your skills and experience make you the ideal candidate for the job misses the point entirely. Research the company’s values and culture and required job qualifications, and then tailor your response to show you’re a great match.
Avoid generic statements. If you say “I'm a hard worker” or I’m a “people person” cite specific examples of going above and beyond in previous job or life experiences.
Maximize your job search success with Employbridge
The "tell me about yourself" question is your chance to make a strong first impression. By planning out your answer in advance, showcasing your storytelling skills, and avoiding common pitfalls, you can set yourself apart from other candidates.
That doesn’t mean searching and interviewing for a new job is easy. Employbridge is here to support you. With our focus on championing individuals and unlocking potential, we provide not only job opportunities but also free skills training, educational courses, and connections with top employers.
Ready to kickstart your professional journey? Explore all our career opportunities or contact us to get started.