“Tell me about yourself”: Sample answers

The “tell us about yourself” interview question may seem harmless. All you need to do is talk about your background – what could possibly go wrong?

The answer to “tell me about yourself” is actually more challenging than you might think. This may be one of the first questions an interviewer asks, so they’ll base their first impression on your answer. This opening question can set the rest of the interview up for success. Answer this interview question badly and you could risk your confidence from the outset.  

Here are a few tips on how to answer when asked to “tell us about yourself”.

Start by structuring your answer

Tackle this open ended question with a structured answer. By structuring your“tell me about you” response, you’ll keep your interviewer engaged. Make sure that you address key points that are relevant to the job itself. Hiring managers don’t want to hear your life story. 

This is a deliberately broad question and may tempt you into disclosing detailed personal information. Best practice is to focus on three key areas:

1. Your relevant educational and professional background
2. The key skills and expertise you have suitable for this opportunity
3. What you are looking for in your next role and why this role appealed to you

So, when thinking about how to talk about yourself in an interview, what should you say?

1. Reference your educational and professional background

Start your answer by providing the interviewer with a brie

Start by giving your interviewer a brief overview of your educational and professional background. Only include the experience and education which relates directly to the role. High school and Saturday jobs alone won’t cut it.  

Focus on previous experience that clarify why you’re perfect for this job. For instance, if you were applying for the role of senior digital marketing executive, you might say: 

“I am a business management graduate with a Master’s in Digital Marketing. Since leaving university, I have enjoyed a two year marketing career within the sports industry.” 

The above “tell us about yourself” example outlines only the educational and career history relevant to the role. This keeps the interviewer engaged and ready to hear about the next point: the skills you have learnt.Demonstrate your key skills and expertise relevant to this opportunity

2. Demonstrate your key skills and expertise relevant to this opportunity

Now that I’m engaged as an interviewer, it’s time for you to tell me about your relevant skills and expertise. For instance: 

“During my time within this industry, I have been able to apply what I learnt during my Master’s. I’ve also worked on building my digital marketing expertise in practice, rather than theory.” 

You must also be able to support this part of your answer with measurable examples, for instance: 

“I believe that my digital marketing skills are best showcased by an email marketing campaign I recently led, which increased our conversion rate by 10%.” 

To recap, the first part of the “tell me about yourself” answer should cover your educational and professional background, followed by the evidence to back it up.

3. Explain what you are looking for in your next role and why this role appealed to you

The best “tell me about yourself” answers carve out your career goals and ambitions. What do you want from your next move? And what makes you a good fit for this role? 

At this stage, it may be tempting to speak too much about the reasons you want to leave your current employer. Instead, succinctly explain why you want this role, at this organisation. The golden rule for answering point 3 is to keep it positive and focused on the opportunity in hand, for example: 

“My previous organisation has helped me develop the digital skills I have today. However, I believe that for the sake of progressing my expertise further, it’s time to move on. I’m looking for a more challenging role within a fast-paced global organisation, where there is plenty of room for me to grow as a marketing professional. That’s why I was so pleased to be invited to interview for this role.” 

You may also want to practise your answer to why you want a particular role.

What to say in an interview about yourself: other tips

Watch your language

Now you know which specific points to cover, think about the language you use. Keep your language simple. Where possible, use action verbs to better showcase your skills.

For instance, try saying, “I demonstrated my digital skills with an email marketing campaign I recently led, which increased our conversion rate by 10%”. This will show off your leadership skills, as well as your ability to drive positive results.

Best “tell me about yourself” answers

Taking all of these golden rules into consideration, the perfect example of an answer to “Tell me about yourself” might sound a little something like the below:

1. “I am a business management graduate with a Master’s in Digital Marketing. Since leaving university, I have enjoyed a two year marketing career within the sports industry.”
2. “During my time within this industry, I have been able to apply what I learnt during my Master’s, whilst building upon my digital marketing expertise even further. I demonstrated my digital skills with an email marketing campaign I recently led, which increased our conversion rate by 10%”. 
3. “My previous organisation has helped me develop the digital skills I have today. However, I believe that for the sake of progressing my expertise further, it’s time to move on. I’m looking for a more challenging role within a fast-paced global organisation, where there is plenty of room for me to grow as a marketing professional. That’s why I was so pleased to be invited to interview for this role.”

When it comes to an interview, practice makes perfect

Practise, practise, practise! By doing so, you will be able to quash any nervous habits like waffling or forgetting what to say. You’ll also avoid displaying negative body language like not making eye contact or fidgeting too much. For this reason, it may be a good idea to either practise answering this question in front of the mirror, a camera, or someone you trust who can give you feedback. 

To sum up, the interview question “Tell me about yourself”, is a deceptively tricky question to answer. It will more than likely be one of the first things you get asked. Take this opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the interview.  

Get your interview off to a strong start by planning a relevant, concise and positive answer. Tell your interviewer why you are sitting in front of them, and why your skills and years of experience set you apart from other job seekers. Rather than talking about your personal life, explain exactly why you’re the best person for the job.

You may want to consider preparing answers for other common questions, including: 

• How to answer “Tell me about a time you failed” 
• How to respond to “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” 
• How to explain redundancy in an interview and on your CV 

Looking for more interview tips? Check out some of our other blogs: 

• How best can you prepare for competency based interview questions? 
• Change your thinking and calm your interview nerves 
• Real reasons why interviewers ask common questions.