Open-ended questions such as “Tell me about yourself” are usually asked at the beginning of interviews or a video to get the conversation going.
Tell me about yourself
These questions are more likely to emerge from the phone screen at every stage of the interview process than in the final rounds.
It's normal to ask these kinds of questions: They are vague, and it can be hard to determine what the interviewer really wants to know. But there is a chance for you in this mystery.
Some other formulas
Some common formulas related to the “Tell me about yourself” question in a job interview, which you can use this article to answer:
- Talk about yourself?
- Introduce yourself?
Why does the interviewer ask you this question?
This introductory question also helps recruiters and hiring managers achieve what is often one of their main goals in the hiring process: getting to know you.
If you answer well, interviewers will begin to understand why you are the best candidate for this job, in terms of challenging skills and experience as well as soft skills.
It's a great opportunity to demonstrate that you can communicate clearly and effectively, connect with and interact with other human beings, and present yourself professionally.
How to prepare for the answer
Although it is one of the most common interview questions, this question seems simple, so many people fail to prepare for it, but it is crucial. Do not give out your full (or personal) work history.
Alternatively, you can give an outline presentation - concise and engaging and showing exactly why you are a good fit for the job. Muse writer and career counselor at MIT (Lily Zhang) recommends using the past present tense.
Talk a little bit about your current role (including scope and perhaps one major accomplishment), then give some background on how you got there and your experience with it.
Finally, explain why you would like and would be ideal for the role. Do not mention highly personal information such as marital status, children, political or religious affiliations, etc. Take a look at this point:
- Talk a little about your current role, its scope, and perhaps your last major achievement.
- Tell the interviewer how you got there or mention previous experience relevant to the job and the company you are applying for.
- Tell what you are looking forward to doing next and why you are interested in this job (and you are a good fit for it too).
- Customize your answer to the job and the company.
- Make it professional.
- Inject some emotion into your answer (if you feel comfortable).
- Be brief (and definitely don't read your resume).
- Exercise (but don't save).
- Know your audience.
- Highlight great experience and achievements.
- Keep your answer related to work.
Examples to answer the question
Note: We do not recommend a ready-made response, but you can edit and put whatever works best for you:
Well, I am currently a Customer Relationship Specialist in the mall, dealing with our top performing client. Prior to that, she worked as a Catering Executive Assistant at Wafi. And while I really enjoyed the work you did, I would love the opportunity to dig deeper with one of the best companies, which is why I'm so excited about this opportunity with you.
I graduated with my degree in economics two months ago. I chose this field of study because I've always been interested in finance and money, and some family members have told me it leads to great career options as well.
I've been in the marketing field for over five years, working primarily in account and project management roles. I recently worked as a Senior Administrator for a large technology company running large marketing campaigns and supervising other project managers. Now I am looking to expand my experience across different companies, especially FinTech, which is why I am very interested in joining a company like yours.
I started my career in retail management, but a few years ago, I was drawn into the healthcare field. I have always been skilled at bringing people together and working towards common goals. My experience leading teams and successfully managing stores has led me to consider management, and I have built a career as a paid health officer over the past four years.
I graduated with a degree in Business Administration in 2010, taking an account management position from a telecom company I had trained with. I loved working with clients and managing and growing my accounts, but the industry we were in wasn't very attractive to me. After that, I spent a year and learned a lot about how to create and manage accounts successfully, and ended up being the top performer in my group before leaving. I'm most excited about healthcare. I feel ready to take my career to the next level, which is why I am currently looking for a new opportunity.
See: What is Your Passion? - Interview Question