9 Best Ways to Answer the “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question

Whether you’re getting ready for your first job interview or your tenth, I guarantee you’ll want to prepare for one classic hiring talking point: the “Tell me about yourself” interview question. Luckily, this is a soft-pitch question because you’re the expert on your life and professional experience! However, it’s always a good idea to think ahead about answers to common interview questions so you can stand out from other job applicants. I’ll explain why hiring managers ask this question in interviews and how you can respond with confidence and clarity to ultimately set yourself up for interview success.

Why Do Interviewers Always Ask, “Tell Me About Yourself”?

“Tell me about yourself” is one of the most common job interview questions—especially if you’re meeting a hiring manager for the first time. But interviewers aren’t just listening to your personal stories because they want to know where you’re from, what your hobbies are, or what your personality test results say. What they really want to know is how you present yourself under pressure, if you’ll mesh with the company culture, and of course a bit about your professional background and why you’re interested in the opportunity. Your answer to this question is a chance to pitch yourself and show that you’re a confident and capable professional. Remember, you never get a second chance at making a first impression. So learning how to answer “Tell me about yourself” in an interview is your opportunity to shine.

Other Versions of the “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question

What other sneaky ways do interviewers try to pull the condensed version of your life story out of you? Trust me, a hiring manager or HR person has got plenty of ways to find out the most important information about who they’re potentially going to hire. So they might ask this predictable question in a different way—while looking for the same information. Here are a few examples of what they might say:

• “Walk me through your resumé.”
• “Tell me about your previous experience.”
• “What’s your story?”
• “Why do you want to work here?”
• “How did you become interested in this industry or opportunity?”

Here’s what your answer will ultimately reveal: Are you well spoken? How do your skills match up? Do you have a good understanding of the job? Are you a good fit?

9 Tips to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview

Okay, so you’re interviewing for a great job opportunity—or a role that’s one step closer to the career you’d like to have. Now, how do you prepare to answer this question? There are nine tips I want you to keep in mind so you can frame your best possible answer. Not only will this show the hiring manager you’ve done your due diligence in researching the company and role, but it’ll ease any feelings of anxiety you might have. Preparing for this conversation will build your confidence for the rest of the interview.

1. Keep your answer focused on your professional experience.

I know you’re proud of them, but now isn’t the time to gush over your pets or your son’s recent baseball tournament grand slam! You can absolutely mention your family, but for now, focus more on your professional experience. One way to do this is by giving a brief summary of how you got where you are now and what you’re looking forward to exploring with this new opportunity.

2. Make connections between your past (or current) job and the one you’re interviewing for.

If you’re making a career change, connect the dots between the experience you have and the job you want. Think about any soft skills and technical skills you’ve learned that apply to the new position. If you have relevant certifications or other education, this is a good time to share how that training and knowledge could support you in this new role.

3. Let your personality shine through—but keep it professional.

Hiring managers want to see you for you—so be lighthearted if that’s your personality, or formal and polite if that’s more your style. But remember: This is a professional interview, and you’re trying to put your best foot forward. So save any silly humor and sarcasm for your friends. It’s time to be sharp and show off the best parts of your personal brand.

4. Keep your answer meaningful but brief.

This is not the time to ramble on and on with tales from growing up on the farm! It’s okay to elaborate on more meaningful points, but you’ll want to stick to the basics: how your experience matches the role, why you’re interested in the job, qualities that you appreciate most about yourself, and how you can best influence a team.

5. Use a formula or template to highlight the important information.

If you need to practice your answer with a list of important professional milestones and skills, that’s just fine! We’ll get into a few examples of how to answer “Tell me about yourself” in a job interview in just a second. For now, keep these points in mind when you’re thinking about what you’ll actually say:

• Start with your interest in the field or role.
• Briefly explain your responsibilities at your current or past job (so it relates to the new role).

• Describe what you’re looking for in a new job and how you want to contribute or grow.
• If you’d like more structure in your response, consider using the STAR format to elaborate on specific details. Here’s how it works: Describe a situation (S) or task (T) you’ve dealt with, the action (A) you took, and the results (R) you achieved.
• Keep your response easy to follow by sharing details in chronological order. Start with what you did in the past, move on to what you’re doing now, and end with what you’d like to do in the future.

6. Keep it positive.

Listen, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. And when you’re talking about yourself, you want to share the best parts about you. By keeping your answer positive, the hiring managers will see how your attitude could benefit their workplace.

7. Rehearse—but don’t memorize your answer word for word.

Yes, I want you to practice. No, I don’t want you to memorize your answer to the point where it sounds like a robotic response! I suggest keeping a few bullet points in mind that you can refer to with ease, or a meaningful story about yourself that you’re willing to share. Which brings me to my next point . . .

8. Share a story from your past that highlights a quality you appreciate about yourself.

Personal stories are more winsome and will stick better than reporting the cold, hard facts. The interviewer has already seen your resumé, after all. So instead of saying “I bring a lot of enthusiasm and passion to my work,” just like everyone else, tell a story that demonstrates these qualities. It’s a more engaging way to share the same information, but you’ll create a stronger and more memorable connection with the person interviewing you. Using this approach as you answer the question is a winning communication tactic.

9. Tailor your answer to the person you’re talking to.

Are you speaking with the person who will be your direct supervisor or an HR team member who meets everyone in the building who comes in for an interview? Depending on who you’re sitting down with, you can tailor your response to better align with their area of expertise or relationship to the open role. For example, when you’re meeting with the person who would be your direct supervisor, feel free to go into deeper details about your previous work experience and project success. Share the strengths that could apply directly to their team. For an HR manager, a more general view of your career values and interest in the company’s mission is a good place to start.

Example Answers to “Tell Me About Yourself”

Here are a few ways you can share about your professional experience and let your personality shine through.

Example 1: Focus on a Valuable Quality of Yours

“When I was on the high school basketball team, my coach gave me the annual sportsmanship award. I didn’t know who he was describing when he mentioned this person’s work ethic in practice, encouragement on the court, and passion to give their all even when the outcome of the game looked grim. I was honored when I found out he was describing me. His speech really stayed with me, and those qualities he mentioned have only grown over the course of my career. I realized I had a passion for coaching and leading others, so I pursued a business degree with a focus on team development and human resources. I’ve been fortunate to grow in multiple human resources roles, which you can see on my resumé. I’m looking forward to learning more about this HR development position!”

Example 2: Focus on Your Previous Experience

“I always enjoyed learning about computers and how things worked when I was in school. I decided the tech industry would be a good fit for me. As a senior, I enrolled in a dual-enrollment computer program to get my associate degree in computer science while I finished high school. After that, I completed my computer science and engineering degree at the University of Tennessee and took an internship as a software development engineer for a local technology manufacturing company. Now that I’m close to graduating with my Bachelor of Science, I’m looking for full-time positions as an associate software developer.”

Example 3: Focus on What You’d Like to Do Next

“I’m currently an executive assistant at a local publishing firm. I knew I wanted to work around books after I wrote my first short story in elementary school. Even from a young age, I enjoyed the creative process and couldn’t get enough of literature. Outside of my required English classes in school, I usually spent my days in the library or going to book signings to meet well-known authors. In college, I was a teaching assistant for the English department, and that experience assisting with lesson plans and reviewing essays really taught me a lot about assisting professional publishers. That’s why I’m here interviewing for the junior publisher role—so I can lead my own projects and eventually a team.”

How Not to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself”

Now that you have a good idea of how to respond, here are a few interview tips for how not to answer the question. Now, I wish these tips were common sense—but sometimes they’re not.

• Don’t crack a whole bunch of jokes.
• Don’t start dishing on your current office’s hostile work environment.
• Don’t complain about the boss you hate.

Keep it classy and positive! And please, don’t ramble on about your personality test results. Your skills and confidence will speak for themselves, so there’s no need to prove how analytical you are based on an internet quiz.

Get Ready to Ace Your Interviews

If you’re prepping for an interview and trying to create a strong first impression with your hiring manager, take a look at my free Interview Guide. You’ll learn the five areas you need to spend time and effort on before you walk into a job interview. You’ll find out what questions to ask your interviewer. And you’ll discover how to wow the hiring manager with your confident answers to the most common interview questions. It’s your time to shine!