How to Answer 'Tell Me About Your Self' in Interview

You’ve sat down for your interview with sweaty palms and your heart racing 100 miles per hour, and before you even get a chance to catch your breath, you’re asked the dreaded question ‘tell me about yourself’.

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To make sure that you don’t stutter when answering this question, we will talk you through some tips that will help you form a convincing answer!

1. Don’t Talk About Personal Achievements

Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by rambling on and listing loads of personal achievements.

Interviewer: Tell me about yourself

Interviewee: Well, I’d describe myself as a likeable person.

When I was just 16-years-old, I won my local beauty pageant, which required lots of discipline in terms of diet and self-care.

I then went on to create my own YouTube channel…

As you can see, this candidate hasn’t adequately prepared for the interview and is offering nothing valuable to the employer.

So, instead of talking about personal achievements, focus on professional ones that convey your skills and experience.

2. Give a Concise and Clear Answer

This shouldn’t be a monologue about your entire life story, instead, you should aim to give a short but precise answer on your professional journey thus far.

Aim to talk for no longer than 60 seconds and give your interviewer a chance to ask a question if needed.

3. Give a Snapshot of Your Work History

The hiring manager would have already read your CV, so you don’t need to recite what it says.

Instead, use this as a basis to expand on your experience and achievements.

Interviewee: I am a creative copywriter with over five years’ experience working in the travel industry.

I mainly wrote about new experiences and tested out new hotels and packages.

My writing was published in the Traveller’s Guide and Time Out, which is a huge achievement.

However, I would now like to work for a single organisation and have a solid readership instead of freelancing.

Within this example, the candidate keeps her answer short but offers insight into her largest achievement.

4. Create a Connection

Although it’s hard to create a connection by answering a single question, you should try to connect your experience to that of the company.

For example, if you know that the company supports a charity that is close to your heart, you can mention this within your example.

Interviewee: In my previous company, I spent some time on the social committee raising awareness for mental health, and we run a 5k marathon to raise money for Time to Change.

Interviewer: That’s inspiring! We also support a similar charity here and dedicate a few days a year for fundraising activities.

5. Explain Why You’re the Right Fit for the Role

Finish you’re answer by explaining why you’re the right person for the job.

Interviewee: I believe that my experience in writing can help enhance your marketing material and create more brand awareness, which in turn will drive more clients to the business.

6. Tailor Your Answer to the Job

When answering this question, be sure to uniquely tailor it to the job that you’re applying to.

For example, the answers that we have supplied above may not be relevant to every position.

So, now you know how to answer this question, you can start your interview on the right foot!

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