Memorize your response. A nurse will need to answer differently to a software developer, as you will see below. I have been in the customer service industry for 12 years. I’ll explain…, Many experts have pointed out that if the interviewer wanted your career story, they could have looked at your resume or your LinkedIn, or asked a question like, “can you walk me through your background?”. I studied Interior Design at Savannah College of Art and Design and graduated 4 years ago.”, “Since college, I’ve been working at an interior design firm in Savannah, Georgia. Where do you begin, and where do you end? However it can be a difficult question to grapple with - there are so many possible answers and pieces of information that you could provide. So there’s another approach for answering, “tell me about yourself,” that skips the career story and just cuts right to the chase: Why you’re awesome and why they should hire you! It’s such an open-ended question. This will keep your answer from getting too long. 2. ... How to introduce yourself in a job interview? First of all think about What I Want To Hear If I Ask You To Tell Me About Yourself? These types of questions can both ease you into the interview and help them get to know you better. “Tell me about yourself” is a common interview question for both freshers and experienced that every interviewer asks while taking the interview. Best to start with a strong simple statement about yourself (again related to … When they say “tell me about yourself,” it’s going to be tempting to give a long-winded answer. This is the HR interview questions and answers on "Tell me about yourself.". 3. Other examples include “Walk me through your CV,” “Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your CV” and “How would you describe yourself?” It’s natural to be thrown by these kinds of questions: they are ambiguous, and it can be hard to identify what the interviewer really wants to know. How to Answer the “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question . "My name is Sarah. “Tell me about yourself,” or questions like it, are common at the beginning of interviews as they ease both you and the interviewer into the interview. Here is an example of how to begin your answer to “tell me about yourself” as a very experienced candidate: “I first started managing people twelve years ago, when I was promoted from Customer Service Associate to Customer Service Supervisor. You should always research the company before going into the interview. There are two common formulas you may consider: Present, Past, FuturePast, Present, Future. When I worked at Exxon Mobil and conducted job interviews, I usually started off by asking the candidate to “Tell me About Yourself.” I liked to start off that way because I felt it was a good ice breaker and I wanted to ease into the interview … Starting the Interview: What your Interviewer Wants to Know . Additionally, at the end of our article, you will find a detailed “Tell me about yourself” sample answer. You need to “tailor” your answer for, “tell me about yourself,” for their job description and their needs. Related: Interview Question: “What Can You Bring to the Company?". That first example showed you how to answer “tell me about yourself” for experienced job seekers (at least a few years of experience). What does this particular job involve? Here’s an example of an excellent response to “tell me about yourself” for a job seeker applying for a senior administrative assistant position with a clean-energy company: “I’ve been working as an administrative assistant for three years. Tap into a narrative Why “Tell me about yourself” is always the first question. 2. The interviewer will most likely begin with some form of the question, “Tell me about yourself.” While this may seem like a fairly open-ended prompt–even a bit dauntingly oblique–there are certain ways to answer effectively, as well as topics to avoid. Avoid summarizing your resume word for word. Does the job involve a high level of technical skill? If you have work experience, both options we’ve covered are very good, and it really depends on what you feel most comfortable with. Focus on strengths and abilities that you can support with examples.When you start building the script of each example, focus on details and outcomes that you can quantify if possible. This is a variation of the common interview question "Tell me about yourself" and is a little more tricky to answer. It could lead to your answer getting too long, or it could cause you to leave out important professional information that the interviewer was looking to know! A strong sample answer. Study their job description in particular so you know what skills THEY care most about. And apart from this, my family consist of 4 members including me. There are two critical reasons storytelling is beneficial during job interviews. In this article, we’ll look into the best ways you should tackle the “tell me about yourself” questions at job interviews and learn to use the question’s ambiguity in your own favor. Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position.? I have to point out some common mistake you might have had … One of my key accomplishments during my academic career was speaking at a conference on the topic of energy-efficient window design, based on research I had done for one of my senior-level classes. 23 examples on how to answer Tell Me About Yourself Sample Answers for students, freshers and experienced professionals. Tell me about yourself is the 1st question of the interview that most people get wrong. Your answer will set the tone for the rest of the interview, so it is important to have an appropriate response ready. Walk me through your experiences. To keep you on track, here are a few questions to ask as you brainstorm ways to respond and structure your answer: Related: Interview Question: "Why Are You Interested in This Position?". I left at the 1-year-mark to pursue a very similar position within an industry I’m much more excited about- healthcare. My experience successfully leading teams and managing stores led me to consider administration, and I’ve been building a career as a driven health administrator for the last four years.”, “In my current role at XYZ Medical Center, the efficiency of the office has been a personal focus—especially as it relates to patient outcomes. You’re hireable because of your answers to tough job interview questions. “I graduated with a Business degree in 2010, and was offered an account management position from a telecommunications company I had interned with. ", review the STAR method to practice telling great stories in your interviews, Interview Question: "What Skills Can You Bring to the Job? A great place to start is to understand the reasoning behind the question. Other examples include “Walk me through your resume,” “Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume” and “How would you describe yourself?”. If that happens, start drilling into the details and examples. According to the experts at Yale University's Office of Career Strategy, the best answers to "Tell me about yourself" all follow a simple formula. That's all. A General Answer to “Tell Me About Yourself” Possible Answer 1: “I am a self-starter with strong interpersonal skills. 2) Sounding rehearsed. ‘Tell me about yourself’ is one of the first questions many employers ask during a job interview. According to the experts at Yale University's Office of Career Strategy, the best answers to "Tell me about yourself" all follow a simple formula. For example, you might start your answer like this: “I graduated with my degree in Economics two months ago. ), how it went, what you learned. Best, Good, and Bad “Tell Me About Yourself” Examples. Other examples include “Walk me through your resume,” “Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume” and “How would you describe yourself?” It’s natural to be thrown by these kinds of questions: they are ambiguous, and it can be hard to identify what the interviewer really wants to know. When you answer “Tell me about yourself,” you’re highlighting the key professional strengths and skills that you have that bring value to the company…what you can do. “I graduated with a degree in Engineering two months ago. ‘Tell me about yourself’ is the most common interview question that is guaranteed to be asked by the employer-regardless of your industry, job type and experience level. The information on this site is provided as a courtesy. There’s also a “Tell Me About Yourself” interview question and answer example PDF included with some examples for your interview. Finally, the best way to finish your story is to bring them up to speed on your current situation. Practice makes perfect – this means thinking about the role in question, shaping the story you'd like to tell and even repeating your answer in the mirror a few times. Because it's open-ended. I’d love to hear more about your journey. I am currently working as a digital marketing team lead at an on-line e-commerce startup. Thank you. Talk about your experiences leading (no matter how small! If you take this answer beyond 2 minutes you are shooting yourself in the foot. This second method we just covered is really best if you want to give a unique, concise answer and you have some relevant work experience to share in the interview! In this article, you’ll find tips on what to avoid in your answer, how to structure your response and how you can get started. “Tell Me About Yourself” Example Answer 3 “I’m now looking to take my career to the next level. In this video, we see how to present the best answer to this questions “Tell me about yourself”. As you tell your career story, explain key accomplishments you’ve achieved, work you’ve done, skills you’ve learned, and key career moves you’ve made. Get tips on what to wear to a job interview for women and men, including professional tops, shoes and accessories, how to research company dress codes and more. Open-ended questions like “Tell me about yourself” are frequently asked at the beginning of in-person or video interviews to get the conversation started. Tap into a narrative. Instead, discuss high points that are relevant to the position. The interviewer wants to see that you can tell your story from Point A (beginning) to Point B (the end) without getting sidetracked, distracted or scattered. “Tell me about yourself” is a job interview question that is guaranteed to come up in most (if not all) of your job interviews — regardless of your industry, experience level, and job type . This question can turn any well-prepared candidate inside out. Although it might be tempting to share a list of your most compelling qualifications for the job, a more low-key approach will probably help you to develop a personal rapport with your interviewer. Since then, I’ve…”. Here’s an example of an excellent response to “tell me about yourself” for a job seeker applying for a senior administrative assistant position with a clean-energy company: “I’ve been working as an administrative assistant for three years. Here is an example of how to begin your answer to “tell me about yourself” as a very experienced candidate: “I first started managing people twelve years ago, when I was promoted from Customer Service Associate to Customer Service Supervisor. You should be thinking about how this ties in with the company you’re talking to. We hope that you have found some inspiration in our answers, and that you will manage to prepare your great answer to the question. The interviewer will most likely begin with some form of the question, “Tell me about yourself.” While this may seem like a fairly open-ended prompt–even a bit dauntingly oblique–there are certain ways to answer effectively, as well as topics to avoid. So the first thing to decide is where you’ll begin the story…. Now let’s look at an example for entry-level job seekers and job seekers with no experience. The reason I applied for this job is I saw ___ on the job description and I think I would be able to help you ___ and ___. Is there a lot of leadership? Briefly mention hobbies, intellectual development and community involvement. “Tell Me About Yourself” Gets The Interview Going By: Setting the tone for the rest of the interview; Acting as an easy way to break the ice and get the interview started; Giving you the chance to take control of the interview from the beginning Bad Example Answer for "Tell Me About Yourself" This is an answer that one of my interview prep clients wrote in preparation for her upcoming interviews as a financial analyst at larger investment firms. Your big ‘interview’ day is finally here! The question might not be asked in exactly these words – "Walk me through your resume" and "Walk me through your background" are common variations. Mention highly personal information such as marital status, children, political or religious affiliations, etc. Most of all, remember to keep it concise and relevant! Tell details. They’re both excellent ways to answer the question, so don’t stress over it! Your communication and ability to stay on track with your answer is something they are watching closely. So, think of this as your "elevator pitch." Consider this example: When you talk about what you’re looking to do next in your career, try to mention whatever you see this company providing for your career (leadership, technical challenges, exposure to new areas, etc.). How to answer tell me about yourself (Experienced example) “I have been working as a digital marketer for the last 3 years after graduating from university. There’s also a “Tell Me About Yourself” interview question and answer example PDF included with some examples for your interview. I knew then that I wanted to pursue interior design as my career. These can be sensitive topics that might work against you as a candidate, not to mention such details should not be factors for the employer in determining your ability to perform the job. In your response, do the following: 1. I’ve always been skilled at bringing people together and working towards common goals. Since then, I’ve…”. Summarize your resume word for word. That shows them why you’re excited about their job, which will help you get hired! You can show more personality as the interview goes on, but it’s risky to share too much personal info when answering, “tell me about yourself.”. Example 1. Many interviews begin with the question, 'Tell me about yourself.' ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ – Sample Answers. I chose that field of study because I’ve always been interested in finance and money, and a couple of family members told me it leads to great career options, too.”.