How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview
How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview
How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview
By Stav Ziv
June 19, 2020
Summary
Why Interviewers Ask It. As with any interview question, the key to crafting an impressive answer is understanding why people are asking in the first place.
Past: Tell the interviewer how you got there and/or mention previous experience that's relevant to the job and company you're applying for.
Okay, so you've got an interview coming up and you know it's probably going to start with some form of "Tell me about yourself." Here's what else you need to do to nail your answer.
"When an interviewer asks that, they really mean tell me about yourself as it's relevant to the position you're applying for and this company. I think they're giving you an opportunity to articulate succinctly why you have the right qualifications," says Muse career coach Tina Wascovich.
You don't have to go into a huge amount of detail, but if your goal in an interview is to stand out among the applicant pool and be memorable, then infusing this answer with some passion can help you do that.
You don't want to wait until you get this question in a live interview to try out your answer for the first time.
Think through what you want to convey about yourself ahead of each interview and practice saying it out loud.
You might get some form of "Tell me about yourself" at every single stage of the interview process for a job, from the phone screen through final rounds, but that doesn't mean you have to give the same exact answer every time.
You can also enhance your answer and make it more specific to the role and company based on what you learn as you progress through the interview process, Campos says, such as, "When I talked to so-and-so it really resonated with me that your mission or value is".
If the first thing you tell an interviewer is how awful your boss is and you're trying to escape the misery of their micromanaging clutches, that's a big turnoff.
Reference
Ziv, S. (2020, June 19). Your Guide to Answering "Tell Me About Yourself" in an Interview. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.themuse.com/advice/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question-answer-examples