How to Answer "Tell Me About Yourself" in an Interview?

Regardless of any job profile or any company - 'Tell Me About Yourself', is undeniably the very first question that you often face in every interview. The question allows you to showcase your personality to the recruiters and let them know how you are a perfect fit for the particular job role. This open-ended question can be quite difficult at times therefore you must give an impressive and accomplished answer to the "Tell Me About Yourself" question in an Interview. 

However, most of the time, candidates especially freshers ignore preparing for this basic question and end up giving a not-so-entertaining answer for it that eventually sets the negative tone for the rest of the interview.

Now, that it is quite confirmed that you're going to be asked this question in your upcoming interviews - don't you think you must be prepared for this question ideally and flawlessly to stand out among other candidates...?? A Big YES...!! But let us first take a look that why this question is asked in an interview.

Why is the Question  "Tell Me About Yourself" is Asked in the Interview?

This is the first and most common question that is asked in an interview and the major purpose of asking it is to break the ice between the candidate and the interviewer. This question is used for framing the further conversation as the interviewer can ask further things related to the answer given by the candidate. Also, it helps the interviewer to understand the person properly which cannot be done only by reading the resume. It also removes the introductory jitters and makes the candidate a bit comfortable too. Furthermore, while answering the question one must tell the interviewer about their family background, educational qualifications, background, skills, and achievements so that it can ease the selection process. 

For those looking to enhance their interview skills and prepare thoroughly for various tech-interview questions, including "Tell Me About Yourself," consider exploring the Complete Interview Preparation course offered by GeeksforGeeks. This comprehensive course covers a wide range of topics and provides valuable insights and strategies to help you excel in your interviews.

How to Answer "Tell Me About Yourself" in an Interview?

Now, let us move forward and help you in preparing answers for "Tell me about yourself" - below mentioned are some basic and effective approaches that you can prepare the answers accordingly. 

1. Answer Professionally

It is important while giving answers that you maintain professional decorum and try to keep it under 2-3 mins and not more than that. The person sitting in front of you only wants to know your professional details and some other important things including your educational and basic personal things. Just remember to present your answer in a way that, showcases, "why you are best for this particular job role." Keep in mind that the answer should not be so long that the interviewer gets distracted, hence, prepare an interesting answer to stand out from others. 

2. Highlight your Accomplishments and Past Experience

The answer to the question "Tell me about yourself" majorly includes the career story where you can explain your accomplishments. You can add the skills you have and what you have learned in your previous jobs and amazing career moves that you have particularly made in recent years. Do mention if you have been promoted in your previous jobs, or any project that you have completed all by yourself or by leading a team. Also, addressing the great stories regarding your work experience using the STAR method can make the conversation a bit more interesting.

3. Match Your Skillset with the Current Organization

You can do it by describing your skillset to the recruiter, telling him/her about the projects and internships that you have done and how they are relevant to the particular job role, about the relevant certifications or achievements that you have earned, etc. Also, you can let the interviewer know why are you interested in the particular company or job role. Describe your transition from the beginning and how you can get accustomed to a new work environment very easily as it will help in providing a good impression. 

4. Describe Career Goals

Last, but not least, you need to tell the interviewer about your short-term and long-term career goals. Do remember that when you are telling about your goals - it should not be too self-centred. Then, you can let the interviewer know about your strengths & weaknesses and how they can be valuable to the company. You can make use of past incidents or experiences to validate the said strengths. Relate all your goals with the company where you have gone for an interview as it will give the interviewer a clear picture of your views and thought process. 

In the end, you can tell about your hobbies in a quite concise way and can opt to be thankful to the interviewer for giving you this opportunity.

Sample Answers - "Tell Me About Yourself"

“Hi, My name is Anurag Sharma. ​I've recently done my Bachelors in Technology with Computer Science stream from XYZ University with 9 CGPA. Also, I did my 12th & 10th from CBSE Board in the year 2016 and 2014 respectively. Though I am currently staying in Delhi - I was born and brought up in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and did my schooling from there. Considering my family background details - we're 4 members in the family. Apart from my parents, I have a sibling - an elder brother.

As you'd have known - I am here for the role of ABC. Coming to my skills I know *mention all those skills that you possess and are relevant to the job role that you're applying for*. I had 2 internships as well in this particular domain where along with core technical things I also learned organizational ethics and discipline. Moreover, I also did 2 successful individual projects *on the particular technology* in my college tenure. *You can also opt to brief the project & internship details here*

To be honest, my short-term goal is to get a job in a reputed company like *the company name for which you're applying* where I can use my skills and knowledge to deliver value-added result and in long term, the goal would be to achieve a good position in the particular company to scale up organization's production & growth rate and at the same time for the betterment of my personal career growth as well. Other than that, if I talk about my strengths - I can say that I'm a quick learner, team player, adaptable and creative person - and I do guess that these strengths of mine are perfectly suitable for this job role.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, playing outdoor sports, and sometimes cooking.

That's all about me. And yes, thanks for the opportunity given to introduce myself!"

Okay, so this is how you are expected to answer "Tell Me About Yourself" in an interview. However, you need to understand you can't use a specific answer for this question in all your interviews - you need to analyze the situation & job opportunity and craft your answer accordingly. Now, to help you out in compiling the perfect response to “Tell me about yourself” - below we've provided the most effective approaches that you all can consider:

Key Points to Remember While Answering - "Tell Me About Yourself":

• Customize your answer as per the job role and company requirements of the candidate.
• Do not just recite your resume - provide something valuable with your answer and that too, in a concise way.
• Tell about your skills, experience, strengths, etc. in such a way that it will depict how you are the ideal candidate for the particular job role.
• Do not get too personal or bring up sensitive topics like religious views, political views, etc. in your answer.
• Practice your answer before the interview to feel confident - but make sure that it won't look too rehearsed.
• Lastly, try to be positive and deliver your answer confidently.

Conclusion

So, all you need to do is follow the above-mentioned approaches and keep your answer concise & relevant - and then no one can stop you to shine in your upcoming interview...!! You need to analyze the interview situation and job profile to craft your answer accordingly. Do not blabber things that do not match the question, or else you will lose the chance to get your dream job. 

Also Read:

• 10 Common Interview Mistakes MOST People Make (& How To Avoid Them)
• How to Answer “What are Your Strengths and Weaknesses” in an Interview?
• Interview Etiquette – How to Create a Good Impression?