INTERVIEW RESOURCE GUIDE

All the information you need on interviewing, following-up, negotiating and much more. Pick and choose topics that interest you in the sidebar or print the whole guide.

How To Answer “Tell Me About Yourself”

Preparing for the “Tell me about yourself” question is crucial for interviews. Experience shows us that most clients open with some variation of this question. Your ideal answer should be a prepared, well-thought-out marketing statement about yourself and your relevant skills. The answer should be a three-part, pre-planned statement that can be adapted for different interviews. It should:

 

  • Highlight your skills
  • Relate to the open position
  • Be concise and impactful

 

Even if not asked directly, preparing this statement helps you open the interview confidently and impressively.

 
 

Part 1

Part one of the three-part marketing statement is a one-sentence summary of your career history. For example, let’s share with you a former candidate’s opening sentence:   

 

 

Your whole career needs to be condensed into one sentence that highlights the most important aspects. You should attempt to leverage this experience to make your next career step.

 
 

Part 2

Part two of the pre-planned marketing statement will be a one (maybe two) sentence summary of a single accomplishment. This statement should capture the interviewer’s attention! It immediately follows your initial career summary sentence from above.

 

This accomplishment should be one that the interviewer will be interested in hearing, one that is easily explained or illustrated, and one that clearly highlights saving the company money, making the company money, or another specific quantifiable achievement. When done correctly, this will build the interviewer’s interest in the accomplishment so that they inquire further, giving you an opportunity to discuss your career success further.

 

The above candidate’s accomplishment sentences were:

Part 2 of answering 'tell me about yourself'

 
 

Part 3

Part three is the final piece of the marketing statement and is probably the most fluid piece. It needs to be a one-sentence summary of specifically what you want to do next in your career.

 

This third part is difficult because it needs to address what you want to do next specifically, AND it needs to change from interview to interview to make sure it matches exactly what you will be interviewed for.

 

The above candidate’s final statement was:

 

 

Remember that the process of coming up with the “Tell me about yourself” answer is as important as the actual answer you create! A succinct and well-thought-out answer will help you throughout the interview. Here are some additional questions to prepare answers for during an interview.