Answering the ‘tell me about yourself’ question in interviews 

Interviews usually open with an employer asking you to describe yourself – how can you grab their attention in the short time allocated to you? 

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Robert Half

Answering the ‘tell me about yourself’ question in interviews can often set the direction the rest of the interview will take. The question allows you to capture your interviewer’s interest in a short period of time in order to position yourself as the perfect candidate. 

“A short, crisp overview which matches the ‘must-have’ responsibilities of the job will help you stand out from the crowd. Most employers are looking for the right attitude, drive and a willingness to learn, rather than the perfect skill set,” says Tony Koyratty, senior talent manager at Robert Half. 

Here are some helpful tips on how to tackle the question. 

Strategise your answer 

Review the job post you’re interviewing for and pick apart the description in order to identify the skills the employment team is looking for. Aim to spend some time researching the company’s ethos and culture in order to skill match this with your own capabilities. 

Restructure your CV

Once you’ve identified which of your skills match those that the company is looking for, rewrite your CV by prioritising these particular skills so that they are directly visible to the recruiter. Some things to include would be: 

• The fields you specialise in. 
• Your most competent skills. 
• Your vocational needs. 
• Your reason for your current career path. 
• What you envision your future professional pathway to be like. 

Things to avoid

While the ‘tell me about yourself’ question can seem straightforward, there are certain points that will immediately put employers off. 

• Being too personal – aim to keep your answer professional and career-related rather than divulging details of your personal life. 

• Whining about your current role – recruiters could perceive your negative comments about your present job as a problematic attitude and a bad work ethic. It also suggests the idea that your priority is to run from your current position, rather than applying because of your genuine interest in the role you’re being interviewed for. 

• Rewording your CV – the recruiter invited you to an interview after screening through your CV. It is, therefore, best to engage them with fresh details so they can get a clearer picture of who you are. 

Try to answer as directly as you can! You want to be able to be straightforward and highlight your best self so as to grab your employer’s attention as fast as possible.