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How to answer interview questions “about yourself”
8 min read | Marc Burrage | Article | | Interview advice
Even if you like talking about yourself, it’s not fun in an interview situation. Read our tips to come up with a perfect answer to this trickiest of interview questions.
Answering questions about yourself sounds like the easiest part of an interview, doesn’t it. After all, you’re an expert in the subject. However, quite a lot can go wrong at this stage. This is often the first question an interviewer will ask, and your answer will inform their first impression of you. Also, a slip up here can increase your nervousness and derail your flow for the rest of the interview.
Getting the “about you” interview questions right is an important moment. Done well you can set yourself up for a smoother, more confident performance. To help, we’ve put together some advice on how to get the most value from this open goal of a question.
First things first, ensure your answer is structured. This will ensure you cover all of the relevant points, without waffle. A structured response will keep your interviewer engaged in your personal story.
By its very nature, the parameters of “tell me about yourself” are very broad. The open-ended question can prompt candidates to overwhelm the interviewer with details, from their first school to their weekend hobbies. However, the interviewer is really looking for some specific information. They want to know about:
So, with that in mind, let’s look at how you can and should use each point to promote yourself as a candidate?
Begin with a brief overview. Ensure you only include the experiences and qualifications which relate directly to the role, as opposed to mentioning a Saturday job you had when you were 15. For example, if you were applying for a role of senior digital marketing executive, your overview may look something like this:
“I am a business management graduate with a Masters in Digital Marketing. Since leaving university I have enjoyed a two year marketing career within the sports industry.”
This answer outlines only the educational and career history which could be useful for the role. By being concise and to the point, you keep the interviewer engaged and ready to hear your next point.
It’s now time to talk about the expertise you have developed so far in your education and career. Again, you should focus primarily on the qualities that would benefit the role you are interviewing for. For instance:
“During my time in this industry so far, I have been able to apply what I learnt during my Master’s, whilst further building on my digital marketing expertise.”
You must also be able to support this part of your answer with measurable examples, such as:
“I believe that my digital marketing skills are best showcased in an email marketing campaign I recently led. It resulted in a 10% increase in conversion rates.”
After this stage of your answer, you should have provided an overview of your relevant educational and professional background, and offered examples of key skills, expertise, and the evidence to back it all up.
To conclude telling the interviewer “about yourself”, it’s time to clarify your career ambitions and what you want from the role.
It can be tempting to speak too much about the reasons you wish to leave your current employer. Instead, focus on succinctly explaining why you want this new role, at this organisation. The golden rule for answering point three is to be positive and focused on the opportunity in hand. For example:
“My previous organisation helped me develop the digital skills I have today. However, I believe that for the sake of progressing further, it’s now time to move on. I am looking for a more challenging role within a fast-paced global organisation. Ideally, a role with plenty of room to grow as a marketing professional. That is why I was so pleased to be invited to interview for this role.”
Now you understand the specific content to cover when answering this question, it’s time to think about the language you use. Keep your words simple and, where possible, use action verbs to better distinguish your skills. Action verbs infer leadership, drive and confidence. These are qualities that you want an interviewer to associate with you.
With preparation you will be able to quash nervous verbal tics or negative body language. It is a good idea to practise answering this question in front of the mirror, to a camera, or with someone you trust to give honest feedback.
Taking each of these golden rules into consideration - an ideal answer to “tell me about yourself” might sound a something like this:
“During my time in this industry so far, I have been able to apply what I learnt during my Master’s, whilst further building on my digital marketing expertise. I believe that my digital marketing skills are best showcased in an email marketing campaign I recently led. It resulted in a 10% increase in conversion rates.”
If you are looking for more interview tips, check out some other interview-focused blogs:
Marc Burrage is the Regional Managing Director for Hays Asia.
Marc joined Hays in 2012 and was asked to head up the Hays Talent Solutions business in Asia, before being appointed Managing Director for Hays Japan in 2015. In this role, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations and growth of the Japanese business across all specialisms, supplying permanent, executive search, temporary, contract and onsite solutions. In September 2019, he was appointed Managing Director of Hays Poland.
Marc has broad industry and functional expertise, with a proven track record of continued success and has led and grown businesses in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Prior to working in the recruitment industry Marc held various sales and marketing management positions in the automotive industry. He was a board member for the Leadership Institute of New Zealand and studied strategy at Ashridge International Business School.
