How to answer the Interview Question, Tell me about yourself?

Tell me about yourself is the most common question you will find in an interview. 

Here is your first opportunity to start connecting with the Interviewer and make a big impact. 

Why is this question being asked? 

• It is an easier question to answer and gets the candidate to open up. 

• They want to get to know you in context for the role.

• Is your opportunity to showcase your key selling points why are you qualified for this job.

Here are Steps to follow:

• Grab their attention up front.  

• Share 2-4 highlights or accomplishments which is something you did above and beyond.  It should not be a summary of your job duties.  Keep the highlights very business outcome based. 

• Managed key accounts. Versus. Managed 5 key accounts which produced $100,000 in new business. 

• Focus on your professional experience and skills which are relevant for the job. 

• Your answer should be 2 minutes or less. 

• It is a helicopter view of your resume. 

• Make sure you have carefully read the job description and picked up the key words 

that they have used to describe the role.  

For example, here are key words for a Sales Role:

Account Management | Business Development | Channel Management | C-Level Presentations | Competitive Analysis | Consultative Selling | Contract Negotiation | Cross-Selling | Up-Selling | Customer Retention | Deal Negotiation and Closing | Lead Management | Market Analysis | Marketing Management | Post-Sales Support | Product Development | Product Lifecycle Management | Prospect Qualifying | Prospecting | Cold Calling | Relationship Management | RFP, RFI & Bid Preparation | Sales & Marketing Strategizing | Sales Cycle Management | Sales Forecasting & Budgeting | Sales Management | Strategic Alliance Development | Territory Management | Product Training | Key Accounts | Sales Proposals | Leads | Sales Materials

Use these key words while describing your experience. This makes you 

look like a domain expert. 

For more examples of key words across jobs, visit our website USpeeknow.com.

• Use reverse chronological order in sharing the breadth and depth of your experience, which means start from your most recent job and go backwards.

• We recommend the following sequence: PPF 

1. P = Present

Talk about your current role. Pick up elements which are most pertinent to the job for which you are applying. Remember to use key words.

2. P= Past

Describe how you got here, a little bit about your past role(s) and talk about some experience that would be fitting to the current job.

3. F = Future

Lead now into what you want to do next, why this position excites you and how the current this job and company are aligned with your aspirations.

• Write bullet points for each section of the PPF model. 

• Practice but also leave room for making it conversational.

• Many of you think that by just listening to the video it prepares you.  But what you need to do is to jot down key bullet points. Give yourself the opportunity to prepare and think about the apt answers. Then, practice a few times. 

What you don’t want to do while answering this question:

1. Most people begin in a chronological order from their first job. That is where they lose the Interviewer. What this person is interested in most is your current role and achievements and not something years ago.  

2. Avoid sharing details about your personal life, kids, hobbies, dislikes and likes.   Remember, THIS IS A JOB INTERVIEW and you have only 30-60 minutes to be assessed if you are the best fit for the role.

3. Going backwards more than 8-10 years in work experience.  Beyond 10 years, the work experience has become less relevant. If you are a college student, most high school activities that you did are outdated.

4. At times, there is a past accomplishment of which you are passionate and proud. Without realizing, you spend too much time talking about it. It appears you are still stuck in the past.

5. Going into too much depth. It bores the Interviewer.

Here is an example of a Technology Project Manager answering this question.

Technology Project Manager Role

Less Effective Example 

I have always been really interested in computers since I was in school. My parents wanted me to follow their footsteps. I completed my Computer Science Degree from Capitol University.  I started as a Developer with Digital Technology for 4 years. For the past 3 years, I have managed a project team at High Technology. I play football on the weekend and am married.

What could this person have done better?

• There is personal information which is not relevant to the job. 

• He does not talk adequately about his professional experience.

• I used too many times.

• Is chronological. However, he should start with the present job first and go in reverse order.

• You have a limited amount of time to answer this question, and you want to showcase your most impactful professional experience.

More Effective Example.

(P = Present)

Over the last 3 years at High Technology, I have worked on 13 Projects and won 2 awards on timely project execution and quality of work delivered. I am well versed in HTML, Java, and JQuery. I have managed a team of five developers. Team Building is one of my fortes. 

(P = Past)

After completing my Degree in Computer Science from Capitol University, I worked for 4 years with Digital Technology. There, I learned the importance of getting the customer requirements right. Paying attention to detail in a project management goes a long way in delivering quality output.  

(F= Future)

I aspire to become a Senior Project Manager.  Am confident about my technical lead knowledge and team management experience. I am eager to work on cutting edge technologies that your company is using.

----------------------------------------------------

What is good about this example?

• Shared at a high-level relevant job experience.

• He followed the PPF model. 

• Job Experience is getting highlighted with data which is powerful.

• Matching job Key Words used such as HTML, JavaScript, JQuery, team building, project execution, customer requirements, detail oriented, quality output, 

• Important job skills are described which is an attention grabber.

• He is showing excitement for the new role and establishing a connect with what he aspires to do. 

Digital Marketing & Design Role

Less Effective Example 

I think I am very creative. As a child, I painted a lot and won many awards in school and college. I was very happy when I got into design. I have been working for seven years now in graphic design. I am so thankful that I get to go to work every day and do something that I love.

More Effective Example.

(P = Present)

I really enjoyed working on Design projects in Digital Marketing.  I have worked as a lead designer for Startup Force for 3 years. We started a marketing campaign for a key customer. I oversaw graphic design for the website, advertising, presentations & logos. The traffic on the site grew by 30% and the revenue by 15%. It was a great learning experience.

(P = Past)

I graduated from college with a master’s degree in digital marketing. During my internship, I worked with an online retailer and launched two marketing campaigns which were focused on Facebook and YouTube. We were able to get a conversation rate of 7% as compared to the industry average of 4%. 

(F= Future)

I am excited about this role as it would offer me the opportunity to gain more digital experience and work across multiple platforms on social media.

For key words for job roles, more examples and an interview preparation worksheet, visit our website USpeeknow.com.  

You can also upload your mock interview answer to this question and get instant feedback.