How to answer the dreaded “So, tell me about yourself!” in an interview

It should be easy to answer- after all, you know everything about yourself. You’re the #1 expert! Yet this common question tends to stump the best of us when we’re asked on the spot. Thankfully, you’re going to show up prepared because you took initiative to read this blog. You’re already off to a better start than most! With a little bit of guidance, you’ll soon see how this question is actually a great opportunity to steer the conversation to your advantage.

It’s important to first understand the reasoning behind the question. Yes, it’s a way to ease into the interview before getting into the more challenging questions. But it also sets a foundation to get a grasp of the person behind the resume. You can help the interviewer by following this outline:

Current role: Discuss accomplishments and anything that relates to the position you’re pursuing

Past experience: What lead you to the path you’re on today

Future goals: Finish by letting them know why you want this position, how it relates to your goals, and why you think this would be a good fit.

This will provide the interviewer with a well rounded view of who you are as a professional. Granted, a good deal of this will already be on your resume, but don’t let that stop you from elaborating a little more, even if you feel like you’re repeating information. A resume is not very dynamic, and it helps to hear you give some details in this response.

Here are a few tips on how to tailor your answer:

1. Keep it brief

As with all answers you give, you’ll still want to remain rather brief with your responses, so don’t take more than a couple minutes. They will surely be going by a 30min or 1hr schedule at most, so if they want you to go deeper, you can be assured they will ask if needed

2. Make 3 bullet points. 

You can briefly write out what you want to say, but note a few phrases that will keep your mind on track so nerves don’t get in the way. I did this myself last week, for a much more casual “tell me about yourself” ice breaker on a team we’ve been on for months. I wrote “AmeriCorps” (my last job) “6 years” (current job tenure) “off and on” (told them I had cancer so I’ve been in and out) and lastly “art” and brought up my Etsy store and IG for my art. I didn’t look at my notes, but I read them a couple times days prior. I spoke for about 2 minutes, and went into more detail as my coworkers showed interest in particular things I said. This grouping technique is also used in speech therapy for people suffering from cognitive challenges, so it’s proven to work!

3. Know your audience

Your response may vary depending on who you’re speaking to. In the early stages, you’re likely to speak with a recruiter who may not be familiar with technical skills, abbreviations, or day to day tasks of the role. In this case, you’ll want to speak as you would to a general audience at a networking event. If you’re speaking to the hiring manager, who may or may not be your potential supervisor, you’ll probably want to go deeper into some of those hard skills. And if you’re speaking with a founder, or someone in C suite, you’ll want to touch on the company mission.

Here’s an example I would use if I were looking for a recruiting role with higher level candidates (which I do plan to pursue if the right time comes). “I’ve been on RPO with this company for 6 years, and I have truly enjoyed interviewing candidates and screening their resumes. Since college I have conducted professional interviews with student organizations, internships, and my last job at AmeriCorps. I feel I have reached a peak with class requisitions, and I’m eager to work with higher level candidates, whether in RPO or search. The past few years, I have provided freelance resume consulting services, and have received positive feedback from all of my clients, many who are high achieving job seekers.” (Nice! Now I have a template to use for later!)

Would personalized services make this process a whole lot easier? You can checkout all the available products under the “services” page here on this website. There, you can also instantly download my resume guide + bonus interview guide or find it in the top right corner of the webpage on desktop. If you still aren’t sure, you can email me your resume to hello@resumeresolved.com for a free consult.

All the best!

Kristina,

Resume Resolved