How to Answer “Tell me about yourself” Interview Question

Your answer to this common interview question could be the difference between a pass or a fail. In this very important job interview article, you will learn how to Answer Tell Me About Yourself in an Interview.

If you have a job interview coming up soon for any role or any organization, make sure you read this article very well because it will give you the best answer to this interview question, “Tell Me About Yourself”.

Whenever you attend an interview, either face to face or online, the first thing they will say to you is “Tell Me About Yourself”. Before we deal with the best answer to use when answering this first interview question, “Tell Me About Yourself”, below are three really important tips to note.

How to Answer “Tell me about yourself” Interview Question

To help you answer the interview question, this article will cover the following three things:

5 top tips for answering the interview question, Tell me about yourself.

4 words and phrases you can incorporate into your response to the interview question, Tell me about yourself that are guaranteed to impress the hiring manager.

Brilliant answer to this interview question, Tell me about yourself, which you can easily replicate in your own interview.

5 TOP TIPS FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTION, TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF IN A JOB INTERVIEW

TIP 1: Keep your answer ‘work-related’ and don’t talk about what you do outside of work. If they want to know this information, they will ask you the question, what are your hobbies and interests.

TIP 2: Tailor your answer to the role you are applying for. The best way to do this is to read the JOB DESCRIPTION before your interview. The job description lists the essential skills and qualities needed to perform the role competently.

TIP 3: Structure your answer using the S.E.A.T format. S.E.A.T stands for:

  • S stands for the SKILLS you have relevant to the role.
  • E stands for the EXPERIENCE or EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS you can bring to the position.
  • A stands for any ACHIEVEMENTS you have gained in life so far.
  • T stands for the TYPE of person you are and how you will add value to their company.

Before you go into your interview, whether it’s a face to face interview or it is online, remember the S.E.A.T format when answering the question, “Tell me about yourself.”

Start to speak about the skills and the qualities you had, that matched the job description. Then go ahead to give them a little bit of information about the experiences you had that you felt would be of benefit to their company. Then finish off and told them to type of person you are and how you will help them to achieve their commercial objectives.

If you want to, you can expand on the experience part and you can include details about your educational qualifications and also about any courses you have attended. But don’t forget, they should have your resume or your CV in front of them, so they can ask you about those as the interview progresses.

TIP 4: Make sure you PRACTICE your answer to the question tell me about yourself before you attend your interview. This is going to be the first question they will ask you. If you answer it well, it sets you up with confidence for the rest of your interview and it goes a long way to making a positive first impression.

TIP 5: At the very start of your answer, demonstrate good manners. Make sure you thank the interviewer for giving you the opportunity to be interviewed for the position! This helps create a good first impression.

4 WORDS AND PHRASES YOU CAN INCORPORATE INTO YOUR RESPONSE TO THE INTERVIEW QUESTION TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

  1. The first word to use is INDUSTRIOUS. This is such a good word to use when answering the interview question tell me about yourself, because it describes you as someone that is diligent and hard-working.
  2. The second word or phrase to use in your answer to “tell me about yourself” interview question is JOB DESCRIPTION. Make sure you tell the interviewer you have the skills to match the job description. This shows the interviewer you have prepared fully for the interview and you are effectively ‘ready-made’ for the position.
  3. The third word or phrase to use in your answer to “tell me about yourself” interview question is ADD VALUE. When telling the interviewer the type of person you are, say you will always ADD VALUE in the role which means they will see a positive return on their investment if they hire you.
  4. The fourth word or phrase to use in your answer to “tell me about yourself” interview question is HIGH-ACHIEVER. Tell the interviewer you are a high-achiever and someone who always strives to do great things in their work.

How to Answer “Tell me about yourself”

Below are best answers that you can use when answering this first interview question.

Question: “Tell Me About Yourself”

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF SAMPLE ANSWER (OPTION 1):

“First of all, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to be interviewed for this position with your company today. My name is Mark and I would describe myself as an industrious worker and somebody who already has the skills and qualities to match the job description.

Over the years I’ve worked in various roles where the need to collaborate closely with other people was the norm.

I also have the academic background to be able to add value in this position and contribute to your team really quickly.

I believe I am a high achiever and I have always received positive feedback from my managers and supervisors in previous roles.

If you hire me, I will be the type of worker who will always go above and beyond what is expected in my work. I will always embrace change positively and I will make sure you see a positive return on your investment.”

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF SAMPLE ANSWER (OPTION 2):

“Thank you very much for inviting me to be interviewed for this position today. I have applied for this job because I believe the skills, the qualities and the experience I have are a strong match for the job description.

Over the years, I’ve built up lots of skills and qualities that I believe will be of benefit to your organization. I am a very strong team worker and I understand that in order to achieve difficult projects and tasks, you have to work with other people and you have to bring in their skills and experiences.

I am also very good at working on the pressure. I actually prefer to be in situations where the pressure is on, because I believe this is where I am at my best. I am also very good at building up relationships with clients and customers and I feel this will benefit your organization from a commercial perspective.

Highlights of my career include, in particular, in my last role, I was praised by my manager for working as part of a team that managed to increase company sales by twenty five percent. So I am very focused on achieving difficult tasks and projects that are aligned to your strategic objectives.

 I am the type of person who will work hard. I will never let you down and I will always act as a positive role model when dealing with your customers and clients. If you hire me in this position, you will quickly see a positive return on your investment”.

There’s brilliant example answer to the difficult interview question, “Tell me about yourself” that you can use in any job interview.

In Summary

Whenever you attend an interview, either face to face or online, the first thing they will say to you is “Tell Me About Yourself”. The best way to answer this interview question is to make sure you clearly explain your Skills, Qualities and Experiences that matched the job description.

Now, there are other top interview questions that I recommend you to prepare for also, for all job interviews. Please CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE to get the full detailed answers to these Interview Questions and more.

Thank you so much for reading this article and I wish you all the best for passing your interview.

by Scholars Hub

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