Struggling with "Tell Me About Yourself" in Interviews? Let's Discuss How to Nail It

Dear HR Experts,

I want to inquire about something from all of you. In an interview, the first question is: "Tell me something about yourself?" It seems very simple but is actually a difficult question. How can we start answering this question? What should we include in our response? On this site, I have read many things about this question, but nothing is satisfactory. If we can't start by telling our name, how should we manage this question?

I am waiting for your reply.

Thank you.

Regards,
Annu

Hi Annu,

The following points are appropriate for the question "Tell me something about yourself":

1. Your qualifications, starting from your degree and where you studied.
2. Your present job status.
3. Your work history prior to your present job.
4. Your core competency.
5. How you believe you are a good fit for the position you are interviewing for.
6. A brief overview of your parents, siblings, their occupations, etc.

(If you are a fresher, omit points 2 and 3)

Hello,

Almost everything is covered, but in my opinion, the answer to the introduction question should start with No. 6 as mentioned above.

Regards,
Vipul Parmar

It's a very simple question, nothing serious is required to be very serious. Generally, recruiters ask questions so that you can feel comfortable. The recruiter wants to know something about yourself, your character, behavior, attitude, and your way of responding to the questions, which is very important.

Dear Sir,

: Beware; about 80% of all interviews begin with this “innocent” question. Many candidates, unprepared for the question, skewer themselves by rambling, recapping their life story, delving into ancient work history or personal matters.
BEST ANSWER: Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position. Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in job hunting.
So, before you answer this or any question it's imperative that you try to uncover your interviewer's greatest need, want, problem or goal.
To do so, make you take these two steps:

1. Do all the homework you can before the interview to uncover this person's wants and needs (not the generalized needs of the industry or company)
2. As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more complete description of what the position entails. You might say: “I have a number of accomplishments I'd like to tell you about, but I want to make the best use of our time together and talk directly to your needs. To help me do, that, could you tell me more about the most important priorities of this position? All I know is what I (heard from the recruiter, read in the classified ad, etc.)”
Then, ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly, third question, to draw out his needs even more. Surprisingly, it's usually this second or third question that unearths what the interviewer is most looking for.
You might ask simply, "And in addition to that?..." or, "Is there anything else you see as essential to success in this position?:
This process will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier simply to answer questions, but only if you uncover the employer's wants and needs will your answers make the most sense. Practice asking these key questions before giving your answers, the process will feel more natural and you will be light years ahead of the other job candidates you're competing with.
After uncovering what the employer is looking for, describe why the needs of this job bear striking parallels to tasks you've succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with specific examples of your responsibilities and especially your achievements, all of which are geared to present yourself as a perfect match for the needs he has just described.

Thanks & Regards

Prasad.Aravilli

Yes, I also agree.

Start with your family background, religion, and where you belong to... and then proceed as mentioned earlier.

Note: This question serves the following common intentions:
1. To relax the person and involve them in the interview.
2. To check the communication skills of the candidate.
3. To observe body language.
4. To assess presentation skills.

Regards,
Gaurav

Hi,

Hey, I don't think that you should start with your family background first as this is typically the first question they ask in an interview. Start by talking about yourself, then about your family. You should mention your name, qualifications, work experience (if any), your strengths, your interests, and your goals – what you want to achieve in life. Lastly, briefly mention your family. This question has been asked many times, so you can use the search tab above for more information.

Please correct me, seniors, if I am wrong.

Regards,
Sanam

Friends,

I have asked myself this question in many interviews. The resume and structured application forms provided by many industries bring out all information. What is not known is "what areas this person is good at?". So, the reason for the popular question is to find out what further questions I can ask this person.

The interviewer is not an expert in all areas, so he lets you talk to find out "what he knows in what you know".

In fact, this is the way to let the interviewer understand the area of common interest. Jocularly, I teach my students to handle this question as follows: plant keywords that would interest the interviewer to come up with the next question (for which you already know the answer). Some examples:
1. If you know chess and are attending a leadership position, then say, "I learned a lot of leadership strategies from chess."
2. If you are thorough in your UG project work, then drop it as "I was so interested in the environment that I did my UG project in that area."
3. If you are attending an interview for a quality job, then describe how you handled quality in various walks of life, that you are well-versed in ISO 9000, six sigma, etc.

Naturally, when you drop in technical words, the interview is expected to start moving in that direction. So, "tell me about yourself" is "the interviewer's search for what you know". Help him ask worthwhile questions that you can answer well by planting suitable keywords in your answer to this first question. All the best.

Dear Anu,

Today, the interview is not the selection process but the shortlisting or rejecting process so that one can get the right candidate for the specific position. The interviewer has the resume of the interviewee in his/her hand but still wants to hear from the interviewee regarding himself/herself because the interviewer wants to know the interviewee's thought process and more about his/her personality. Today, the best candidate is the one who can handle pressure and deliver results.

Therefore, first of all:

1) Start with your name.
2) Then mention your work experience, if any.
3) Mention your educational qualifications.
4) Next, talk about your hobbies.
5) Finally, share some details about your family.

Now, the question arises: Why in the above order only?

1) To assess how confidently you introduce yourself (your name should sound confident, not nervous).
2) To evaluate if your work experience aligns with the challenges of the specific position.
3) To determine if you meet the requirements for the particular designation.
4) To understand your personality type based on your hobbies - whether you are outgoing or introverted.
5) To gain insight into your family background.

By asking just one question in this format, the interviewer can grasp the candidate's thought process and use it as a foundation for further questions.

Regards,
Shivani.

Hi,

The question "Tell me something about yourself" is not so simple.

Actually, through this question, the interviewer wants to understand your approach and how systematic you are.

When giving the answer, you should follow the following steps:

1. Tell your name, date of birth, and birthplace.
2. Discuss your family (father, mother, brothers, and sisters), their names, qualifications, and professions.
3. Detail your educational background starting from the early days when you learned about colors, ABCD, numerics, etc.; followed by 10th, 12th, Graduation, and so on. Also, describe any extracurricular activities during school or college.
4. Explain why you chose these courses.
5. Share how you obtained your first job, what your profile was, why you left, and why you joined another company before your current job.
6. Talk about your hobbies.
7. Mention your strengths and weaknesses, along with the steps you are taking to overcome your weaknesses.

Actually, this is an open-ended question, and the interviewer wants to know more than what you have mentioned in your CV.

Please do take this question lightly.

Amatya

Hi Annu,

Very specific to your question: I'm a [insert professional qualification or graduation], and I specialize in [mention your areas of interest with regard to the present job proposal]. I'm presently working for [company name] as [designation]. The roles of this position are[list in an order that is appropriate to your job]. Prior to this, I was working for [company name & designation].

Points to remember:
- No personal info required unless specifically asked for.
- No details required except your present employment unless asked for.
- Try to showcase that you are the right candidate for this job.
- Try to relate each previous job (It might be helpful for the very next question: why are you looking for a change).
- They only need your qualification, work experience, skills, specializations, and how you believe that you would be the right fit for this job. Nothing more is required.

Best,
Jay
jayachandrans13@gmail.com

Hi,

I fully agree with Prasad. He explained very nicely. One thing I would like to add is about your eye-to-eye contact and body language. When answering, you should be very confident, maintain eye contact, and be mindful of your body gestures.

Best of luck.

Rajesh Auchare
Happy Thought - System for Wisdom

Great answer, Anshuman.

What I think is that this is really more of a request than a question. These few words can put you on the spot in a way no question can. Many quickly lose control of the interview during the most critical time - the first five minutes.

This is not the time to go into a lengthy history or wander off in different directions. Your response should be focused and purposeful. Communicate a pattern of interests and skills that relate to the position in question. Consider your response to this question as a commercial that sells your autobiography. Provide an answer that includes information about where you grew up, where you went to school, your initial work experience, additional education and special training, where you are now, and what you intend to do next.

One of the most effective ways to prepare for this question is to develop a 60-second biographic sketch that emphasizes a pattern of interests, skills, and accomplishments. Focus your response around a common theme related to your major interests and skills. Take, for example, the following response, which emphasizes computers.

In my words, my answer would be:

"I was born in Gurgaon, Haryana, and attended Gurgaon High School. Ever since I was a teenager, I tinkered with computers. It was my hobby, my passion, and my way of learning. By the time I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to study computer software programming. From that point on, everything fell into place.

My life revolved around computing. I then went on to teach myself programming basics and other software such as C, C++, Oracle, V.Besic. I have done three years of Diploma from NIIT, Gurgaon-122001.

I am prepared to answer any questions you may have about my education and experience."

Hello,

Please find below the information you requested:

1. Name: I am Madan Mohan Verma.
2. Age: I am 28 years old.
3. Qualification.
4. Experience: I have four and a half years of experience.
5. Current Company Name: I have been working with "Company Name" since 11th Jan. 2006.
6. Job Profile.
7. Family Background.
8. Strengths and Weaknesses (not mandatory).
9. Hobbies.

They will only evaluate your communication and communication skills as this is the only question to identify your skills.

That's all.

Regards,
Madan Mohan Verma
09818584310

Hello,

I am still a student, and this question is the most common in interviews. Basically, you can answer this question with information not covered in your resume. There would be many aspects you could mention, like experiences where you felt capable and that demonstrate your strengths and abilities. Use this as a guide to shape your interview. For example, in HR, you could discuss participating in a festival. Even if you didn't win, you could share your experience of managing your team and handling tasks.

Dear All,

Let's answer this question pragmatically. Let's first understand why this question is asked. Like someone aptly said, it's trying to put you at ease and also know a few things about you. These few things are:

1. Your family background

2. Your confidence levels

3. Your communication patterns (both verbal and non-verbal) and body language as well

4. Your articulation, expression, and presentation abilities

5. Your suitability and adaptability to the role being offered

6. Your consistency

Let me also tell you how you can answer this. It can be answered in two parts:

1. Personal

2. Professional

Personal

Start with politeness by thanking them for the time given to talk.

Tell them your family size and where you figure in the list and from where you hail (don't start the conversation by saying "My name is..." remember they already know your name).

Tell them what your Mom & Dad do (for God's sake, if your mom is a housewife, don't use words like homemaker, housekeeper, keeper of the house, or any other flamboyant words. Just say "She does not work anywhere" or simply say "She is a housewife").

Tell them what your brothers and sisters are doing (if you have any).

Professional

Tell them why you are suitable for the job in terms of your qualifications and hands-on experience.

Tell them your achievements in your earlier stints in a similar role.

Tell them the importance of your role as a contributory entity to the organization.

Never mention your caste, creed, or religion in the interview and also in your resume.

These are a few important aspects to keep in mind.

Be careful if you are weak in English and the interviewer wants to speak to you only in English.

Later, I will let you know how to face such situations.

Sudhakar

Hello friends,

Thank you, each one of you, for trying to explain to us, freshers, the importance of the questions asked during the interview. This is really helpful for us, at least for me, to prepare myself confidently for any interview hereafter.

Always be in contact and give us guidance. First of all, thanks to Anu for the question and then to all who have answered.

Well, dude, there is nothing difficult in introducing yourself. When a new friend meets you, what you will do is explain everything, starting with your name, place, studies, and job.

In interviews, we professionally add details of education and job description, along with hobbies. You just need to know what the company is up to before going and the role you are applying for, so it makes your way easier to answer tough questions.

Prepare for additional questions like:
1) What was your role in the previous organization?
2) What is the reason for leaving the previous organization?
3) What tools or applications were used?

Regarding your family background, it is unnecessary information you are providing. Personal information is about you, not your family. What are you thinking? What do you want to become? How would you work to achieve it?

So, in this round, you are the teller and the one listening, so speak as much as you can and avoid things you should not tell (like loopholes of the previous organization). Always present yourself in a positive light; if asked about negatives, turn them into positives to create a good impression.

Moreover, tell everything from present to past. For example, start from post-graduation to 10th class, not the other way around.

Dear HR Experts/All Cite Members,

I want to know something from all of you. In an interview, the first question is, "TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF?" It seems simple but is a difficult question. How can we start answering this question? What should we include?

On this site, I have read many things about this question, but nothing is satisfactory. If we can't start by telling our name, how should we manage this question?

Looking forward to your reply.

Thank you.

Regards,

Annu

Dear Paddu,

There is a saying in English, "Tell me who your friends are, I will tell you who you are"; similarly, "A tree is known by its fruit," and vice versa. The three most important factors of socialization are the family, school, and peer group. Hence, it is imperative that you talk about your family. If there is nothing worthwhile to talk about, then keep quiet. It's all situational. For example, both my parents have been IAS officers, and mentioning them has always given me a cutting edge over others. Of course, taking it for granted that you are smart too!

Don't get carried away by the DOCOMO advertisement, wherein the guy gets a job despite knowing nothing. It doesn't happen in real life!

Cheers!
Sudhakar

Hi there,

I started working as a secretary in 1996 for a bank for 8 years, of which 5 years were spent in the HR department. I gained enough exposure to HR issues related to recruitment, payment, benefits, training, and development.

I then moved to the petroleum sector and worked as an assistant Training Officer for 2 years. Following that, I transitioned to the IT authority where I am currently working as an HR specialist with a focus on training and development.

As of January 2010, I am an Administration Specialist. My total working experience is 14 years.

"Tell me about yourself…" is a very common question asked by the interviewer. You may wonder why he is asking this question despite the resume being open in front of him. The trick lies here. Those who want to ace the question will come up with something not mentioned in their resumes. The most important objective is to judge your personality, as it will have an impact on your work and work environment.

The interviewer may ask this question for the following reasons:
• Make you feel at ease
• Judge your personality
• Explore your interests, likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc.
• Gain an idea about your values, family background, and culture.
• Understand your mentality, which will influence your job role.
• Know your ambitions, career aspirations, how big you dream, and how determined you are about your goals.

Though it may seem easy, it is tough to explore your own mind. The main focus is on organizing your answer. You may share every detail about yourself, but if unprepared, you may present it haphazardly, leaving the interviewer confused. You have to create a lasting impression through this answer. It is your first meeting with your interviewer, so your answer should make him remember you. You have to seize the opportunity to talk about your personality and introduce 'yourself' to the interviewer, which can benefit his company. Your answer should include:
• Brief introduction about you, your family, and your residential place
• Your educational/professional background and your most important achievement
• Your interests, your hobbies (mention those aligning with the job position)
• Your career goals

SAMPLE ANSWER: I am Anuj Sharma from Kolkata, which people call the 'city of joy'. I belong to a well-respected family. My father works for VSNL as a Senior Manager. I have completed my B.Tech in IT from NIT, Durgapur, securing 87% in my last semester. Computers interest me greatly, leading me to choose IT in Engineering. I have won numerous prizes and awards in debates, tech quizzes, etc. During my leisure hours, I enjoy listening to music and solving Sudoku puzzles. I am also keen on computer games, exploring codes and attempting to create my own games. I have been appreciated by my professors for my effort, performance, commitment, and dedication. Certain skills like convincing and interpersonal skills make me popular wherever I go. I aim to be a part of a reputable IT company where I can demonstrate my value.

Hi all,

I appreciate the comments of all the fellow HR professionals on this site. Here is what I feel: most of the time, the candidate is a stranger to the interviewer. Just think, if you meet a stranger professionally and engage in casual conversation, what would you like to know about them? Just prepare for those questions. There is no need to share all high-funda things about yourself because recruiters are tired of hearing similar exaggerated answers.

This question might have been asked to make the candidate feel comfortable, but some surveys suggest that the interviewer makes their decision in the first 10 minutes of the discussion. It always comes down to the effect of the first impression. Additionally, in the interview process, similar questions are often asked, but answers should vary from individual to individual.

I would appreciate your views.

Thanks,
Santosh

You need to tell interviewers briefly your names and value proposition to the company. When I was still looking for jobs, I would use the following lines and they always made a good impression on the panel members:

"I am Mustapha Mugisa. I am one of those rare people who can say I am a human resource professional, team player, and business development consultant and mean it. I hold a Master of Business Administration majoring in Human Resources and have worked for XX company for three years, where I initiated a human resource deployment matrix and improved performance. I believe in teamwork and employee empowerment. My qualifications and experience are suited for this job."

Note that employers are interested in assessing your ability to do the job, other than your university, primary, or secondary school! Or even about your parents unless you have some relationship with Gandhi M or along those lines. Focus on summarizing your CV in three to four sentences that show your suitability for the job and stop. Let the panel ask about your parents' names or your former schools or any other personal issues. The rule of thumb is anything written in your CV is not of interest to the panelist. Be original and focus on showing how you are mature, how you have experience and skill to do the job better than anyone else, how you have done it in the past e.g. my statement "I have worked for XX company for 3 years where I initiated an HR deployment matrix." If this is the company's problem [and you need to research to know what their present problem(s) are so that you hit the nail on the head], you will get the job. Assured. Mustapha Mugisa, mmugisa@summitcl.com, Welcome to Summit Business Review - the leading business & finance magazine or Welcome to Summit Consulting Ltd or +2456712984585 Kampala Uganda.

1. We have to think "why the question is asked to the candidate" even though most of the things are already mentioned in the resume.

2. You should only say what the interviewer wants to hear from you.

3. The first question leads you to the next question; otherwise...

4. Before answering anything, you must be aware of the required candidate profile, nature of the job, job responsibilities, company profile, salary range, location of the vacancy, and whether you are a fit for representing the company and the position. If you have a deep understanding, you will speak confidently. An interview is nothing but selling your qualities tactfully.

You might have heard of the famous singer "MUKESH" and his song:
“JO TUMKO HAI PASAND WAHI BAT KARUNGA, TUM DIN KO AGAR RAT KAHO TO RAT KAHUNGA”
Remember to only say "what the interview wants to hear and search from you."

L.C. Pant
Author of "THE EMPLOYMENT ABILITY"

I am a student, yet I have faced this question several times in my interviews. Just one simple concept to answer the question - what I was told about is just be true to yourself, do not try to bluff. The answer you give may pave the way to several other questions, so be firm and know what you are saying. Say it with full confidence.

Understanding the Importance of Self-Introduction in Interviews

This seems to be a 'simple question' to many, but it has high relevance in the aspect of human psychology.

First of all, let us all understand that everyone on this planet is very unique and original. Secondly, every person has to love or like themselves; otherwise, you cannot love others. Thirdly, it is of utmost importance that we should be more knowledgeable about ourselves than anybody else is about us.

The question is aimed at getting individuals to talk about themselves in order to provide the best answer and also to create a comfort zone for the candidate. This is a fundamental concept that every HR professional should understand. HRM needs to study the reactions of the candidates but should not form a judgment. However, if the fundamentals are explained, the results will be amazing. HR professionals can try.

Being a CEO of a medium-sized organization, I have tried this, and I have seen good results.

Regards,
AVS