Interviews: ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ Is A Great Question, This Is How To Answer It
Too many people overlook the power you gain when someone says ‘Tell me about yourself’. ‘Tell me about yourself’ gives you complete control, to communicate who you are, and it is your opportunity to influence the conversation. Not only for job interviews or career networking but throughout our lives.
Some people tell us they are afraid of this question, usually because they don’t know what answer the other person wants to hear but we need you to understand that that is exactly why ‘Tell me about yourself’ is the best question an interviewer can ask you. The opportunity to tell someone about yourself can happen in any situation, sometimes you’re not asked the question directly but you end up answering it.
Most of the people who don’t like this question feel that way because they are not prepared to answer it. Being prepared does not mean you need to memorize a statement or a pitch (unless memorizing it increases your confidence), it means you draft, test, and edit the key points you want to express for the audience you are communicating with. Most importantly, your answer has to be personalized.
Whether you prepare keywords, statements or phrases then practice answering casually (this works best for most people) until you’re confident and comfortable with a few versions you can use or if you draft a few sentences, memorize them, and practice communicating it naturally, as long as you have something prepared you can take advantage of the opportunity.
It is best to have a few templates to answer this question that you draft for different audiences. When you’re prepared, you are confident, you are comfortable and your answer will impact the conversation that follows.
Our coaches work with many clients to empower their voice and build their confidence for job interviews, performance reviews, career transitions, relocations, etc. Communicating effectively and appropriately is not something anyone was taught in school but it is critical to our lives and the relationships we build.
The value and power that comes with being asked this question depends on how it is answered. This question is an opportunity for the candidate to control their answer and create a first impression that is not on their resume or CV.
As interview and communications coaches, we teach interview preparation techniques and have interview practice sessions (or mock interviews) to guide our clients to take the lead in the interviews, be present, calm, and confident. Each Interview is where you begin to build a relationship with the interviewer and communicate your impact. The best interview is a conversation where both people are prepared and actively listening to make the short time you have together meaningful.
Here are 3 examples of how to answer this question. The best response, a great response, and the response that will be a waste of time.
BEST – A sentence about your relevant career experience overall, one concise, specific example that supports your candidacy for the role and something personal that will give you leverage over others and be memorable.
GREAT – Your interest in the team and company and how it connects to the impact you will contribute and one concise, specific example that supports your candidacy for the role and something personal that will give you leverage over others and be memorable.
DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME – Repeating your resume history. It is the interviewer’s responsibility to have reviewed your resume before the interview and/or had a debrief from the recruiter.
TIP: Choosing between the best and the great option often depends on your situation, the role and what you’re trying to communicate.
Do you need help understanding which answer is better for you?
Are you ready to learn the life-long skill of creating your ‘tell me about yourself’ templates?
Are you ready to learn the life-long skill of creating your ‘tell me about yourself’ templates?
BOOK A FREE 1:1 SESSION with one of the Allora coaches and learn more!
Kelly Kugler
Kelly is the Founder of Allora Collective, a career manager with two decades of experience, and a relocation strategist for expats and digital nomads in the US, Europe, and LATAM. After creating talent programs for startups and global companies, including General Assembly, NFL, and Booking.com, she built Allora Collective. She manages the careers of individuals providing one-on-one coaching and partners with companies to customize workshops and coaching packages for their teams.
