How to answer 鈥淭ell me about yourself鈥� in an interview
Tell me about yourself? It seems such an innocuous question, designed to break the ice and put you at ease before the real interview starts. Well don鈥檛 be fooled! This question has the potential to win or lose the day, so don鈥檛 sleepwalk into disaster by taking the wrong approach. Plan your strategy beforehand鈥�.
What do they want to know?
There is purpose behind every question, so you can be pretty certain the interviewer is asking with intent. What they鈥檙e looking for is a sense of who you are, the person behind the interview mask. It鈥檚 also a good way to see how you respond to such an open, unstructured question. All too often candidates prepare for the very specific questions around job and role, but fail to tackle the broader topics with quite the same diligence.
Many employers will note how confident and articulate you appear, which points you choose to emphasise and how you build rapport. Your response will set the tone for the remainder of the interview; you want to engage the interviewer and whet their appetite for what鈥檚 to come.
A word of warning: this is not an open invitation to share your life story. It鈥檚 not a cosy fireside chat 鈥� be aware of time and place. You are in complete control of the narrative, so think trailer not director鈥檚 cut!
The wrong direction
There are a number of ways you can take a wrong turn with this question. A pretty common mistake is to look bemused and ask, 鈥�What do you want to know?鈥� Not only can this sound (unintentionally) confrontational, but it can make you seem woefully ill prepared.
Many candidates 鈥� perhaps overcome with nerves 鈥� interpret this question literally, and start rambling ad nauseam about any and everything. It鈥檚 pretty common to hear something like this:
I鈥檓 a final year politics student at X University and staying on campus this year in a house-share with four friends. I鈥檝e lived in London all my life and have a really great social life, which I鈥檝e been able to continue as a student. I鈥檝e got lots of different interests and belong to loads of societies. I particularly enjoy travelling and had a Gap Year in Thailand and Vietnam before I started here. I鈥檝e seen a lot of Southeast Asia now. Last year I travelled round Europe and also completed an internship, so it was pretty hectic. My boyfriend has just secured a job with Y Company so I鈥檓 really keen to stay in London and develop my career here.
This might seem a perfectly reasonable response to the question, but it doesn鈥檛 stand up to close scrutiny 鈥� it lacks purpose, focus and any attempt to align skills, interests and experience to the job role. There鈥檚 no sense of coherence and the balance of personal to 鈥榩rofessional鈥� is skewed. On hearing this, the interviewer may be thinking:
- Can this individual focus and commit? They seem to be pretty vague on the details 鈥� is there any evidence of follow through? How long have they been doing x or y?
- There are no specifics here 鈥� which societies? What level of responsibility? Any useful skills or experience they could apply?
- Concerns around motivation 鈥� is s/he applying because they need to stay in the area? Does the personal trump the professional?
A better approach
I may be swimming against the tide here, but I鈥檇 caution against using this question as *just* a sales pitch. Not only will your response sound predictable and contrived, but you run the risk of alienating the interviewer within the first few minutes. Do remember, most interviewers will decide within the first few minutes whether they like you or not and 鈥榣ikeability鈥� can often win the day.
Compare this response to the one above and note the difference in content, tone and style:
I鈥檓 in my final year at X University studying politics which has given me a unique opportunity to understand and analyse motivations of groups and individuals and be aware of my responsibilities as an active citizen. I鈥檝e also relished the chance to hone my critical abilities 鈥� although my friends may sometimes disagree! One of the things I鈥檝e enjoyed about university is the chance to broaden my horizons, and try new things. I鈥檝e even become an Exec member of the FilmSoc. This year I interned at a public affairs consultancy and was fortunate to contribute to a high profile campaign, enabling me to consolidate my research and analysis skills. This experience affirmed my desire to pursue a career in this field, which is why I鈥檓 sat here today.
I鈥檓 not suggesting this is a perfect or definitive response but it does hit a number of key points:
- The candidate has summarised their motivation for studying politics and how this contributed to their personal development. They鈥檝e even managed to inject some gentle humour.
- We can tell the individual has made the most of the university experience to stretch and challenge themselves which would translate well to the professional workplace.
- There鈥檚 a strong sense of purpose and career aspiration, and clear evidence of suitability for the role. The candidate articulates this is in a natural and compelling way.
- This answer moves seamlessly from the personal to the professional and the general to the specific.
Why does this work? Because we see a little personality (but not too much), a good smattering of skills and strengths, and a positive attitude brought together in an engaging and coherent manner.
Final tip: don鈥檛 court controversy鈥�.
Always err on the side of caution. An interview is not the time to spark debate or raise contentious issues. When the interviewer asks, 鈥淭ell me about yourself鈥� , take a moment to pause and reflect. Don鈥檛 give them cause to question your values, ethics or commitment. Clich茅d it may be, but you鈥檒l never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Originally published by Helen Stringer
Revised by Student Opportunity in 2025