How to Answer This Interview Question: Tell Me About Yourself (Smart 2-Part Answer!)

By Laura DeCarlo

While this is often among the first questions asked at the start of the interview, the goal of the interview is not to become best friends.

Their goal is to determine if you are a good fit for their job, so your best strategy is to focus on this employer and your fit for this job.

This is an opportunity to market yourself as a qualified candidate -- presenting yourself as the "solution" (right candidate) to their "problem" (a job to fill).

What You Do NOT Tell Them

I call this question a "spider web" because if you simply tell someone about yourself without planning or context to the target job for which you are there to interview, you could give away all kinds of information that leaves them with the impression that you are:

• Over-qualified
• Under-qualified
• Ditsy or naive
• Unprepared for the interview (so not really very interested)
• Simply a risk for the company

Most people talk about what they know, ramble on about where they live, kids, likes/dislikes, but, remember, THIS IS A JOB INTERVIEW. Sharing details about your personal life is not appropriate or smart.

An employer isn’t going to select to hire you because you have such cute children (causing you to miss work), a wonderful husband or wife (causing you to miss work), or interesting hobbies (causing you to miss work).

Your goal is to avoid answers that give away personal information about yourself, particularly because some of that information might take you off the top-candidates list.

What You DO Tell Them: the Two-Part Answer to Tell Me/Us About Yourself

The best way to answer this question?

Focus on this opportunity! Tell them about your accomplishments and experience that make you an ideal candidate for the job you are seeking.

This is not an invitation to tell your life story or share any secrets about your current or former employers. Put yourself in the employer’s shoes -- what would you want to know if you were them?

Emphasize what will make you stand out as qualified for the company and for the job.

Break your answer to this question into two parts:

1. How/why you are qualified.

Summarize what you have done that qualifies you for this opportunity. Don't recite what is on your resume or job application, but don't assume that the interviewers, who may have been interviewing several candidates, will remember all of your qualifications.

• Start with your current/most recent job, and present the most significant highlights, the ones that would be most relevant to this job. These are the qualifications that make it clear that you are a very good candidate for the job.
• Add other relevant details and accomplishments that demonstrate you are qualified for this position.

MORE: Read top recruiter Jeff Lipschultz's tips for analyzing job descriptions -- 3 Steps to Interview Success: Build Your Interview Checklist.]

2. Why you have applied.

Focus on advancing your career. Stay away from reasons that are not clearly career-related. Emphasize the opportunity to move forward in your career without saying that you are dead-ended in your current job.

Focus on the future -- this opportunity and your career, demonstrating your interest and enthusiasm for the job and the employer:

• This job really interests you because...
• This job is the logical next step for your career.
• This employer is one of the best and a place where you have always wanted to work.

Avoid the purely personal reasons. Do NOT say:

• You want to work closer to home because your kids sometimes get out of school early and you want to be able to be there with them.
• You are too tired from the long commute to enjoy life.
• Your boss is a jerk and you want a better job.

This is where you must tread very carefully and not say anything that might be interpreted as trashing your current/former employer. DO tell them how well you fit, using the 2-part answer, above.

Don't spend more than 30 to 60 seconds answering this question.

Sample Answer

Someone seeking a management position with a local branch of a transportation company might say:

Yes, this person prepared and practiced his response in advance. Smart move!

As you can see from this sample answer, this individual:

• Emphasizes the tangibles that qualify him for the job, from his knowledge of the local area, long-term tenure with the employer, and recognition for management results within the industry.
  
  
  • He does not focus on fluffy stuff or personal information, but paints a picture as to why he is a perfect candidate for the job.
• He also looks forward to advancement in his career, seeking a management position with this new employer.

[MORE: Smart Answers to Interview Questions.]

How to Prepare for This Job Interview Question

Fortunately, this question is one of the easiest job interview questions to prepare for.

KNOW YOURSELF in terms of qualifications for the job and match for the company:

1. Carefully review the job description to note where you meet or exceed the requirements.
2. Research the company.
3. Identify, catalog, list, and review your successes and accomplishments.
4. Identify and list your relevant expertise, strengths, and unique value.
5. Write out your 2-part answer, as described above.

And, practice, practice, practice so you sound natural and confident.

Then, you will be ready to put yourself in the employer’s shoes, and emphasize what will make you stand out for the company and for the job.

[For more tips on preparing for a job interview, read Pre-Interview Preparation so you will have a solid understanding of the position and the employer. ]

The Bottom Line

With advanced planning and practice, you can know your target employer and how to sell yourself for the job. "Tell me about yourself" then becomes a positive and fun exercise in demonstrating your value and getting one step closer to winning that great new job!

Your preparation for this question will also work well for the "Why should we hire you?" question.

More About Successful Job Interviews:

• Smart Answers to Interview Questions
• Smart Strategies to Answer Behavioral Questions
• Guide to Successful Interviews
• 3 Steps to Interview Success: Build Your Interview Checklist
• Pre-Interview Preparation
• How to Answer: Why should we hire you?