What Should You Say When an Interviewer Asks: "Tell Me About Yourself"?

It's an opportunity, not a trick question

It's one of the most common interview questions, and yet, when someone says, 'tell me about yourself' in an interview, it can be surprisingly difficult to know where to start.

Are they asking about your childhood, hobbies, entire education, life story? In truth, they're probably not. They're usually giving you an opportunity to introduce yourself, explain what you're interested in and connect your background to the role.

A simple way to structure your answer is to start by saying who you are, follow up with what you're interested in, and close with why you're interested in the role.

1. Who you are

Start with a brief introduction. Mention where you are in your career or education and anything relevant to the opportunity.

For example: 'I'm a recent graduate in Business Management, and during my degree I became particularly interested in how organisations use technology to improve the way they work.'

Keep it short. You don't need to list everything you've ever done.

2. What you're interested in

Next, explain what interests you. This could be a particular industry, skill, subject or type of work.

For example: 'I've particularly enjoyed working on projects involving data and problem solving, and I've been developing my skills in this area through university projects and some personal learning.'

This helps the interviewer understand what motivates you. You don't need decades of professional experience to talk about your interests. Your degree, college work, volunteering, hobbies, personal projects or part-time work can all be relevant.

3. Why you're interested in the role

Finally, connect your introduction to the job you're applying for.

For example: 'That's why this role stood out to me. I like the idea of using those skills in a real workplace, while continuing to learn and develop as part of your team.'

Now you've taken the interviewer through a simple journey of who you are, what you're interested in, and why you're sitting in front of them.

Keep it short

You don't need to give a five-minute speech. Aim for around 60 to 90 seconds. Think of it as an introduction rather than a presentation.

Don't try to memorise every word. It's better to remember your three key points and speak naturally.

What if you don't have much experience?

This question isn't asking you to prove that you've already had a long career. You could talk about your education, a project you've worked on, volunteering, part-time work, a hobby, a personal project or skills you've been developing.

The important thing is to explain what you've learned and why it interests you.

One final tip

Don't spend the entire answer talking about what the company can do for you. Show some enthusiasm for what you can contribute too. Even if you're at the beginning of your career, you have skills, interests and experiences that have brought you to this point.