10 Different Ways to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview

Tell me about yourself question in interview

Answering: Tell me about yourself question in an interview

Nail your interview with the correct answer to the: Tell Me About Yourself” in an interview question. You know there is a job opening at your dream company. You have submitted your resume and have been called for an interview. Every interview follows a set of questions. 

One of the most common and obvious ones is: So, Tell Me About Yourself. Clearing the interview can help you successfully land that job. And we are here to help you out with that. This article further explores 10 different creative ways how to answer “Tell me about yourself” in an interview (with examples).

Why is it important to crack the tell me about yourself interview question?

tell me about yourself sample answer
Tell me about yourself sample answers

First impressions: 

First impressions can set the tone for the rest of your interview. Giving you the chance to set yourself apart from the rest with your well-crafted response. Most people don’t give this question much thought. But when you answer your interview questions in a precise and well-structured answer. It will immediately catch the attention of the employer, leaving a positive first impression. 

Highlighting your Skills and Experience:

Giving your employer a proper answer to this question during your interview will increase the chances of bringing your relevant skills and experience into the spotlight. Helping the employer understand your background, how it aligns with their job requirements and makes you a strong fit for the position. 

Shows Self-awareness:

This question is asked by many and has held different answers from philosophers to mystics. When asked to describe themselves. So, the question is: Who are you? Are you consciously self-aware about your actions, your hobbies, the company you keep, things that you are passionate about, etc? 

Knowing the answer to this question unlocks countless doors of opportunities for you. It gives a chance for your employer to know you better, understand where you are coming from, and gives them an overall perspective of your journey. Demonstrating self-awareness. 

Seamless conversation:

Interviews can feel forced, but how do you communicate in a way that allows the conversation to flow smoothly? Conversations should flow both ways. Oftentimes when we are communicating, we forget this. When answering your interview questions right. It can allow the interview to flow smoothly without any awkwardness hanging in the air. Not only that, it will help your interviewer to know what questions to ask next. Making the conversation between you flow seamlessly. 

Helping you to establish a personal connection and rapport:

Professionally communicating personal information is a skill that you must have. It helps your employer look at you beyond your qualifications and recognizes your ability to connect on a personal level while establishing rapport. These five points sum up the importance of why you should know how to answer a question during an interview. Keep reading further to understand the 10 creative ways in which you can answer “Tell me about yourself.”

How to answer Tell Me About Yourself in 10 creative ways

  1. Begin with introducing your field of education
  2. Exploring Your Journey to Career Progression
  3. Highlighting your strengths and accomplishments
  4. Defining your personality
  5. Creating your timeline
  6. Emphasizing your future goals
  7. Starting with expressing your enthusiasm for the position/ role
  8. Changing career paths 
  9. Learning from Failures and Challenges
  10. Taking the team player approach 

Begin with introducing your field of education

tell me about yourself sample answer

Do you stress out where to begin your journey and how to define yourself when you are just a beginner in your career? It can seem daunting, as you can’t share all your personal experiences in a professional setting. Here’s what you can do.

When the interviewer asks, tell me about yourself? Begin your story with what exactly influenced you to take up the path that you are walking on. Ponder over it, was it something that inspires you or are you passionate about it? Give them a backstory. Is there someone you admire that made you choose what you are studying!?

For example: 

If you are someone who has graduated with a degree in literature or is pursuing a degree in literature. You could begin with 

“I graduated with my degree in literature two months ago. I chose this field of study because it has always inspired me as a poet. I’ve always been fascinated with books from a young age. Not only that, but I figured pursuing something that I love would open opportunities for career options, too.”

Exploring your journey

Are you someone who has already embarked on your career journey and has a good amount of experience in your industry? Then perk your ears up, here is how you can elaborate on your Career Progression. The example below will help you answer the question “Tell me about yourself”

For example:

“Starting my career as a marketing intern at a small startup, I learned the basics of digital marketing and campaign management. Following graduation, I joined a mid-sized marketing agency as a Junior Marketing Associate, where I focused on refining my expertise in social media marketing and content creation…” 

Highlighting your strengths and accomplishments 

Experience is valuable, and it’s always helpful to help your employers understand what you bring to the table. When giving information about yourself to your employer. They can gain insight into what you can do. Have you accomplished something at your previous workplace? 

Helped the company get that client on board with them? Learning a new skill? Taken up on a challenge? Lead a team with your leadership qualities to success. No matter how small or big the victory, all of it is worth mentioning when the interviewer asks you, “Tell me about yourself” 

Highlighting your strengths from your previous workplace will help the employer to trust you and understand you better. You can begin to answer the question with the following example below.

For example:

“During my career, I’ve achieved notable milestones, such as leading a team in launching a product that surpassed sales targets by 25%. I’m also recognized for consistently meeting project deadlines, showcasing my dedication to high-quality work and time management skills.”

Defining your personality

Using humor in speech topics

What traits that you carry that make you unique? Do you have a charismatic personality by default? Do you have great, convincing superpowers? Will I get it done, optimistic, strong, and confident girl boss? Completely handling it all together? Start answering this question by defining your personality. 

Tell them about how you have built these characteristics. How will these characteristics align with the company’s culture and values and objectives? Establishing rapport between you and the employer. Begin by giving them a first impression of your personality. You can define your core values, and your personality type, or even begin with one simple trait that you find the best in yourself. 

For example:

“My very core values are compassion, love and empathy as a person. Growing up with frequent visits to our farmhouse in the countryside, I have always adored and cared for animals. This made me realize how important it’s that all animals deserve the same care and love. Which made me start my work with an NGO….”

Creating your timeline

Your story is yours to define. Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. You are the author of your own story. So before heading for that interview. Feel free to practice how you would like to tell yours. This is especially helpful if you are well experienced and someone asks you to tell me about yourself in an interview. 

What to say when someone asks you to tell her about yourself? When you have a good experience. You can take charge and start by explaining things backward. Like what you are doing right now, the companies you worked with before, and your education. 

Or begin by introducing what you studied, the companies you started working with, the knowledge, experience, and skills that you gained, and then give a gist of your true role at your current company. You can even start in the middle; there are no rules.

Emphasizing your future goals

Do you have any definite goals that you are yet to achieve? What are you aiming for? This question is a great icebreaker to let your employer know the things that you want to achieve. This will also help your employer to know that you are goal-oriented.

And a highly motivated person who is keen and passionate about what they want to achieve and who is serious about what you do. Not only that, it can also be a great start as to how to answer tell me about yourself as a fresher.

For example: 

It has always been my dream to be a copywriter. I loved writing poems as a child, and have been loving books for as long as I can remember. That made me turn this hobby into choosing it as a career path, beginning with the role of a creative writer. This opportunity with your company will allow me to explore new ways to achieve this dream. And embark on yet another exciting journey to learn and relearn writing in a new light. Let me tell you how I would be a great fit for this role. I have a relevant background in the industry….

Starting with expressing your enthusiasm for the position/role

how to answer tell me about yourself

The answer to the question “Tell us something about yourself” doesn’t always have to begin with you telling your interviewer about your hobbies or your majors. You could simply start by explaining why you have an interest in pursuing the current role at hand. Begin with an enthusiastic tone and then delve into the other details that you want to share.

For example: 

“I’m looking for an opportunity where I can align my career goals with the company’s vision, making a meaningful contribution to its success. So, I’m excited and would love to take on this role if given the opportunity “

Changing career paths

It is completely normal to go for a different option. Apart from your area of expertise. Many people just realize that the road they’ve taken is just not for them. And that is okay. It shouldn’t be abandoning one thing for another. Maybe you are trying to do both to see what is for you. 

So, if you are at this point in your life where you are trying out another field or changing your field of studies altogether, tell your interviewer what it is that is making you choose a different path. It could be a realization, a passion for 

For example: 

I always felt empowered whenever I learned new techniques to apply makeup. Though my field of studies says majors done in BA. I also have an immense love for learning and empowering women on social media platforms as a makeup artist.

Or 

I started in the field of science as a chemical engineer, but I understood that my true calling was teaching children. Teaching kids bought me the peace and satisfaction of having done something fulfilling. And hence I had a change of heart and I began working with Podar international high school…

Learning from Failures and Challenges

As much as it is important to let your potential employer know about your achievements and goals. It’s equally important to let them know about the learning experience you have gained from failures and challenges. No one has the knowledge already imbibed in themselves to get the job done right.

You need to start with the ABCs and make mistakes trying to form two and three-letter words. Fail and then try again. Similarly, the knowledge that you have gained from your previous work experience is precious. Remember that it is valuable. You can tell the interviewer about the relevant skills, knowledge, and experience that you have to get the job done right when they ask you to tell you about yourself. 

For example:

When I first started in the industry, I was in my last year of college. I wanted to work with XYZ company and it was the summer holiday. During that period, I got the opportunity to intern with them. I took the opportunity to learn and get to know the industry better. The work went great. I had the ABC role/ position. My college resumed, and it got hectic to manage both. It was my first-time writing emails. I’d once accidentally sent the wrong subject line with the rest of the mail. Which caused a lot of confusion. But I learned to deal with time and stress management, and how to simultaneously do both better. I have also learned to…”

The team player approach

tell me about yourself interview question

Are you someone who’s a team player? Or a super easy person who believes in creating things together with other people. Do you speak the let’s do collab lingo? Then you should go ahead with the team player approach. Tell the interviewer how friendly and easy-going you are. How great an experience it is for people to work with you. 

For example:

“I’m a team-oriented individual who values collaboration and open communication. I believe in the power of collective effort and the strength it brings to achieving goals.”

Conclusion

Now that you know how to answer the tell me about yourself question in an interview as a student, beginner, or even for someone who is experienced don’t forget to curate an approach of your own and be a better public speaker. And if you still can’t find a better way to deal with how to communicate clearly, it’s always a good idea to seek professional help and go for public speaking or coaching classes.

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