{"id":4487,"date":"2024-09-10T11:00:23","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T10:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/?p=4487"},"modified":"2024-09-10T10:22:55","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T09:22:55","slug":"tell-me-about-yourself-how-to-answer-this-common-interview-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/tell-me-about-yourself-how-to-answer-this-common-interview-question\/","title":{"rendered":"Tell Me About Yourself: How To Answer This Common Interview Question"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"row mb-3\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-9 my-auto\">\n&quot;Tell me about yourself.&quot; If you\u2019re asked this question in a job interview, you may assume it\u2019s a straightforward, friendly way to kick off the meeting and launch into your life story. Or you might freeze because you don\u2019t know what to say. Neither approach leaves a good impression nor shows that you\u2019re an excellent fit for the job.<\/p>\n<p>So, how do you answer this <a href=\"\/explore\/5-common-interview-questions-and-how-to-handle-them\/\">common interview question<\/a> in a way that makes you stand out for all the right reasons?<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-lg-3 text-center my-auto pb-3 pb-lg-0\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/explore\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_20240910_124959.jpg\" alt=\"Tell Me About Yourself: How To Answer This Common Interview Question\" class=\"img-fluid\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"h3 font-weight-bold\">Prepare For The Interview<\/h2>\n<hr>\n<p>You don\u2019t know what you\u2019ll be asked during your job interview, but you can guess by preparing answers for the most common and relevant questions. <\/p>\n<p>Common interview questions include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Why do you want to work for this company?<\/li>\n<li>What are your weaknesses?<\/li>\n<li>Why are you leaving your current job?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Relevant questions are specific to the vacancy, employer, and industry. You may be questioned on suitable skills and qualifications, for instance. Do your research. Look at the requirements for the job so you know how good a fit you are and how any gaps can be overcome. Research the employer, their culture, values, and news, and look into any recent developments in the industry. Arm yourself with an awareness of what you can bring to the company as an employee.<\/p>\n<p>One way to answer \u201ctell me about yourself\u201d is to use a present-past-future structure:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"mb-2\">Starting with your current status, for instance, a recent maths graduate interested in a career in data analysis or a customer service team leader working for a utilities company (present).<\/li>\n<li class=\"mb-2\">Move on to the roles and experiences that led you to your current status, including skills and experience relevant to the job you\u2019ve applied for (past).<\/li>\n<li>Finish with why you\u2019re interested in the job and where you\u2019d like your career path to lead (future).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Finally, practice your answers. This helps avoid hesitation and reduces nerves on the day.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"h3 font-weight-bold\">Consider Why The Interviewer Might Ask This Question<\/h2>\n<hr>\n<p>Put yourself in the interviewer\u2019s shoes. Why are they asking this question? It might be:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>to open the interview and ease you into answering questions<\/li>\n<li>to find out how you cope with open-ended questions<\/li>\n<li>to get to know the person behind the CV<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While all of the above may be true, the main reason to ask this question is to find out your suitability for the role. Take this opportunity to show that you have the desired technical and <a href=\"\/explore\/using-soft-skills-to-stand-out-in-the-jobs-market\/\">soft skills<\/a>, experience, and qualifications.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"h3 font-weight-bold\">Make Sure Your Answer Is Relevant<\/h2>\n<hr>\n<p>While you might think that talking about your hobbies and family build a bigger picture of who you are, the key to answering any interview question is to keep it relevant to the job you\u2019re applying for.<\/p>\n<p>Before you answer any question, including \u201ctell me about yourself\u201d, decide how you can answer in a way that demonstrates your suitability for the job and the company. <\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"h3 font-weight-bold\">Keep Your Answer Concise And Positive<\/h2>\n<hr>\n<p>One <a href=\"\/explore\/how-to-avoid-the-top-5-interview-mistakes\/\">interview mistake<\/a> that you might fall into is saying too much or too little in response to the question. You\u2019re nervous so you talk at such length that the interviewer\u2019s eyes glaze over. Or you have no idea how to answer the question, so give a curt reply that doesn\u2019t show who you are. Instead, keep your answer concise. That means to the point, relevant, and focussed on showing your suitability for the job.<\/p>\n<p>Employers want candidates who show enthusiasm for the job and for the company. Enthusiastic employees are more likely to contribute to the company, perform well in their role, and stay with the employer. When you answer \u201ctell me about yourself\u201d, keep it positive and upbeat. Don\u2019t criticise past or current employers. Instead focus on what you have learned and how you have the right skills and experience for the job. <\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"h3 font-weight-bold\">Wrapping it up<\/h2>\n<hr>\n<p>Like any interview question, the key to answering &quot;Tell me about yourself.&quot; is to use it to show that you\u2019re a great fit for the job. Prepare your answer before the interview to improve your confidence. Consider what information the interviewer wants to hear. Make sure your answer is relevant, to the point, and positive. You know why you\u2019re perfect for the job. Now use this question to explain that to the employer. Good luck.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&quot;Tell me about yourself.&quot; If you\u2019re asked this question in a job interview, you may assume it\u2019s a straightforward, friendly way to kick off the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4492,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jobsearch","category-jobseekers"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4487"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4499,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4487\/revisions\/4499"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}