Interviews and career
How to answer “tell me about yourself”
The recruiter is not asking for your life story but for why you fit this role. Start with what you do now, add one or two experiences that lead to this job and finish with why you applied. Keep the whole answer to about two minutes.
How to handle this conversation
Start with the present
Not with school or your first job. “For three years I have been managing key accounts at a logistics company” sets up the conversation straight away.
Pick two moments, not your whole CV
The recruiter has your CV in front of them. Talk about the two experiences that best match the job ad and what they taught you.
End with a bridge to this role
Your last sentence connects your story to the job: “That is why I am looking for a role with more influence over the process, and that is exactly what I saw in your job ad.”
Leave private life for later
One human detail, such as an interest connected to your work, warms up the answer. Family, health and opinions do not need to come up here.
I am answering “tell me about yourself”
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Duration
- 5-8 minutes
The situation
An interview for a job you really want is starting. After a short welcome, the recruiter says: “So, tell me a bit about yourself.” You have several years of experience and plenty to say, which makes it easy to ramble. You want to show who you are professionally and why you are here in two minutes.
Who you talk to
Recruiter
Experienced and easily bored. When an answer drags on, he interrupts, and when it is too general, he asks for details and for what links your story to this role.
The counterpart also has private goals and information that are never shown upfront. You discover them only through the conversation, the same way you would in real life.
What makes it hard
- The recruiter cuts in halfway through a long answer and asks you to get to the point.
- A follow-up question asks why your role changed several times.
- Silence after your answer tempts you to keep adding details.
Your goals
- Talk about yourself in about two minutes
- Connect your experience to this particular role
- Handle follow-up questions without losing the thread
What the report looks at
- Whether the answer has a clear structure with the point up front
- Whether the experiences you chose fit the role
- How you react to being interrupted and probed
- Whether the answer ends with why you applied