How to Answer 'Tell Me About Yourself' in a Job Interview

It’s not easy to interview someone. It’s part of the reason why job hunters like yourself might have to answer bland or cliché questions in your next job interview. Throw in an unprepared hiring manager or a company’s fear about not offending anyone or inadvertently asking an illegal or unethical question, and the chances of boring questions increase even higher.

A common question for job interviews is the “Tell me about yourself” opener. It sounds pretty innocuous at face value but is a challenge for most people to answer. This open-ended question, which can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” response, suggests several ways you could tackle it. It is easy to go off on tangents and talk yourself out of a job without proper preparation.

Here is how to answer “Tell me about yourself” in your next job interview.

1. Don’t get too personal.

The “Tell me about yourself” question is an icebreaker question designed to gain insight into you as a person. However, this seemingly innocent question could easily blow up on you.

A natural, rational response would be to share details of your life and start rambling, trying to gauge your interviewer’s reactions to see if you are heading in the right direction. Before you realize it, you’re going back to your childhood, then talking about college experiences and shifting to hobbies, hoping you’ll hit on something that resonates with the manager.

Instead, frame this question as, “Tell me about what you do at your job and why your background is right for this role.”

This question becomes a big fat softball to hit out of the ballpark.

2. Sell your background.

Respond to the “Tell me about yourself” question by telling the job interviewer about yourself from a professional perspective.

Walk the interviewer through your daily responsibilities, projects you’re proudly working on and a few of your past jobs. You should also add details about your education and interests. Keep in mind that everything you say should relate to the position you’re interviewing for.

Sell your background, skills, education, talents, and current and past responsibilities that prove you could do what’s required in this new position.

3. Don’t engage in self-critical analysis.

Answer the “Tell me about yourself” question positively and without bragging.

Remember: The job interviewer didn’t ask you about your weaknesses. There’s no need to point out your flaws.

4. Stay focused in your answer.

If you pay close attention to politicians, they all have their talking points. When asked questions by the press, they rely upon tried-and-true answers. They’ll answer the question with a self-serving positive spin no matter what the question is.

Don’t deviate from your pitch of how your background and skills perfectly suit the job at hand.

Then wrap up the answer by restating why your background will quickly enable you to succeed in the job and your personality would be a great fit with the manager and corporate culture.

This article was written by Jack Kelly for Forbes and was lightly edited and published with permission.