A Guide to Answering “Tell Me About Yourself” In An Interview

Master the “Tell Me About Yourself” interview question with expert tips and techniques. Structured responses can make a lasting impression.

Wed Feb 12, 2025

When attempting to respond to the question, "Tell me about yourself," coaches and counselors offer nine distinct suggestions that may be useful. When answering this question, in particular, these pointers will help you present yourself in the best possible light during any interview. Tips include putting practice into narrowing down your perfect answer and using storytelling to differentiate yourself from other candidates.

Practice Using A Story, Then Fine Tune Your Answer
The 30-second elevator pitch extension, "Tell Me About Yourself," can last up to two minutes (or longer). To enhance your answer further, try solving for the who, what, why, where, when, and how of your story.
Five Step Process: Adopt Methodology
Your life’s journey needs to reflect the requirements of the organization.

Storytelling is the answer to the question “Tell me about yourself,” according to my experience. As your story unfolds, the candidate will have a better understanding of your journey and the overarching values and prerequisites of the organization. So it is fair to say that is the best recommendation.

Emphasizing Strengths and Experience
Relate Further Professional Narratives and Personal Stories
Remember To Practice Empathetic Response

Present Brief Highlight-Summary of Professional Achievements

The most ideal approach to address the query, “What would you say is your greatest professional achievement” is giving a brief overview of your career history and schooling and the reasons why you want to do this position.

  • Divide Your Answer into Three Parts
Answering "Tell Me About Yourself" best involves breaking the question up into three sections:
The things you have done, the things you have done recently, and the things you hope to do in the future.
Why do interviewers kickstart interviews with this question?
When the interviewers pose this question, they hope to evaluate two things:

  1. How significant have your professional and academic experiences been?
  2. How well can you express yourself concisely and clearly?

    Some commonly asked questions in interviews and tips for responding appropriately-

  • What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?
Providing pertinent strengths and irrelevant weaknesses is crucial in this situation. Try enumerating two weaknesses and three strengths. These questions have an impact on the interviewer's hiring decision, so try to come up with unique, pertinent answers.
  • Why did you leave your last job?
When discussing your current or former employer, it is important to steer clear of any disparaging remarks. Instead, give justifications such as seeking better opportunities or wishing to advance your career.
  • How do you handle stressful situations?
You want to emphasize your capacity to respond to pressure in a constructive and upbeat way. Try sharing a few of your stress-reduction strategies before sharing a story about when you managed a particularly trying circumstance well.

Bottom Line
The basic question "What do you want the interviewer to remember about you?" is the foundation of the "Tell me about yourself" question.
Making a good impression and guiding the rest of the interview in your favor are made possible by a strong response to this opening question.











Sambhavi Prakash