Tell us more about yourself
“Tell us about yourself” – Tips for answering this interview question
No matter what kind of job you’re after, you will be asked to talk about yourself in the interview. This allows the company to evaluate whether your professional and personal qualifications are suited to the job.
This is your opportunity to make a positive impression. It’s important that you spend the time talking about your qualifications and present yourself in a positive light.
Avoid repetition and practise
This should only take a few minutes, so you must be prepared to talk about yourself and your background without trying to say too much. It’s a very good idea to write down a few keywords and follow the points you’ve thought about in advance. This will help you to avoid repetition and include all of the important details.
Always remember to practise what you want to say. You may want to ask someone you know – your spouse, partner or a friend – if they’ll listen to what you intend to say. This will let you practise your presentation and assess how it sounds.
If you have not prepared in advance, the chances are that, after the interview, you will be left thinking, e.g. “I didn’t get to mention my strengths.”
Use the template below for your preparations
A little bit about your personal life:
Age, marital status, where you live
Work experience
Your education and training
Which companies have you worked for?
Your qualifications for this job
Professional qualifications for the job
Personal qualities in relation to job
When you talk about yourself and your background, talk about the positives in terms of work experience, professional skills and human qualities.
Leave out stories about your former boss treating you badly, etc. Or that because of the heavy workload and poor working environment you were off sick for a prolonged period.
All of this may well be true and be a part of your background, but keep your eyes on the goal. Talk about your qualifications for this job. You
No matter what kind of job you’re after, you will be asked to talk about yourself in the interview. This allows the company to evaluate whether your professional and personal qualifications are suited to the job.
This is your opportunity to make a positive impression. It’s important that you spend the time talking about your qualifications and present yourself in a positive light.
Avoid repetition and practise
This should only take a few minutes, so you must be prepared to talk about yourself and your background without trying to say too much. It’s a very good idea to write down a few keywords and follow the points you’ve thought about in advance. This will help you to avoid repetition and include all of the important details.
Always remember to practise what you want to say. You may want to ask someone you know – your spouse, partner or a friend – if they’ll listen to what you intend to say. This will let you practise your presentation and assess how it sounds.
If you have not prepared in advance, the chances are that, after the interview, you will be left thinking, e.g. “I didn’t get to mention my strengths.”
Use the template below for your preparations
A little bit about your personal life:
Age, marital status, where you live
Work experience
Your education and training
Which companies have you worked for?
Your qualifications for this job
Professional qualifications for the job
Personal qualities in relation to job
When you talk about yourself and your background, talk about the positives in terms of work experience, professional skills and human qualities.
Leave out stories about your former boss treating you badly, etc. Or that because of the heavy workload and poor working environment you were off sick for a prolonged period.
All of this may well be true and be a part of your background, but keep your eyes on the goal. Talk about your qualifications for this job. You