Interviews can sometimes be a nerve wracking experience, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed and underprepared. One specific question that can sometimes catch you off guard is the dreaded ‘tell me about yourself’. You may be unsure where to begin and what to include for such an open-ended question, but we’re here to help by providing you with the right way to go about answering this.
One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation - Arthur Ashe
Here are 3 things you should include in response to ‘tell me about yourself’:
1. Your job qualifications
Mentioning your job qualifications is a great starting point when answering this question, this should include any jobs, work experience or volunteering that you’ve previously done. Be sure to also touch on what company you worked for and what your role was there, this will demonstrate to the interviewer the skills you’ve gained and whether or not they meet the company’s requirements.
2. Your accomplishments
This can be tied with the first point as many of your accomplishments will come about from previous employment. Let’s say you’ve applied to a start-up tech company and previously you had an internship in digital marketing, where you were able to generate an increase in revenue for the company. This is something that would be beneficial to bring up as it shows how you will be an asset to your potential employer.
Don’t be afraid to show off a little either, employers love to hear about what you’ve achieved as it gives them a good indication of your capabilities.
3. What you can bring to the company
Once you’ve discussed your qualifications and accomplishments, it’s time for the final anecdote, which is to communicate what you can bring to the company you are applying to. This can be done through combining your jobs/experiences with your accomplishments and demonstrating how this has prepared you for the role you want. To do this effectively, it’s important to research the company and have a good idea of what will be expected of you, this will allow you to have a full and cohesive answer prepared when the time comes.
So now that you know what to include in your answer, how do you go about answering the question?
Well it should sound something like this:
I spent the last year working in a digital marketing internship with [name of company], where I was required to upload images and create copy for their social media platforms. I also had to make sure that I was up to date with the latest trends so that I was able to successfully contribute to building engagement and generating revenue with our audience. Before this role I had volunteered at a non-profit organisation where I did admin work and liaised with clients. Both of these experiences provided me with communication, digital, attention to detail and analytical skills which will be beneficial for this role and what it requires.
Final Thoughts
Try not to be too intimidated by this question, on the surface it may seem daunting but in reality all it takes is preparation. Remember that you have so much to offer which is why you made it to the interview stage in the first place. Use these tips so that the next time an employer asks you to tell them about yourself, you’ll know exactly what to say.
