Do you struggle with how to answer tell me about yourself in an interview? The question that only you can answer perfectly, and the most difficult question asked in almost all the interviews is – About You. You need proper skills to answer this question with perfection that should not give a fake image of yours nor should it diminish your capabilities. To answer this question with full confidence you need to practice, preferably in front of a mirror. If you are practicing mock interviews, this question should always be the one you should start with.  The quality of your response to this question will determine half of your interview’s outcome.

Here are some tips and 23 examples of how to answer tell me about yourself sample answer for freshers as well as experienced professionals in an interview.

How To Answer: “Tell Me About Yourself”

Everyone has been there, the point where the interviewer looks at you and asks, “Tell me something about yourself”. The question itself is very simple, but answering it takes great focus and good choice of words. Also, this question is a one sided gun, being able to answer this question does not necessarily mean you will win the job, but not being able to will surely send out of the game.

So how can one answer this simple yet difficult obstacle? Given below are a few simple ways in which anyone can ace this question in any job interview.

Understand the Importance

While many take this question very lightly, the importance of this question cannot be stressed enough. In this question, the interviewer is expecting the interviewee to answer this question that is logically profitable to the firm; everything you present should be positive and effective to the firm in some or the other way.

Moreover, as mentioned before, this question is a one sided gun, the interviewer can determine your eligibility on the answer you give. There is no guarantee that you will win the job if you answered it right as there are other factors too that are important like qualifications, past working record, availability, etc. However, not being able to answer it right will cost you the job most of the time.

On the other hand, there is a positive side of this question too. This question is also your chance to show the interviewer how good and useful you actually are. If this opportunity is used properly, there is a high probability that the rest of the interview will be smooth.

The ice-breaker Question of the interview

For beginners, this question is also called the “ice-breaker” since it is a good way to start a conversation. The interviewer is expecting to clear the tension in the room so that the rest of the interview can progress comfortably. Along with it, the interviewer is also expecting you to give valuable information that is useful to the firm. Some of the basic points they are looking after are given below.

  • Self description as a professional
  • Confident in speaking and starting conversations
  • Contribution in a team
  • In what ways can you generate value to the firm
  • Priorities in life
  • Whether you have a social personality or not

Understanding these basic points can help you construct a quality answer that can easily impress the interviewer. At the same time, ignoring these will project an impression that is not valuable to the firm in any manner.

Information your answer should have

So what actually can you speak about? There are plenty of things that you can talk about, but maintaining logic is the most important part it. For instance, you cannot say that your favorite sport is chess while you have great leadership qualities, but you can talk about any team sport with leadership qualities to get extra points. You can keep in mind the following points while you are answering this question.

  • Basic information about you, your family and your qualifications
  • Hobbies, interests and lifetime goals
  • Your greatest and relevant achievements
  • What is valuable to the firm and how you can provide it
  • Your positive personality traits
  • Your willingness to work for the firm

Mistakes to Avoid

It is natural to get a bit anxious during the interview, plus the pressure is almost on top. In these conditions mistakes are natural; however, you cannot afford these mistakes. Knowing what can be common mistakes in the interview beforehand will help you avoid them greatly in the real time. Here are a few mistakes that most of candidates do in an interview.

  • Reciting the information written on resume or cover letter
  • Telling your entire life story from birth
  • Answering back with a question like, “Yes, what would you like to know?”
  • Presenting a long speech or a monologue featuring you
  • Answering in just one line like, “I am Bryan, an excellent website designer.”
  • Talking about your own views on politics, religion and race

How to Prepare

Practice makes it perfect and hence, the best preparation you can do is practice. On the time of interview, your answer should be fluent, confident and logical to hear. You can follow the simple practice methods given below to brush up your answer before the day approaches.

  • Write it down and memorize it
  • Speak loudly in front of the mirror
  • Ask someone else to judge your answer
  • Keep improvising it

Tell me about yourself is the most important question in the interview. If you are unable to impress the interviewer in this one given opportunity, then it can be your last opportunity. Answering it with confidence and in a systematic order that is logical to hear is the best way to tackle this question in the interview. Also, practicing this answer before the interview is very important as this question can be the one to change your life.

Step 1

Give a summary of your work experiences not in a particular order. The voice should be audible and clear stating your strengths that are relevant to the job requirement.

For example, you could say, “My education in biology and chemistry, as well as my work history are evidence of my success in the pharmaceutical sales industry. I’ve demonstrated my ability to manage large territories such as the one for this position and motivate sales representatives to reach higher revenue goals, which is a priority for this position. In short, I’m a hard worker and I’m pleased to be considered by an organization with such a solid business reputation.”

Step 2

Be a good listener and be attentive to all the questions coming in your way. If the question about your qualification or background are not asked once you start the interview, the interviewer might be trying to know you as a person. He might be trying to make you comfortable for the rest of the interview. You can ask the employer if he is willing to get the work details in a particular order or just willing to know the kind of employee you are and what are your expectations.

Step 3

Note if the interviewer is going through your resume. If she puts up a question about you while going through your resume, accept that she is looking a reply about your work experience. Frame your answer from your first job and then move towards your current position or role. Providing the answer in a chronology will give them a clear view about why you applied to this job. Apart from your roles and responsibilities let the employer know how you interact with others and positive attitude you have.

Step 4

If you feel that you have given much detail about your qualifications and the background. Give a halt to this question and try to finish with a light note. You shall make them clear that you have given a lot many details than you imagined and you have the qualifications and experience required to do the job. Don’t just repeat the same answer for every question regarding your background and decide the boundaries for every question. Do remember that the employer is not willing to know your life story.

Cracking any interview requires confidence, skill and knowledge. You may have the right skill and knowledge for the job, but sometimes if you are not confident enough, you will not be selected. Therefore, it is extremely important to be absolutely confident before going to attend any interview.

Now, during the course of the interview, you can showcase how confident you are to the HR manager, by answering a few particular interview questions. Questions like “Tell me about yourself”, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?” and “Do you think you can handle the job well?” are the ones that majorly test your confidence.

I have prepared 23 sample answers to tell me about yourself. You can customize these answers to suite your profile in an interview.  I have given a ready made template at the end of this article. You can use that to prepare your answer.

23 Tell Me About Yourself Sample Answers:

1. Tell me about yourself for Software Testers:
I have 5 years of experience in software testing. Currently I am working with HCL America, Inc in New York for rapidly growing app development company. Here my role is a senior test analyst and I report to our Test Manager. My day to day activities include testing our mobile application for video players in Android and iOS devices. I work on various releases and prepare out test execution according to the requirements for each release using various app testing tools and bug reporting tool. Currently I am  learning python and trying to understand selenium framework. I am a quick learner and I keep myself busy reading about the new technologies.

2. Tell me about yourself for Software Testers:
I am Sharon, an engineering graduate from Annamalai University. I graduated in the year 2014 and I have been working as a software tester/QA Analyst since then. I have worked on many software testing projects including the recent project on developing an mobile app in my current organization. I was always interested in software testing and during my graduation days we developed a frame work for automation testing and completed them successfully with excellent results. As of now, I am looking to expand my portfolio and gain more experience as a software tester. I am interested in FinTech domain and I am willing to put effort to learn the technologies involved in high frequency trading which is very popular these days.

3. Tell me about yourself for Fresh Graduates:
I am a graduate student without any work experience. From my childhood I am dreaming to become a teacher. In the past, I helped my younger sister a lot with her studies. I used to teach her all he difficult subjects and topics and helped her to do her homework without making it boring. It gave me lot of satisfaction to see her marks improving. This taught me that rewards can come in any way and one should do the work with full patience and determination.

4. Tell me about yourself for Fresh Graduates:
I am Rahul Gandhi. I have done my M Phil from Italy University. I am a fresher and I am currently looking for a suitable job. In the past I have volunteered for many social work and most recently I have participated in clean my city campaign. I am willing to travel for the job. I have a very dynamic personality. I am always planning a step ahead in life as I simply hate falling back. I can handle difficult situations calmly and can work along with my teammates in a very friendly environment. Also, I make sure to give my 100% even during my solo projects. Apart from this, I am interested in various extracurricular activities and always find time to do stuff like painting, writing poetry and playing sports. I am very particular about my schedule and always manage my time efficiently so as to fit everything without any overlaps. I am a bachelor and I am willing to take any kind of opportunity in your company.

5. Tell me about yourself for Experienced Software Engineers:
My name is Shreya and I am from Noida. I was born and brought up in Gujarat, where I completed my schooling. I had developed a keen interest for computers in school itself and eventually pursued my education that directed my career opportunities to IT industry. I completed my graduation in Computer Applications and then started preparing for Masters in same. As of now, I am a professional computer programmer with knowledge of various programming languages like C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Shell scripting. Currently I am working on a Blockchain based application for one of our esteemed client in Canada. I have successfully completed certification exam in Java and Oracle 12C. Apart from programming, I like participating in art and cultural events. I am a volunteer in TeachCode initiative for School Kids in my neighborhood.

6. Tell me about yourself sample answer for Experienced IT Professional:
My name is Arindam and I am from Delhi. I have completed by schooling in Delhi from Delhi Public School with 89% in CBSE Boards. Moving on, I achieved an engineering degree in IT from Delhi University with a very good score. I am the youngest of three siblings. All of my older siblings are professionals in the fields of Law and Medicine. I have decided to pursue a career in Information Technology. This is also the ideal career path for me since I am always interested and good at database management and systems development. In my current organization I have working on implementing many information technology solutions for clients in India and as well as overseas client such as IBM, Yahoo etc. My father is an engineer and my mother is a lawyer. I am a very jolly personality and interested in experiencing new things. I love playing chess and have even represented my school and college in various competitions and events. I am also a part of Rotary Club, thanks to which I have participated in various social events like teaching underprivileged, visiting old age homes and much more.

7. Tell me about yourself for Software Engineers:
I am Bhupendra. I have done B.Tech with IT as my major subject from Kolkata University. I started my career with L&T at Mumbai and it’s been 2 years now as a software engineer. In these 2 years I have learned a lot about technologies including my specialization in network management. I enjoy everything that I do. I am always ready to face challenges and get along with people very well. I believe in vision and action. I learn from my mistakes. I am ready to take any challenge required to perform my job.

8. Tell me about yourself for Production Engineer:
My name is Anthony Gonsalvese. I have good experience as production engineer in a chemical company. In the past I have worked in refineries and petrochemical companies. Currently I am working in Shells as a Senior Production Engineer and supervising a team of junior production engineers and fitters. My responsibilities include over-seeing day to day activities and reporting to the production director. I take care of the maintenance team and plan for routing and emergency maintenance of the production facility. I am interested in Offshore Oil Production opportunities.

9. Tell me about yourself for Research Analyst:
My name is Rajat. I am a research assistant in ABC company. I worked with many teams in my previous positions also. I used to write a new safety policy at Talent Plus Plus, Gurgaon. Before deciding up a new policy we used to research on different safety needs for different departments and the procedures to fulfill those needs, it was a co-operated team work. The safety problems have decreased with the acceptance of our policy. I am a team player and love to be a part of a team.

10. Tell me about yourself for Advertising Professionals:
My name is Kuntal. I got the skills of marketing and management from the ABC school, Toronto. I was the head of a band in school that had to manage it and I was successful to get an award for the band. I was also responsible for advertising and promoting the band. I had to make sure that the band got paid; this was a source of extra income and taught me management and leadership skills. It will be easier for me to sum up my entire personal and professional life in a simple sentence, I can win! Every person in my life who asked me to work for them, including my dad and my current boss, have always appreciated my never-say-never spirit! I always finish my work on time and never postpone it or keep it for the other day. I believe in complete performance and I strive hard to maintain this character. Apart from this, I make sure that my determined behavior is contagious and affects every soul working along with me. Some of my former colleagues funnily compare this situation to a football coach encouraging his teammates during crunched situations.

11. Tell me about yourself for Web Developer:
My name is Ruslan. I am from Santa Clara. I have an experience of working as a production support engineer for two years at Yahoo. Though I had a good working experience in my previous job, I am willing to change my profile and work as a web development engineer because I am fascinated with this job and I am sure I’ll be able to perform really well with all my interest and determination towards it. I have taken many full-stack Web development course which working a production support engineer. I have learnt PHP, JavaScript, MySQL, and sever-side technologies. In my free time I develop websites for clients ranging from small business to large content marketing startups.

12. Tell me about yourself for Sales Professionals:
I am Raman. I was a part of sales team for 3 years in Dicks Sporting Goods. My efforts increased the sales by 40% grew the customer base in the North Jersey. Being a sports persons I got lots of advantage and importance in this company and I am very much interested in football and my company sells sports equipment. I have also played at national level and was involved in coaching. It is important to me the company holds the same values. I am a complete sportsperson. I love playing all types of indoor and outdoor sports, which includes Football, Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Basketball, etc. I am also a fitness freak and love sweating out in a gym. Also, I am a die-hard foodie and I know where each and every food stall and restaurant is located in my city.

13. Tell me about yourself for Sales Professionals:
I am Alex. I have been a part of sales team since I first started working with Cisco. My experience extends far more than just being on the duty. In my last organization, where I was working actively as a sales team member, my efforts alone increased the sales by 40%. I am a very good team motivator as well and the team always had a high morale in my presence. Apart from my work, I am very good sportsperson and have participated in the state level basketball tournaments.

14. Tell me about yourself for Sales Professionals:
My name is Gustav and I was born and brought up in Chicago. I have 3 years of experience as a Sales Supervisor at Sysco Technologies, where my performance was always positive. During this time, I was also asked to manage a small 5 member team where my leadership skills were put to test. I am glad to say that I passed this test gracefully and my team performed excellently under my command. With my previous work experience and knowledge I possess, I consider myself a suitable candidate for the position of a Sales Manager at your firm.

15. Tell me about yourself for Sales Supervisor:
My name is Daniel. I am from Dublin. I have an experience of working as a sales supervisor for two years in Apple Computers. As a sales supervisor I have really performed well and I am willing to work as sales manager because I am fascinated with this job and I am sure I’ll be able to perform really well with all my interest and determination towards selling computers and high end mobile devices. My team has been performing very well with my supervision and that makes me an ideal candidate for a sales manager job.

16. Tell me about yourself for Marketing Professionals:
I am an MBA in marketing. I did my engineering from Australia and completed my MBA program from Sydney. Currently I am looking for a job in marketing preferably in an Engineering product company. I have done marketing field research during my MBA program. I am interested in developing a campaign for new products and studying competitor products and design marketing strategy in new and emerging markets. I am a confident person with strong interpersonal skills. I can efficiently contribute to working in a team as well as providing explicit results even during solo projects. I am always looking for new challenges to overcome and for ideas that are born out of the box. Apart from the details mentioned in my resume, I truly believe in a person’s character, values, vision, action and results. I am a fast learner and I believe that difficult lessons are learnt only after committing mistakes, for I strongly believe that the harder you try the farther success you will achieve in life.

17. Tell me about yourself for BPO/Customer Service:
My name is Nausad Ali. I did my high school education from Mumbai and am currently doing my graduation from ABC, Pune. I have an experience of 2.5 years of working in a BPO which is the fastest growing industry and would like to continue with the same profession. I believe that I will get a lot of opportunities in this field and success. My interests are to play cricket, listen music, interact with new people and make fun with friends. I mingle with people very easily and have strong interpersonal skills. I come up with creative solutions to challenges in job.

More Sample Answers – Click on Image

18. Tell me about yourself for Academic Counselor:
My name is Radhika. I have been working as an Academic Counselor since the last 10 years with Talent Plus Plus, Gurgaon. I have been an effective part of a Campus Hiring that deals with counselling students who wish to join information technology domain. My time as an Academic Counselor there presented me with the opportunity to learn the education curriculum followed in different countries, meet people from different places with different mind-set, culture and origin. My ability to actively interact with others served me greatly in helping these people find the right kind of institute for them. Moreover, in some cases, I had to work with my colleagues to find out a rational and out of the box solution for difficult problems. I hope that my experience there is relevant enough to get me the esteemed position at your organization.

19. Tell me about yourself for HR Professionals:
My name is Mathew. I am from Jersey City. I am specialized in giving training and development as a human resource officer and have successfully conducted more than seven training programs in a year. My strengths are organizing learning modules, creating instructional activities and presenting concepts, thus I feel that I can work best is this field. I am willing to input my efforts with your company and moving ahead with this career. I also have work experience as an HR officer and I have trained a lot of fresher candidates on various HR related topics in my career. My strength lies in organizing effective learning modules, creating interesting instructional activities and presenting concepts in a unique and understanding way. I believe in doing everything that’s possible and so I always put my full efforts in making complete use of my knowledge and skills to educate and inspire every candidate that I train. I wish to work with the same enthusiasm in your organization as well.

20. Tell me about yourself for Business Manager:
I am Bill. I have been an active part of the education industry for the last 4 years. The last job I had was as a Branch Manager at a Play School, where I was personally in charge of managing important school operations. I believe that working there was a huge success for me as I was able to create a friendly work environment among teachers thanks to good leadership and communication skills. Even the lower staffs were duly satisfied with the way they were treated and were always happy to put maximum effort during the school affairs. However, as of now I am looking for an organization that values teamwork and promotes candidates working in a dynamic group, where I can use my experience and knowledge for the company’s benefit.

21. Tell me about yourself for Content Writers:
My name is Manisha Singh and I am from Delhi. I graduated in commerce in the year 2006, but then I changed my profession to become an English language writer, which I was always passionate about. Initially, I began writing for a new magazine and then eventually started writing blogs, guides, and even e-books. However, after gaining sufficient amount of experience, I set out to join a professional organization where I can put my polished skills to produce better results than what I could achieve alone.

22. Tell me about yourself for Freelance Writers:
I am Robinhoon and I am currently working for Testing News web-portal. My responsibility is to collect software testing related news from various sources and get the news written for our website. I keep an eye on the current technology affairs. I like to collect sports items and love to search online deals. Also I visit different sales to increase my collection with interesting things. Now I have a good collection with lots of items whom I value a lot and it has also improved my negotiating skills.

23. Tell me about yourself for Students:
I am Michael. I am currently a student at Kennedy High School. I am very active in sports and I represent for my class in various sports events. I have also helped organize various science exhibition events in the school for junior students. This has really helped me become comfortable organizing and handling event management, which is a reason I think I would make a great fit as an associate at your event management company.

Tell me something about yourself is a really important question to answer whether you are a software tester, programmer, accountant, production engineer or a fresh graduate with no work experience. If you are attending an interview you should really be prepared to answer this questions – beginners and experienced alike. Most people wonder how to answer tell me something about yourself. Write your custom answer for tell me something about yourself and practice it before the actual interview.

Tell Me About Yourself Template for Experienced Professionals:

For your convenience I have prepared a template which you can fill and customize based on your area of expertise, and experience.

Hi, My name is ………………

I have done my ………………(mention your education) from ……………… (mention your school/university).

Currently I am working at ……………… (mention your workplace, leave this line if you are a fresh graduate) as ……………… (mention your position). My roles and responsibilities include ……………… (fill this with all the important activities you do at your current workplace, include the activities that matches with the job description).

Apart from these, I also perform ……………… (other activities that might help you prove that you are suitable for the position).

In my recent project I have done ……………… (mention important activities that you performed and result achieved).

I am interesting in learning ……………… (mention anything that the job will help you learn in the future).

Tell Me About Yourself Template for Fresher with No Work Experience:

Keep your answers short and sweet. Interviewers don’t need to hear your life story; they just need to hear why you would be a good fit for the job they are hiring for.

My name is ……………… (your name).
I am currently a student at ……………… (your school/college/university) where I am very active in ……………… (mention any club/activity/sports that you are involved in).
As a representative for my class, I have helped organize various ……………… (mention any events).
This has really helped me learn ……………… (skills you learnt while organizing the events).
I am also interested in ……………… (mention any specific hobbies/interests that are relevant to the job). Currently I am learning/practicing ……………… (stuffs that will help you in the job)

Fill the blanks above and practice it regularly. Remember, with practice you can make anything happen.

The Perfect Answer for Tell Me About Yourself

There is no perfect answer for any interview question including tell me something about yourself. What you should do is look at the sample answers for experienced professionals or students who have no work experience. Write down your own sample answers and practice it multiple times. Ask a friend to listen to your answer and work on correction if required. I know it is little confusing to answer tell me about yourself for fresh graduates with no job experience. My advice would be to look for the job description you are applying for and try to match your skills with the skills required by the employer. This is true for both students and experienced professionals. Remember you are the product you are trying to sell to your future employer. Your answer should reflect why they should buy(employ) you.

If you liked this article, please share in your network and help your friends in their pursuit for getting the job they want.

Are you looking for any other sample answer for any specific industry/skills areas? Comment below and I will write a sample answer for you in the next update.

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