Almost everyone tends to Google the top 10 interview questions the day before their final interview. A well-drafted answer to this question can land you safely in your dream job. Answering “Tell me about yourself” sounds simple, but it is the driving force behind the remaining part of the interview.
All this information applies to both freshers and experienced professionals. We will talk about the following things:
- Why interviewers ask such questions
- How to answer correctly
- Sample answers
Why do Interviewers Ask This Question
You need to dispel the illusion that your resume can convey more than 50% of who you are. To gain a deeper understanding, interviewers often opt for the question, ‘Tell me about yourself,’ as a means of exploring beyond what is captured on paper. Believe me, in some cases, the interviewer may not even have a question to start with.
How to Answer, “Tell Me About Yourself” During an Interview
Read the Job Description
Before preparing an answer to this interview question, read the job description twice and find out the key tasks and skills required for the job you have applied for. While making notes for this question, ensure to highlight these skills and your experience in the mentioned tasks.
Highlight Your Relevant Education and Certifications
After greeting, begin your response by introducing yourself, including your name and current location. Then, proceed to highlight your academic achievements and relevant training experiences. If any certifications are mandatory for performing the job, be sure to emphasize them. Additionally, refrain from mentioning any education where grades are not favorable.
Professional Experience and College Projects
The interviewer will give more attention to listening to this part. Whether you are a fresher or an experienced professional, you need to create the best impression with your historical achievements, college projects, or professional accomplishments. Mention what you have done and explain how this experience will be beneficial in the new job. To get more benefits, focus only on the relevant skills and tasks that are mandatory for this job.
Biggest Achievement
Though the interview question ‘What is your biggest achievement?’ is different from this question, you can indirectly answer it. Create a real story about a relevant project. Talk about it for about 20-30 seconds, and make sure to highlight achievements in numbers. This will prompt the interviewer to ask more questions related to this project. If you have done enough homework on this story, you can now answer any question. This is a golden tip I have ever used in my professional life. You can watch this video also to know more about on this topic.
Sample Answers for Interview Question ‘Tell Me About Yourself’
Example Answer 1 for Freshers
Thanks for the opportunity. I am basically from New Delhi, India. I graduated from Delhi University in computer science. I am passionate about data management tools and technology. I am certified in Data Analytics from Udemy. I have had a chance to put my data management skills to good use by supporting the student’s data. During my internship in a call center, I managed to reduce the processing time by 10% with data analysis.
Example Answer 2 for Professionals
Thanks for the opportunity to introduce myself. I belong to New Delhi, India. After graduation, I did an MBA in Finance. And I am certified in Fraud management and SQL. I started my career in 2020 with XYZ company.
“My first role was in the credit approval team. We were supposed to make decisions on loan applications based on credit history. We managed to process 80% of applications in 10 minutes.”
“My second role was in the Fraud management team. I was responsible for the investigation of suspected fraud cases. We successfully maintained a fraud detection rate above 3%.”
“I am part of investor management team now – my major role is to publish reports on company performance for investors.”
Conclusion
Do you answer in the same way as mentioned above? Read the above-mentioned sample answers again to check how we used numbers to highlight achievement, the use of technical skills, and emphasized results. Do not go for any interview without being prepared. If you can master answering “Tell me about yourself,” you have completed half of the journey. Make your answer simple and professional. Practice is the key, and you can unlock your door of success with this key. Good Luck.