Tell us a little bit about yourself

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Many interviewers will start off with this question, which could throw you off a bit. You’ve done all of this research on the company but have you prepared to talk about yourself?

The interviewer is looking for relevant information about the position for which you applied. Respond by mentioning your education, how many years of experience you have in your field, and be sure to give some details about your most current position. Conclude your response with a statement about what you are looking for in a role at this time.

«I have a B.A. in Communications and Journalism from the University of Michigan. I have three years of experience in Marketing and Communications. My most recent position was with Amazon as a Marketing Coordinator, and I’m currently looking for a position that will allow me to grow into a leadership opportunity.»

«With pleasure! I have over ten years of experience in the professional services industry and am interested in growing my career to the next level, and become an executive assistant. On a more personal note, I love to read, go hiking and spend a lot of my extra time volunteering with the humane society.»

«I am a calm and quiet leader, with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Even though I am quiet, I can motivate my team and keep morale high. I was recently awarded ‘Most Productive Manager’ in my organization.»

«I graduated with a B.A. in Economics and started my career in sales. After a successful three years, I decided to begin making the moves to the marketing side. Freelancing on the side to shore up my creative skill set prepared me for the leap to my first marketing position as an inbound marketing coordinator. I am still with the same organization, but now as a content manager. I help build out the marketing calendar and execute its items from blog posts to social media to email marketing efforts. In my next role, ideally with your company, I am looking to achieve the next step towards a director position.»

«I started my career in retail very young. My first job at sixteen was as a sales associate at a large department store, and I have stuck to retail ever since. After high school, I achieved my associate’s degree in fashion merchandising and continued to a four-year university where I obtained my B.A. in communications. Since then, I have held various leadership and management positions in both small boutiques and large department stores. I am currently looking to take my experience and career to the next level by pursuing this position as the department manager in your highest volume department.»

«I started my sales career in a large corporate setting, and there I received a promotion within only a few months. I decided that I wanted to stretch my wings and made the leap to a startup. There, I earned the fastest promotion in company history and followed that up with the fastest deal to close after promotion. I have had continued success here and am in my preferred sales territory. However, I feel that I may have outgrown the position and right now, there isn’t an opportunity for a managerial position here, so I’m looking at outside opportunities, such as this one.»

«I am super excited and passionate about my job, the language, my students, and continual learning. I feel so privileged to have a job that I leap out of bed for every morning. I am a mom of boys, and I am a fitness enthusiast: as their soccer coach, the high school soccer coach for freshman girls, and a runner in my spare time.»

Anonymous Interview Answer

«Animals and music are my passion. I grew up with dogs and cats and horses on a small farm outside NYC. I am friendly, driven, and have a good sense of humor. I love volunteering at animal shelters and nursing homes for the older generation of people. I have an incredibly strong work ethic, as well. I have a dog and a cat whom I love dearly and make my days fully wonderful.»

Rachelle’s Feedback for the Answer Above

It sounds as though you live a happy, fulfilling life! When it comes to your love of animals and your compassion for others, be sure to tie this into your future success in the role in question.

How would you rate Rachelle’s Feedback?

Anonymous Interview Answer

«M name is ______, I’m from Egypt, and I moved to Denmark for work in January 2020. I’ve graduated from the faculty of engineering in 2011 I started my career as a PHP developer in 2013, so I have 8 years of experience, and during these years, I used multiple languages and I strongly believe that I’m proficient in using PHP, Ruby, and Java with different frameworks for each programming languages and different software tools also, I’m interested in the business side, and I got a certificate as scrum master from scrum.org, and I played different roles actually I can say I claimed the ladder from the first step I started as a freelance junior developer up to technical lead and scrum master and that helped me a lot to gain my knowledge and experience Also, in my free time, I really like to listen to calm music and read a book or cook a meal, and eating it with my roommate.»

Cindy’s Feedback for the Answer Above

Good! You’re using the question to highlight work skills, which is great, and also talking a bit about yourself, personally. Interviewers often want to get to know applicants beyond the information on their resumes to determine whether there is a culture fit, so be sure to elaborate.

How would you rate Cindy’s Feedback?

Advice and Examples: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

How to Answer

Many interviewers will start off with this question, which could throw you off a bit. You’ve done all of this research on the company but have you prepared to talk about yourself?

The interviewer is looking for relevant information about the position for which you applied. Respond by mentioning your education, how many years of experience you have in your field, and be sure to give some details about your most current position. Conclude your response with a statement about what you are looking for in a role at this time.

«I have a B.A. in Communications and Journalism from the University of Michigan. I have three years of experience in Marketing and Communications. My most recent position was with Amazon as a Marketing Coordinator, and I’m currently looking for a position that will allow me to grow into a leadership opportunity.»

Rachelle’s Answer for an Admin Interview

«With pleasure! I have over ten years of experience in the professional services industry and am interested in growing my career to the next level, and become an executive assistant. On a more personal note, I love to read, go hiking and spend a lot of my extra time volunteering with the humane society.»

Rachelle’s Answer for a Manager Interview

«I am a calm and quiet leader, with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Even though I am quiet, I can motivate my team and keep morale high. I was recently awarded ‘Most Productive Manager’ in my organization.»

«I graduated with a B.A. in Economics and started my career in sales. After a successful three years, I decided to begin making the moves to the marketing side. Freelancing on the side to shore up my creative skill set prepared me for the leap to my first marketing position as an inbound marketing coordinator. I am still with the same organization, but now as a content manager. I help build out the marketing calendar and execute its items from blog posts to social media to email marketing efforts. In my next role, ideally with your company, I am looking to achieve the next step towards a director position.»

Rachelle’s Answer for a Retail Interview

«I started my career in retail very young. My first job at sixteen was as a sales associate at a large department store, and I have stuck to retail ever since. After high school, I achieved my associate’s degree in fashion merchandising and continued to a four-year university where I obtained my B.A. in communications. Since then, I have held various leadership and management positions in both small boutiques and large department stores. I am currently looking to take my experience and career to the next level by pursuing this position as the department manager in your highest volume department.»

Rachelle’s Answer for a Sales Interview

«I started my sales career in a large corporate setting, and there I received a promotion within only a few months. I decided that I wanted to stretch my wings and made the leap to a startup. There, I earned the fastest promotion in company history and followed that up with the fastest deal to close after promotion. I have had continued success here and am in my preferred sales territory. However, I feel that I may have outgrown the position and right now, there isn’t an opportunity for a managerial position here, so I’m looking at outside opportunities, such as this one.»

Rachelle’s Answer for a Teacher Interview

«I am super excited and passionate about my job, the language, my students, and continual learning. I feel so privileged to have a job that I leap out of bed for every morning. I am a mom of boys, and I am a fitness enthusiast: as their soccer coach, the high school soccer coach for freshman girls, and a runner in my spare time.»

7 Community Answers

Anonymous interview answers with our interview experts feedback

Anonymous Interview Answer

«Animals and music are my passion. I grew up with dogs and cats and horses on a small farm outside NYC. I am friendly, driven, and have a good sense of humor. I love volunteering at animal shelters and nursing homes for the older generation of people. I have an incredibly strong work ethic, as well. I have a dog and a cat whom I love dearly and make my days fully wonderful.»

Tell Me a Little About Yourself – How to Answer Effectively

During the interview one of the most common questions to be asked is, “tell me a bit about yourself.”

The difference between answering this right and answering this wrong can mean the job. Many candidates find this one of the toughest questions to answer. Yet what you have here is an opportunity to describe yourself in a positive light and show the interviewer your strengths.

What the hiring manager is really looking for is how well you can articulate.

Here are some excellent tips on how to answer effectively and get the most benefit from answering this question.

How to Tell A ‘Little bit’ About Yourself

Here are our best tips.
1. Highlight What You Can do For the Company
For the most part career coaches agree that when answering this question you should focus on what will interest the interviewer, and stick to highlighting a few of your key accomplishments. Don’t start by telling the interviewer where you were born, where you grew up. The only thing the interviewer is really wondering about is whether you can do the job.

When a candidate isn’t prepared for this question they tend to start rambling their life story, and suddenly personal matters become the business of the hiring manager. This is not what you want to happen.

2. Be Memorable
When you answer the “about yourself” question make your answers memorable.
For example, if you tell the interviewer a short and to the point story of how you achieved a specific goal at your current position even against some very tough odds, you’ll show the interviewer you’re a tenacious individual that’s highly motivated, and can think on your feet.

3. Be Prepared
Just like you would practice if you were in a theater production, practice for your audition for the company. The more you practice what you’ll say the more effective your answer will be. You can rewrite your script, fine-tune your answer, and even curtail the length of your answer, simply by practicing. You can also practice speaking slower and articulating what you are saying.

How do you respond to «Tell me a little bit about yourself.» question in interviews? [closed]

Want to improve this question? Update the question so it’s on-topic for Software Engineering Stack Exchange.

I’ve been asked this in a few interviews. And it always catches me off guard.My professional and academic background are already in the resumé, which the interviewer has obviously looked at. What more to tell him/her? Should I start with my hobbies? I like gardening, or looking at NSFW pictures on reddit in my free time?

What and how do you answer to this specific question? Do you have a prepared answer for it? Am I wrong if I think this question is a bit silly?

UPDATE There have been a lot of great answers to this question. I’m in pickle which to choose as the ‘correct’ answer, because most of them are very insightful. I found a great writing on this subject matter. It’s a bit crazy for my taste, but it’s interesting:

11 Answers 11

Don’t assume the interviewer knows your resumé inside out. Often, they’ll be interviewing several people for the position and may have just had a cursory glance over your resumé before starting the interview.

With that in mind, and assuming this question comes early on in the interview, use this question as an opportunity to give a brief history of your career and why you are applying for the job, as well as what your stand-out skills or attributes are.

Your answer can effectively steer the course of the interview, giving the interviewer some «jumping off» points that could change what questions you get asked next. Focusing on your strengths with this answer means that it will be more natural to talk about what makes you great in answers to subsequent questions and not as something you have to try to shoehorn in to some other answer.

It isn’t a silly question. I’ve been on both sides of the interview table and I think it is just another way of saying «Give me an executive summary of your resume and work experience.»

You shouldn’t dread this question. It is so open-ended that you can use it as a launching off point to direct the conversation directly to your strengths and give your pre-prepared elevator speech. You did prepare one, right? =)

You say «My professional and academic background are already in the resumé, which the interviewer has obviously looked at.» Yes, that’s true, but don’t think that the interviewer is trying to get facts out of you.

You need to understand why the interviewer is asking this question, and what the role of it is.

The question “Tell me about yourself” serves at least five purposes.

Here’s how I answered on career overflow:

Thirty seconds. If I want the details of your two year sailing trip around the world, or why you are leaving your old job, I’ll drill in.

Answers of exercises

Pages

About Me

Followers

Total Pageviews

Answer of exercises 10

Mr. Smith: So tell me a little bit about yourself, Mr. Harris. I would like to find out a little bit more about your background.

Mr. Harris: I (work) have been working in the insurance industry for over ten years. I worked for Met Life for six years and World Insurance for four and a half. During that time, I heard many good things about Hollings Life Insurance and that’s why I (apply) am applying for the new sales position.

Mr. Smith: Tell me a little about your hobbies and interests.

Mr. Harris: In my spare time, I hike in the mountains outside of town, volunteer at the Sierra Club and play tennis. In fact, I (compete) am competing in a tennis tournament this weekend.

Mr. Harris: I (play) have been playing since high school. I love the sport.

Mr. Smith: Great! We like dedication here at Hollings Life. You mentioned you volunteer at the Sierra Club. I (work, currently) am currently working with them on the sea turtle project. We (try) are trying to create a wildlife sanctuary near the bay.

Mr. Harris: Do you know Frank Harris? He’s my brother. He (work, presently) is presently working on the same project.

Mr. Smith: I know Frank quite well. Any brother of Frank’s would be a welcome addition to Hollings Life. Just one more thing, we (look) are looking for somebody who is fluent in Spanish; many of our clients are from Mexico.

Mr. Harris: No problem. I (study) have been studying Spanish since elementary school.

Mr. Smith: Sounds like you are the perfect candidate.

Would you mind introducing a little bit about yourself

sunyaer

Senior Member

«Would you mind introducing a little bit about yourself?»

I feel this is a natural and correct sentence, but would like native speakers to confirm.

djweaverbeaver

Senior Member

We usually say something like the following: » Would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself? » Telling here implies introducing oneself.

perpend

Banned

Oddly enough, at least in my opinion, if you change the word order a bit, it could work: Would you mind introducing yourself a little bit?

But, that’s not common. The original word order (#1) does not work.

All that said, I recommend/support dj’s (#2) suggestion.

sunyaer

Senior Member

What about this in a project meeting with a new project engineer where the manager is speaking to him:

«Do you want to start off by introducing a little bit about yourself?»

Thomas Tompion

Member Emeritus

What about this in a project meeting with a new project engineer where the manager is speaking to him:

«Do you want to start off by introducing a little bit about yourself?»

The point is, Sunyaer, as others have pointed out, you are introducing yourself, not a statement about yourself.

This is the obvious objection to the formula which you are suggesting and which I would press you to abandon.

sunyaer

Senior Member

I am introducing myself, and I can be introducing information (not neccessarily a statement) about myself.

I found something on the internet that seems written by a good English speaker, if not a native one.

Here is the source:

Now, my feeling tells me that «introducing myself» is more common and logical, while «introducing information about myself» is also logical in some contexts.

Thomas Tompion

Member Emeritus

Egmont

Senior Member

The problem is that the verb «to introduce» has (at least) two meanings.

One meaning is to tell someone something about a person: his or her name and perhaps more. In that usage, you only introduce a person. You cannot introduce information about a person.

A second meaning is to put one thing into another thing. One can, for example, introduce a topic into a discussion, a chemical into a solution, or a control rod into a nuclear reactor core. In that context, you could introduce information about yourself into a book. Therefore, «introduce information about myself» is (as you wrote) correct in some contexts, but those contexts are not the context of someone introducing himself at a meeting.

In the context that you provided in post #4, only «introduce yourself» is correct. «Introduce information about yourself» is an error. The manager may have made this error because he or she remembers a sentence in which the word «introduce» is used with its other meaning, and does not understand that the two meanings are different.