How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview (With Sample Answer)

Job Interviews can be nerve-wracking, and one of the first questions you’re likely to encounter is the classic, “Tell me about yourself”. While seemingly straightforward, this question is an opportunity to make a strong first impression and set the tone for the rest of the interview. We’ll explore how to answer this question effectively.

Understanding the Purpose  

Before we dig into how to answer the “Tell me about Yourself” interview question, let’s review how so many interviewers like to ask this question during a job interview. The request for a brief introduction serves multiple purposes:

1. Learn About Your Professional Background: Interviewers seek a snapshot of your professional journey, including your current role and key accomplishments, and why you make certain decisions at different career points.

2. Gauge Your Fit: They are looking for clues about how your skills and experiences of the past may make you an ideal fit with the requirements of the advertised role.

3. Assess Communication Skills: Your response provides insights into your ability to communicate effectively and clearly.  

Structure Your Response

First, start your introduction with a professional greeting, such as “Hello”, or “Hi”, coupled with a confident and friendly statement like “My name is [your name], and I am happy to share with you a little about myself.”

Begin your response with a concise overview of your professional background. You can either start with your current role and work backwards; or start with your first graduating jobs and move forward. Provide a brief summary of your roles and responsibilities of each role.

Highlight the relevant skills and key achievements that are directly relevant to the position you’re interviewing for. Tailor your response to emphasize the qualities the employer is seeking.

A quick overview of your education background would be important, as most healthcare providers need to have a respective qualification in order to work on the job.

Quickly link your experience and skills to the requirements of the role. This demonstrates a clear understanding of what the job entails and how you are well suited for it.

When you are speaking about it, convey your enthusiasm and passion for the opportunity. A genuine expression of interest will leave a positive impression. Don’t be overly braggy or overly confidence, be humble and sincere. Seasoned interviewers can differentiate between arrogance and confidence.

Sample Response:

“Hello, I’m [Your Name] and I’m very happy to be here today. I’m currently a [Your Current Position] at [Your Current Company], I’m experienced in [Key Skill 1], [Key Skill 2], and [Key Skill 3]. Prior to joining [Your Current Company], I was with [Your Previous Company], serving as [Your Previous role].

At [Your Previous Company], I’ve successfully [Mention a key accomplishment that may be relevant to this job]. I’m very excited about [Prospective Company] because of [specific reasons related to the company or role]. My skills in [Key Skill 1], [Key Skill 2], and [Key Skill 3] align well with the position. I’m very excited about the potential opportunity to contribute to [Prospective Company’s] success. 

In Conclusion

There is no best response to this question. You need to tailor your response according to the company’s culture and values. However, before you are meeting your interviewers, we highly encourage you to create an effective response on this question “Tell me about yourself” as it will come out quite often during the interview. This question is your opportunity to shine and set the tone for the rest of the interview. Good luck!  

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