Dear Boss,
I had a bad interview that made me realize I needed to work on my interviewing skills. The interviewer asked me the classic “Tell me about yourself” but then noted that she had a copy of my résumé in front of her so no need to walk her through every step of the way. I did my pitch, kept it professional, kept it under two minutes, and connected it to why I was applying for the job.
Still, I’m thrown off by what is expected of me when they ask that question but specifically say they have my résumé in front of them. Do they want me to highlight stuff from my résumé or not?
I’ve seen advice to tell a story connecting the reason why I made certain career choices like going from one company to another, etc., because that’s more compelling than just listing metrics already on your résumé. But I also feel like the majority of the advice I see is strictly, “Keep it professional! Highlight your résumé! Talk metrics! …”
I didn’t pass that interview, but it’s fine because the interviewer and I both realized we were not each other’s best fit. But I want to do better going forward, and I feel like I’m missing out by stumbling on the first question.
What do employers want to hear when they ask that question, assuming they’ve already seen your résumé?
Don’t be thrown off by interviewers asking “tell me about yourself” when they already have a copy of your résumé in front of them! They’re not saying, “Introduce yourself to me as if we just met on the street and I know nothing at all about you.” They’re saying, “Give me a brief overview of who you are as a professional as a way to get this conversation going.”
In fact, even when you don’t see a copy of your résumé in front of them, assume that’s what this question means.
“Tell me about yourself” is usually intended as a softball ice-breaker to help ease into the conversation — somewhat ironically, given how nervous it makes some candidates, but that’s the case nonetheless.
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Okay, but what does a good answer sound like?
The specifics will differ from person to person, but generally a strong answer will summarize where you are in your career, note anything distinctive about how you approach your work, and end with a bit about what you’re looking for next.
For example, one version of a good answer might sound like this:
“I went into fundraising because I wanted to work with mission-driven organizations, and I know that work can’t happen without the money to support it. Pretty early on, I found that my science background was especially helpful in being able to talk with donors about the work we were doing at organizations like (a) and (b). I love being able to show donors how their gifts lead to outcomes like (c) and (d), and I think my ability to do that while translating the technical language into layman’s terms has been responsible for some of the largest donations I’ve raised. For example, last year I raised the single largest donation in our history by doing ___. I’m excited about the role you have open here because it would let me continue to use my science background while raising money for an issue I feel strongly about.”
That answer is short, but it hits on why you’re in the field, a special skill or talent you bring to it, what resonates with you about the work, an impressive accomplishment you’ve had, and why you’re interested in the role you’re interviewing for.
But don’t get too tied to this format! This is one example, yet there are lots of ways to phrase a brief professional overview. (In particular, you don’t need to include specific achievements if there’s no way to work them in naturally; you don’t want to sound like you’re forcing one in because you think you’re expected to.) As long as you give a basic sense of what you’re all about as a professional and you’re not just regurgitating your résumé, your answer should be fine.
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Keep your focus professional, not personal.
“Tell me about yourself” can sound like it’s inviting personal details like “I grew up in Michigan but moved to New York after college” or “I’m really passionate about yodeling” or “I’m married and have two kids” … but it’s not! Keep your answer focused on your professional life, not your personal one. If it helps, mentally translate the question to, “Tell me about yourself professionally.”
Some interviewers may want to know more about you as a person, but let them tell you if that’s the case. It’s better to wait to be explicitly invited to share those details than it is to volunteer a lot of personal information to an interviewer who really just wanted to hear about your career path.
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Your answer only needs to be about one minute long.
“Tell me about yourself” isn’t usually going to be a major part of the interview — it’s the easing-in that happens before you get into more nitty-gritty topics, so it shouldn’t be a long monologue. Roughly one minute is a good general guideline.
And one minute may sound very short, but it’s actually pretty long when you’re talking out loud — time yourself practicing and you’ll see. (The sample answer above took me only 45 seconds to read out loud.)
That’s not to say you can’t go longer if your interviewer looks interested and engaged. As with any interview response, watch the cues you’re getting from your interviewer and adjust accordingly.
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Talk yourself up — but don’t sound like an infomercial.
This isn’t the time to be self-deprecating or disclose everything that may make you a weaker candidate, like that you were let go from your last job or worry you don’t have the level of experience they want. Your answer shouldn’t sound like an aggressive sales pitch, either (few interviewers want that, and that’s a good way to be annoying right off the bat), but you should sound enthusiastic about your career and this particular opening.
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Practice your answer ahead of time.
This is one of the most common interview questions, so you should assume you might be asked it and prepare for it ahead of time. If you try to wing it, you’re much more likely to ramble and not hit the key points you want to make. Instead, work out your answer ahead of time and practice your delivery. There’s something about saying the actual words out loud to yourself a few times in the privacy of your own living room that makes the language easier to retrieve when you’re face-to-face with your interviewer.
Good luck!
Find even more career advice from Alison Green on her website, Ask a Manager. Got a question for her? Email askaboss@nymag.com (and read our submission terms here).
