“Tell me about yourself” is one of the most common and important questions in an interview.
Facing an interviewer in an interview is always a tough task for job seekers, especially freshers. That’s the reason we should always be prepared for the interview and questions that might shoot at us. And one of the most important parts of the interview is self-introduction.
Talented people, most of the time face difficulty to find a job, only because they cannot effectively present themselves.
As they say, the first impression is the last impression which is very true in the case of an interview. If you’ve nailed the self-introduction, then you will be having a better chance of a smooth interview discussion.
If any of you still think you can’t ace the interview because you are not good at communication. Then, you can always learn communication skills today in various ways. Here are some of the best English Speaking Learning apps in India.
However, to help you in how to answer “Tell me about yourself”, this article brings you some of the key points that you must remember.
The Reason Behind The Question "Tell Me About Yourself"
An Interviewer asks this question to know about your journey to date in a nutshell. This question also serves as an icebreaker to start the interview process.
By asking this question, you get an opportunity to present and talk about some personal details and interesting facts that you want the interviewer to know for the best impression.
Most of the time the purpose of the question “Tell me about yourself” is to make the candidate comfortable before starting the interview.
Key points to focus on in Self-Introduction
Greetings:
You must be very mindful of the greetings. As soon as you start introducing yourself, you must always start by greeting the interviewer (e.g., Hello/Good morning/Good Evening/Good afternoon). This will show your professionalism when you meet new people.
Thanking:
You should always thank the interview panel and the company for providing the opportunity that you have applied for. It is always a good gesture to thank them for inviting you for an interview.
Example:
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
“Thank you for providing me the opportunity to be a part of this interview.”
“Thank you for shortlisting me for this interview.”
Who are You:
Let’s just start speaking about yourself here, including your name, where are you from, where have you been brought up, which location are you living at currently, etc.
Education:
You can also speak about your education qualification. You may also speak about your experience in your institution or college and what were your learnings and achievements there.
Professional Experience: Now let’s focus on your work, the initial stage of your career, your current company, and your job role. Throw some light on your achievements throughout your career and the challenges you faced. You can add about your training, certifications, and workshops you have done to boost your profile.
Interests & Hobbies:
Every person on this planet does have some interest and hobby to spend during leisure time. If you have some skills outside of your professional work, it will give a very good impression to the interviewer.
The First Impression is the Best Impression
There is no doubt that self-introduction creates an image and impression on the interviewer in an interview. So, it is very essential to ace the self-introduction and be careful about it as it will set the base of the interview process.
Appearance:
Appearance is one of the key factors which establish the first impression in an interview. You must be very careful about the clothing you choose to wear for the interview.
Every company has a set of dress codes that they expect from the employees, also every job profile has different dress codes. You must do some research about that and the company culture before going to the interview.
By choosing the correct outfit for the interview, you show professionalism by your appearance. Also, it gives the impression that you pay attention to the small details that are important, and that you are serious about this interview.
Few Tips on Appearance
Simple wear – Try to avoid shiny clothes and jewellery which can distract interviewers’ focus from you. You need to make sure the interviewer’s concentration should be only on you during the interview, not on your clothes.
Comfortability – Wearing simple clothes to impress in an interview doesn’t mean you should not be comfortable in the outfit. Make sure you choose the correct fitting clothes which make you comfortable so that you can concentrate on the questions being asked.
Smile – Always keep a nice smile on your face while speaking during the interview. This shows that you are confident and happy to answer the questions. Also, it encourages the interview panel to interact more with you and select you.
Greeting the interviewer – Generally, whenever we meet a new person, we always greet the person with a smile and good gestures. This applies to the professional interview as well. Where you should greet the interviewer with a good smile and a proper handshake.
Try to maintain eye contact with the interviewer throughout the interview. This helps to have an impression on them that you are confident and comfortable in giving the answers.
Who Are You
You can always start introducing yourself by telling your name and age (if you are comfortable). Your tone should be confident and audible.
Try to avoid talking about your personal details which are not relevant in the self-introduction until you are asked for the same. So, don’t get carried away by your personal or family details if there is no need.
Example:
“Good morning sir/mam, I am [your name] and I am [your age] years old.”
“Good morning everybody, my name is [your name].”
Where Are You From
The place you belong to or come from tells a lot about you and your personality. Hence it becomes very important to include while introducing yourself in an interview.
Because many people live in different cities and locations. And every city has its own charm and culture. You can always mention the places you lived and studied that influenced you and added to your personality.
Educational Qualifications
Example:
“I was born in Nagpur, but I was raised and completed my Graduation in Hyderabad. The desire for higher education brought me to Bangalore and I completed my masters in Bangalore.”
Let’s throw some light on your academics and education qualifications. Share some basic details about the subjects that you were more interested in. Also, you can mention some extra-curricular activities and achievements during college.
In case you have done any courses or certifications, you can always mention them as well.
Example:
“I’ve completed my schooling at St. Joseph school in Bangalore. Later I got an opportunity to pursue my graduation from IIT-Kharagpur.”
Professional Experience
After the basic introduction of the personal details and education, it’s time to talk about the Professional Experience.
Brief about your role in the current organization and achievements or accolades if any. Later mention your previous companies, experience, internship, workshops, etc.
Mention only those skills and experience which are relevant to the job profile you’ve applied for.
Example:
“I have been working as a Digital Marketing Manager for 5 years now. Back in college, I was very much interested in marketing and started learning Digital marketing. Later I chose it as my full-time career option. Right now, I am handling a team of 6 members who are responsible for creating the best marketing campaigns at [you company]”. In the last three years, my team was successfully able to increase the company’s profit from 15% to 25%.”
Hobbies & Interests
Many people are still skeptical about how to answer “tell me about yourself” and whether should they discuss hobbies in self-introduction.
Self-introduction is all about letting the interviewer know about all the aspects of you in a brief. After mentioning the professional experience, do mention your hobbies and interests and what you like to do in your leisure time.
Do not hesitate to mention your hobbies & interests, and you can always take the conversation toward this area.
By now you know about the important areas to prepare for the Self-Introduction in an interview. However, you can always tweak or modify the presentation according to your experience and personality.
After coming this far, if you are still confused about how to answer “tell me about yourself” in the best possible way, then let’s explore a few other important areas of improvement during the interview.
Apart from assessing your answers and communication, there are many other factors that interviewers observe during the interview. For example, body language, nervousness, tidiness, etc.
So, let’s discuss them here.
Tips to Ace Your Self-Introduction and the Interview
Research about the company:
You should always do some research about the job role and the company before going for the interview. It will give you more confidence during the interview.
Many-a-time interviewers ask about the job role that you have applied for and about the company to know if you are aware of it. So, to maximize your chances of getting selected you must research the job role and the company.
Be on time: You must be on time for the interview. It is always recommended to reach the interview location before 15-30 mins of the interview. Inform the concerned person or reception about your arrival. This shows that you value time and are serious about this interview.
Clean/Tidiness: You must be traveling from one place to another for this interview. Make sure while traveling you don’t mess with your clothes or outfit. It must be clean and tidy to have a good impression on the interviewers.
For your information, many people do carry a pair of clothes along with them in case they have a very bad day.
Smile: Have a nice smile on your face as soon as you meet your counterparts and have a good handshake. Wearing a nice decent smile throughout the interview adds to your confidence, also you come across as a friendly person.
Eye-Contact: Maintain eye contact throughout the interview. Try to avoid distractions and be confident.
Body Language: The way you communicate with your words, and eyes, you can also communicate with your body language. Therefore, it becomes one of the important factors to nail the interview. You need to be cautious about your walk, talk, sitting position, eye contact, voice tone, hand gestures, etc.
Know your Resume: There might be a chance that at the beginning of the interview you will be asked questions related to your resume. So, make sure you are aware of the content of your resume. Never mention anything in the resume you have no idea about.
Listen: People usually ignore listening. They make a big mistake by not listening to the interviewer properly and answering irrelevant things which are not required. Hence, this gives a very bad impression of you and your personality.Therefore, improve your listening skills by keeping your ears wide open.
Take a pause: In case you feel like taking a pause during the interview, please go ahead and ask the interviewer for it. Taking a pause for a moment in certain situations is helpful to recollect your thoughts about the question and remember the answer. You can say things like “let me recollect my thoughts” or “let me think about that” or “let me recall for a moment”.
Be precise: It is always a good practice to keep your answer short and precise. Try to mention only those topics which are required while answering any question. Believe me, interviewers like short and to-the-point answers.
Inappropriate vocabulary or language: During the interview, you must be very conscious of the words you use and the tone with which you speak. Do not use any offensive or unparliamentary words that may offend any religion, race, caste, politics, etc.
Stay hydrated: During the interview, while answering questions if you feel thirsty, don’t hesitate to ask for some water. You should never suppress the desire to have water because it might bother you later in the interview. Let’s ask for a glass of water and get prepared for further questions.
Ask questions: At last, it is always good practice to ask questions from the interviewer. Being curious in an interview and asking questions about the job role and company is not a bad thing. This shows your interest in the job and willingness towards to join the organization. Don’t leave this opportunity to ask the questions in the end. It will eventually increase your chances of selection.
Ending the interview: Once you are done with the interview session, stand up and shake the hands of the interviewer or interview (if more than one) with a nice smile. And thank them for inviting you for the interview. You should always end the interview on a positive note. You can say something like “It was nice meeting you today. Have a great day” or “It was a pleasure meeting you today. Have a great day ahead”.
Few Don'ts of Self-Introduction in an Interview
Crisp –
– Try to keep your introduction crisp and short by including important and general details about you. Do not narrate your resume to the interviewer which gives a very bad impression.
– Do not narrate life stories: highlight only those events or anecdotes that are important for the interview. And don’t drag long about that.
Do not interrupt –
– Never interrupt while the interviewer is talking. It gives the impression that you are impatient. Listen carefully and wait till he finishes his talk.
– No questions at the beginning: Do not ask questions at the beginning of the interview. You can always keep a note of the questions in your mind and can always shoot them at the end of the interview.
Conclusion
To introduce yourself in an interview sometimes is a daunting task. Because some people have many things to say about them, some have less but don’t know how to articulate and what to mention in the interview.
There are many key factors that play into having the best interview experience. It depends upon how to answer “tell me about yourself” and to pitch themselves in a short span of time.
The tips and tricks mentioned in this article will help you improve your confidence and make it easy to nail the interview.
