How do I answer the interview question ‘Tell me about yourself?’
More than half of recruiters admit to asking this as a first question in an interview. This question is intended as an ice breaker but feels vague. Here’s what to say and what not to say.
Welcome to Pressing Questions, Fast Company’s work-life advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of The New Way We Work podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions.
Q: How do I answer the interview question “Tell me about yourself?”
A: Chances are you’ve been asked this question in a job interview before and chances are you will be again. More than half of recruiters admit to asking this as a first question in an interview. This question is intended as an ice breaker but feels vague. They aren’t looking for your life story or for you to recite your résumé. But the question is autobiographical, so elements of who you are as a person and what you’ve done (and are interested in doing professionally) should be included. And while you don’t have to have a tight 30-second elevator pitch style answer planned, you also shouldn’t ramble on for several minutes. Here’s how I might answer this question:
“I’m one of those rare people who have always wanted to know what they want to do, although that’s evolved a lot over the years. I’ve been working in journalism for nearly 20 years, mostly on the digital side. I’ve been at Fast Company for 11 years, where I started as the editor of the Work Life section and redefined the coverage of the topic, including launching the company’s podcasting arm with The New Way We Work podcast that I’ve hosted for six years. In 2018, I became the deputy editor of Fastcompany.com and led our News and Work Life sections and overall strategy. During the pandemic, I moved back to my home state of Michigan. I’ve found that working outside of New York has increased my access to stories that often get overlooked by journalists based on the coasts, which we’ve found have a lot of success with readers.”