#01: Tell me about yourself.

TRAPS: Beware, about 80% of all interviews begin with this “innocent” question. Many candidates, unprepared for the question, skewer themselves by rambling, recapping their life story, delving into ancient work history or personal matters.

BEST ANSWER: Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position. Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in job hunting.

So, before you answer this or any question it's imperative that you try to uncover your interviewer's greatest need, want, problem or goal.

To do so, make you take these two steps:

1. Do all the homework you can before the interview to uncover this person's wants and needs (not the generalized needs of the industry or company)
2. As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more complete description of what the position entails. You might say: “I have a number of accomplishments I'd like to tell you about, but I want to make the best use of our time together and talk directly to your needs. To help me do, that, could you tell me more about the most important priorities of this position? All I know is what I (heard from the recruiter, read in the classified ad, etc.)”

Then, ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly, third question, to draw out his needs even more. Surprisingly, it's usually this second or third question that unearths what the interviewer is most looking for.

You might ask simply, "And in addition to that?..." or, "Is there anything else you see as essential to success in this position?

This process will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier simply to answer questions, but only if you uncover the employer's wants and needs will your answers make the most sense. Practice asking these key questions before giving your answers, the process will feel more natural and you will be light years ahead of the other job candidates you're competing with.

After uncovering what the employer is looking for, describe why the needs of this job bear striking parallels to tasks you've succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with specific examples of your responsibilities and especially your achievements, all of which are geared to present yourself as a perfect match for the needs he has just described.
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83 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi

Anonymous said...

These stupid HR folks are worthless piece of shits out to hire people at the lowest price.Look at other countries where these HR folks are not the ones who decide whether u fit into the company or not.
The HR people are just there to throw their weight around during interviews after which they are of no use.

Anonymous said...

I agree HR are waste of time

Anonymous said...

yuup!

Anonymous said...

When talking about HR's defnetly v may gather more knowledge and our talents which is not even known by us ill also exposed.But some of the candidates feel shy and they not even try to expose their talents by some HR's approach.

Anonymous said...

can i hav a moral answer for that
on basis of which i can prepare my answer

Anonymous said...

ya plz give an example ,it wil help a lot

Anonymous said...

this is a copy paste from freshers world .... atleast mention the source

Unknown said...

one thinks that telling about our self is very easy thing but we have to very careful for this answer as the first imperssion is the best impression

Anonymous said...

ya first impression is the best impression we have take this question very careful

Unknown said...

siva love praveena

Anonymous said...

what it seems to me is by asking the interviewer questions about the person,position whom they are to be recruited and then answering according to their needs will help only to create the impression that we are lieing and may be to lose the job.

Anonymous said...

This question is something telling abt our selves is like flattering of one self, its better to get a person kno his talents and skills when he works out in realtime. Cause some candidates cannot speak but they have a good talent and some talk more and cant show any talent. So I think a fresher need to give an oppurtunity to find his place and explore his ideas.

regards,

Irfan.

Anonymous said...

hey u guys.....
stop talking rubbish abt HRs.....
they are the one who judge os as to where we stand....
they make us know our mistakes and to learn from...if u cant communicate urself in an interview then u ll never be able to anywhere....
good luck for interview guys...juzz be positive and give it your best shot....

Anonymous said...

nishant aneesh here please dont use that 1 comment

krishna said...

hey can any one tell how to say ...like how to strt

hi dis is so and so ,me dng so and so like dis pls

Anonymous said...

nice information

Anonymous said...

its like u 1st talk bout your educational background,your qualifications followed by achievements if any, then proceed with your experiences and your strengths.Lastly dont forget to mentionas to why are you suitable for this job..So in short u cover evrything which the interviewer is looking forward to

Anonymous said...

The HR interviews r a waste of time(atleast for freshers)..some guy here posted that it helps the HR to know whether u can communicate well or not..Even the technical interviewer can make out if u r good at communicating...and look at the questions these HR guys ask...tell me abt urself,ur strengths,etc.The candidates r advised not to talk abt ur family bakgrnd,ur qualities like easy going...then wat d hell do we talk abt..The fresher has no experience so he has no idea wat skills does he possesses and how he can contribute to d company.If he does mention abt some quality(like team player) he is told to to prove to it.
utter nonsense!!

Anonymous said...

Tell me about myself? Well, I detest HR bimbos like you.

Anonymous said...

"If hired I will show up and work hard."

Pankaj Barnwal said...

Correctly written.
This is the most important question that sets the tone for rest of the interview process.

-Pankaj
http://telecomwirelesstesting.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Good

Anonymous said...

Its waste to recruit HR in company,its waste of money

Anonymous said...

this type of question is suitable for first time students

Anonymous said...

u all are doing time pass

Anonymous said...

hey any one can plz post a nice sample for tell me about urself plz plz ............
but it should be 10 out 10 k
plz plz
plz
do it fr me frnds plz

Anonymous said...

madarchode he sala hr log ka?

Anonymous said...

@KRISHNA
hOW TO START:
Well its my pleasure to introduce my self to you.
i'M SO AND SO.............

Unknown said...

hr: tel me u r %?
me: i told all my %
hr: ok tel me a story
me: started tellimg abt me
hr: no no i'm not asking abt u
just tell me a story
me: startd " once der lived a king"
hr: ok ok go home
me: sir i have some doubts can i ask u?
hr: yes
me: if i got selected on wat platform i will be given?
hr: any platform, are u comfortable to work?
me: yes sir
me: nd how many months of training i will be provided?
hr: around 14 2 16 weeks
hr: any questions?
me: nothing sir
hr: he himself stated the salary
to me
nd asked me to check the mail with in a week
me: can i expect the things sir
hr: just check u r mail
me: thank u sir

this is my hr in CTS.........
can any one help me wat exactly hr means

Unknown said...

my mail id is gyuvaraj10@gmail.com

sweety said...

i want a best answer to tel me about urself itmay helpful 4 al d studets who r facing interview????????????

Anonymous said...

tell some story of you based on you resume.

amit mehra said...

irst start with ur Personal details like.

i am -name----..

born and bought of up ...(which place ur belongs to)

then ur qualification back ground...

then hoobbies and interests..

at last ur goal and aim....

if Hr is not telling to stop then immidetaly strat famil
background..

till hr will stop to u...

Best Of Luck :)

Anonymous said...

You give way too much attention to this load of irrilevant details. And I mean this and the other questions. One must be himself try to be relaxed and answer sincerely, and hope to have a bit of luck. You can come out with all the load if crap you want, but if the interwiever doesn't like you and your first impression, or maybe he/she's going trough a bad day, or he/she didn't get laid, you can say all the nice thing and bullshit you want, you are screwed.

Callan S. said...

Great tips, will be working up a research document around my next job prospect using these questions and suggested answers!

Unknown said...

nice tips bro..really liked it.ur site is interesting hav to go through it..

Paul Wright said...

Great tips, I love the part about asking questions this will also give you a stronger position in the interview.

Anonymous said...

Yeah this is a simple qn that most of the candidates may come across. But it s nt an easy qn to be answered.the best solution is one should analyse his/ her strengths, weakness, achievements, aim, goal and so on and sort it out

Anonymous said...

nice

Anonymous said...

me alzo ding u givin HR do mash cledit

Anonymous said...

you have to start like this-
1. tell hr your name.
2.tell hr about your schooling.
3.tell about your college/graduation.
4.tell about your work experience if you have.
5.tell about your qualities and skills for which hr is looking.
be honest and point to point.

shah said...

hey frnds.....all hr are bullshits...doing ur own business,,itz better for life..show ur own talent and talk to face to face concat..thn hr will scared..best of luck...frnds

Anonymous said...

first a fall u be focus wt he ill ask u and be confidence & relax .maintan eys to eys smile face and energetic well
best of luck

Manjunath said...

hi.....

Anonymous said...

Just prepare yourself when u are going for the first time or what how many.

asif said...

nice post .can i hav a moral answer for that,

Anonymous said...

This is a great post. I think this is one of the most important interview question. It is an opportunity for the candidate to show his career achievements.

Anonymous said...

really hr r damn looser peoples...they think they the only one who runs organisation

Anonymous said...

lady hr are smoking hot i dont knw why they join modelling industry while screwing the bosses

Rumah Dijual said...

Thank you for an excellent weblog !! I discovered some useful information and will suggest your blog for all my buddies.

Anonymous said...

I just tell them my field, my name, family, a couple things i enjoy doing.
if i started off the bat with "tell me about yourself" to get a job, id find another place to work.
Ask for a technical phone screen first and ask about the company, what they are looking for, and your day to day activities.
That will filter and bypass all this bull.

Anonymous said...

This is one of the laziest HR questions in the world. I try to give focused and brief answers but *always* end up having to explain my entire educational and work history. I ask, "What exactly on my CV would you like to know more about?" And they just go, "Everything. Tell me from the beginning." If I try to edit down to the most relevant details, they butt in and ask things like, "Oh, and where were you born? And which kindergarten did you go to?" Multiple people have asked me those questions...I'm a university graduate, for God's sake, and I'm not interviewing for a kindergarten teacher position! I can understand that certain points reveal my personality to them, but this is generally a bloody waste of time.

Anonymous said...

I HATE INTERVIEWS!!! whats the dam point when everyone just lies and "pretends" to be able to do the job and then when hired they SUCK! there has to be a better way to recruit the best possible talent.

Joe He said...

This is awesome...Thanks for your work!

Unknown said...

Hello sir/madam.

A very good morning to you.

First of all, I would like to thank you for giving this opportunity to introduce myself.

I am maddy, I come from kanpur.

I completed my B.Tech from Galgotias College of Engineering & Technology.

I did my schooling in JDSVM Kanpur.

I have got 79% in 10std and 79% in 12th std and overall 72% I got in my Graduation.

My hobbies is to play indoor games and chatting.

My strength is hard work and self confidence.

My weakness is easily believing the peoples.

My short time goal is serve your company.

And my long time goal is to get good higher Position in your company.

Once again I m thanking you sir to give this.

Anonymous said...

nice topic

heyu said...

wel interviewers are useless nuts..,
if u sit comfortably in ur seat ,they 'll take u r not too interested..,
If u edge they think u r nervous..,
They ask rate me as interviewer,, U know u r not expected to rate as they could feel critiz..
are they dare to challenge that their intakes are pos've minded?
HR's are stupids.;what they know of tech candidate's pbms.., MBA's simply in name of mgmt enjoys the entire 2 yrs .,i wonder hw they r allowed to judge an IT guy..,
U know ,their project is a real comedy..,built ups are huge???????!!
If they really expect straight forward answers , why the hel these hell sites come up with such ready made answers../?

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once again, Regards, Tell me about yourself. - HR Interview Questions and Answers

Anonymous said...

Biren from Varanasi Says
I got into technical writing because I found that I have an unusual mixture of technical aptitude with writing skills. I'd worked as a programmer for the first few years of my career, but when I saw how rare it was to find people with that kind of background who could also write, I started moving into technical writing. I've found that I love translating complicated technical information into language that non-technical people can easily understand, and the fact that I come from a programming background means that I can communicate well both with the tech folks and non-tech people. My last boss told me that I was the only employee she'd ever had who was so comfortable with both audiences. Being able to bridge those two worlds is the reason I was especially interested in the position here.

interview preparation said...

This is where the interviewer will know if you’ve done your homework or not. Your goal is to recount specific projects and achievements that are relevant to the position you’re applying for and mix them in with in your background history.

Koushik Mandal said...

Very Nice, to the point.

I have a similar article on this.
http://www.faqinterview.in/hr/tell-me-about-yourself.html

Anonymous said...

Some companies hired low quality HR just for the sake of having HR. An HR Manager in my previous company doesn't even have a clue of what my KPI was and she dumbly said it on my exit interview. How could it be, an HE Manager doesn't know what are the KPIs for each of the department???

Anonymous said...

An HR Manager, I meant. Typo error.

Anonymous said...

I started the 1st interview with the users. They know what kind of person they want and with who they will be comfortable working with.
The best way HR should represent themselves in the job interview process is to become the good negotiator for the package. Not to become one of the decision maker. Because, let's face it, most of the HRs love to play god.

Anonymous said...

Good morning, Actually today is my great opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Vidyakanta I was 10 and 12 standard passed from IPS and ISOR respectively And Now I am studying BBA third Year at Vels university.

Actually I want to apply this job opportunity because I want to share my knowledge and technique of my professional Studies.

And I want to improve my work performance. So, Your job platform is my right place to show my knowledge technique. Thank Q,

konduru jashwanth said...

guys all were doing the common mistake ...

that is the you should not the weakness as the weakness ..
if u give the strength in the place of weakness ...the recruiter will be impress even the hr too will impress ..!!

Unknown said...

Can you pls suggest this is enough for tell about your self?

Pls revert back.

"I thanks to gave me the glad opportunity to introduce myself. This is sivarajan. Currently im working as software tester in Aparajitha corporate services ltd at madurai. I have successfully completed 2.10 years of IT experience in sofware testing domain. I have start my software testing career in radical info systems on may 2011 and then I got the next step of corporate opportunity in Aparajitha. I had competed the 1.7 years of testing experience successfully in Aparajitha. I have tested web and window based applications in various platform like C#,PHP,ASP.NET. I had done the software testing course in STC pvt ltd. I have sound knowledge in manual testing and automation tool like selenium and also have confidence to give the bug free application to user. I have completed my BE in sethu institute of technology with aggregate of 76% and also I completed my diploma degree in KLN ploytechnic college with aggregate of 83%. I would like to share something about personal environment. Born and growth in madurai only. My father’s name is P.Thirugnanam. He was worked as government employee. Now he is enjoying his life in retirement life. My mother’s name is T.Nirmala. She is sweet homemaker. I have one elder brother his name is T.Raguraman who is working as Senior design engineer at TechMahindra, Hydrabad. He is best friend in my life. I have good co ordination and analytical skills. I like to share my knowledge with teammate. Hobbies are pencil drawing, oil painting, playing cricet. that’s all about myself."

Admin said...

Try to introduce some of your most important employment-oriented skills as well as your education and accomplishments to the interviewer. Answer to this question is very important because it positions you for the rest of the interview. That's why this statement is often called the " Positioning Statement".


One should take the opportunity to show his/her communication skills by speaking clearly and concisely in an organized manner. Since there is no right or wrong answer for this question hence it is important to appear friendly.


Your answer can be:


1) I am a person with strong interpersonal skills and have the ability to get along well with people. I enjoy challenges and looking for creative solutions to problems.


2) Besides the details given in my resume, I believe in character values, vision and action. I am quick in learning from mistakes. I am confident that the various tests that you have conducted will corroborate my competencies aptitude and right attitude for the job.

For more sample answers, Visit:

-http://www.interview-made-easy.com/2008/07/hr1-tell-something-about-yourself.html

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Example Answer for “tell me about yourself.”

I’m an experienced Graphic Designer. I have an Associate’s Degree from LA ORT for Digital Media, so I have a strong understanding of how Graphic Design integrates with an overall brand and its marketing efforts. In my last position, I worked with a team of designers to brainstorm, plan, and execute innovative designs for our clients. I work mostly in Adobe, and I’m comfortable with both Mac and PC. I can talk more about my experience and skills that make me a good fit for this job, but mostly I’m just passionate about Design. It’s what I think about 24/7. I love what your company is doing in the industry, and I’d love to bring my enthusiasm to your team.

http://ttlink.com/thannish

Amber Dawn said...

They mean are you organized, detail oriented, a quick learner, work well under stress, follow directions, can work independently or in a team environment etc

PHP Interview questions said...

Really this is a nice question and a chance to nail your first impression. You have explained it very well. Great.

Unknown said...

Tell me about yourself

Pritesh said...

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Smkrsvm said...

interview questions and answers for freshers

Dhananjay said...


Wonderful information shared by you. One must have knowledge of these tricks before going for any HR Interview Round. This hr interview tips will definitely help people. You can use some resume writing tips to improve your first impression effect. You will definitely going to rock. Best Wishes from Interview Sortout.

James said...

Hi, finally some guidance on how to get through my HR interview next week :)

Kennif said...

Hi, James. As a recruiter this blog has very good information for anyone with an upcoming interview. Saying that this guide is also invaluable: http://www.JobInterviewTraining.co.uk

Easy Shiksha said...

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Jason said...

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Anonymous said...

thanks

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