{"id":48,"date":"2016-12-15T20:21:15","date_gmt":"2016-12-15T20:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/?p=48"},"modified":"2018-06-29T14:08:14","modified_gmt":"2018-06-29T14:08:14","slug":"how-to-answer-tell-me-about-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-tell-me-about-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Answer: Tell Me About Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"arve alignleft\" data-mode=\"normal\" data-provider=\"iframe\" id=\"arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedhoav5kj_ioc\" style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n<div class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n<span class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:56.250000%\"><\/span><iframe credentialless referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\" allow=\"accelerometer &#039;none&#039;;ambient-light-sensor &#039;none&#039;;autoplay &#039;none&#039;;battery &#039;none&#039;;bluetooth &#039;none&#039;;browsing-topics &#039;none&#039;;camera &#039;none&#039;;ch-ua &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-read &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-write;display-capture &#039;none&#039;;document-domain &#039;none&#039;;domain-agent &#039;none&#039;;encrypted-media &#039;none&#039;;execution-while-not-rendered &#039;none&#039;;execution-while-out-of-viewport &#039;none&#039;;gamepad &#039;none&#039;;geolocation &#039;none&#039;;gyroscope &#039;none&#039;;hid &#039;none&#039;;identity-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;idle-detection &#039;none&#039;;keyboard-map &#039;none&#039;;local-fonts &#039;none&#039;;magnetometer &#039;none&#039;;microphone &#039;none&#039;;midi &#039;none&#039;;navigation-override &#039;none&#039;;otp-credentials &#039;none&#039;;payment &#039;none&#039;;picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create &#039;none&#039;;publickey-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;screen-wake-lock &#039;none&#039;;serial &#039;none&#039;;speaker-selection;sync-xhr &#039;none&#039;;usb &#039;none&#039;;web-share;window-management &#039;none&#039;;xr-spatial-tracking &#039;none&#039;;\" allowfullscreen class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" data-arve=\"arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedhoav5kj_ioc\" data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hoav5kj_IOc\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"225\" name sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hoav5kj_IOc\" width=\"400\" title loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"http:\\\/\\\/schema.org\\\/\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\\\/how-to-answer-tell-me-about-yourself\\\/#arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedhoav5kj_ioc\",\"type\":\"VideoObject\",\"embedURL\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/embed\\\/Hoav5kj_IOc\"}<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\u201cTell me about yourself,\u201d is one of the most frequently asked questions in an interview. In fact, it\u2019s usually the first one. The key to answering it well is to be concise but informative. Keep the answer to under 60 seconds and focus on how your skills and personality traits are related to the position you\u2019re interviewing for.<\/p>\n<p>Approach it as if you just wrote an autobiography and you have to summarize it in four sentences. Focus on the highlights: Talk about where you\u2019re from, your major and your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/set-great-internship-or-job-goals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">future goals<\/a>. Then add on a sentence at the end that describes why you\u2019re sitting in the interview and why you\u2019d be a good fit for the role.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Talk about your background.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Answering this question well is about more than just mentioning your skills or professional experience. It\u2019s also about putting those things into context with the rest of your life. At the beginning of your answer you should explain where you\u2019re from, where you\u2019re attending school and what you\u2019re majoring in.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Describe your interests.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Next, talk a little bit about your interests including what led you to apply for the role. For example, if you\u2019re passionate about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/journalism-major-right\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">journalism<\/a>, explain why the field excites you and why you\u2019d like to be a part of it.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Mention your past experience.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve described your interests, explain how your past internship and work experience have shaped your decision to seek out this role. If you don\u2019t have previous experience in the field (or a related on) you can talk about relevant classes you\u2019ve taken or transferable skills you\u2019ve developed through class projects or extracurriculars.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Explain why you\u2019re excited about the opportunity.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Wrap up your answer with one sentence explaining why you\u2019re excited about this opportunity. Be sure to mention something you admire about the position or the company, and connect it back to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/community\/internview-before-you-start-your-internship-identify-your-goals-and-priorities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">your goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Say something like:<\/em><\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m originally from New York City and I\u2019m currently a Junior at UT Austin. I decided to study English because I\u2019ve always loved reading and writing and studying literature in general. I\u2019m now looking to gain experience in the world of journalism, a field I\u2019m passionate about because of its ability to inform and engage readers. I\u2019ve written extensively for my campus newspaper, reporting on campus news and events, and I\u2019m excited to gain more valuable reporting experience by working on the types of stories your company publishes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once you have your answer nailed down, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/become-confident-public-speaker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">practice it in the mirror several times<\/a>. This will help you get comfortable with all the points you want to emphasize and will ensure that you sound confident without being stiff.<\/p>\n<p>Answering \u201cTell me about yourself\u201d is the first step in connecting with your interviewer and a great chance to distinguish yourself from the majority of candidates who may be fumbling over their answer. So practice your story to make sure it reflects the thoughtfulness and detail you\u2019ve put into your response and go into the interview confident that you\u2019ll be putting your best foot forward.<\/p>\n<p>Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/6-things-to-do-in-your-first-week-at-a-new-job\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">6 Things to Do in Your First Week at a New Job<\/a>\u00a0and find answers to common interview questions such as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/answer-tell-accomplishment-youre-proud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tell Me About an Accomplishment That You&#8217;re Most Proud Of<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cTell me about yourself,\u201d is one of the most frequently asked questions in an interview. In fact, it\u2019s usually the first one. The key to answering it well is to be concise but informative. Keep the answer to under 60 seconds and focus on how your skills and personality traits are related to the position &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-tell-me-about-yourself\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;How to Answer: Tell Me About Yourself&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,25],"tags":[46,48,76,77,78,197,198,199],"class_list":["post-48","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviewing-101","category-top-culture-fit-questions","tag-interview","tag-interview-tips","tag-interview-questions","tag-common-interview-questions","tag-culture-fit-interview-questions","tag-underclassman","tag-postgrad","tag-senior"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Answer: Tell Me About Yourself | Career Advice &amp; 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