Tell me a little about yourself

"Tell me a little about yourself" has to be one of the most common questions you can get in an interview.

But what should you actually say? Let’s go back to what a job interview really is.

An interview is about determining if the candidate, the role, and the employer are a good fit. Interviews are almost always limited to 1–1.5 hours.

This means candidates have limited time to effectively showcase who they are, what they can do, and what they want. Similarly, the recruiter has limited time to explain the job and what the workplace offers and expects.

How to answer

Your answer to "Tell me a little about yourself" should therefore be:

• Relatively short: 1–2 minutes is ideal.
• Relevant to the role and the employer.

Here are some things you can include:

• Your name
• Your professional background
• Your educational background
• What makes you qualified
• Your skills and experience relevant to the role
• Why you are suitable for the job
• How your interests align with the role
• Why you applied for the job

Getting all of this into 1–2 minutes can be tough, but try. For example, it might sound something like this:

"My name is Anna Rennermalm, and I have an extensive background in recruiting specialists and managers in the life sciences sector. I’ve worked as a recruitment consultant for almost 18 years, 10 of which as a business owner. My academic background is in molecular biology, and I hold a Ph.D. in clinical bacteriology. I’m applying for this position as [Job Title] at [Company Name] because it matches my background and aligns with my values. I also see [Key Responsibility] as a natural next step in my career. I believe this role allows me to combine the two things I’m most passionate about: science and people."

Or something along those lines.

To make your answer authentic and meaningful, you need to genuinely understand why you’re interested in the role. This means you should know what the role entails and what makes you qualified for it. While the interview is partly an opportunity to uncover key details, you’ll need to take an educated guess about what to highlight.

Common Mistakes:

• Talking for 30 minutes: This is entirely wrong and will likely disqualify you. You're expected to give an efficient answer. Rambling suggests you struggle to prioritize and summarize.
• Not understanding how you fit the role: This could lead you to highlight irrelevant points that show you’re a poor match.
• Sounding robotic or overly rehearsed: Relax; the interview is for both you and the employer to assess compatibility.
• Being unprepared and rambling about irrelevant details: For example, discussing where you were born or your hobbies when they have no relevance to the role.

For Recruiting Managers:

Lastly, I think this question can be quite unfair, especially for candidates who aren’t expected to make concise presentations as part of their job. While it can be a helpful question when interviewing polished salespeople or others who need an “elevator pitch,” in other cases, I believe recruiters could be more considerate and ask specific questions to get the information they’re looking for.

What do you think?