How to Answer the Question “Tell Me About Yourself”
When an interviewer, or anyone who can help in your job search, says: “Tell me about yourself,” do you go blank and freeze up? Babble? If I had to choose one interview question that causes the most anxiety – across industries, ages, and levels of experience – this would be the one.
Telling your story in a compelling way is one of the most important things you can get right – not only in the job search process and on the job, but in every area of your life.
Most people mistakenly approach this question as a resume summary. Instead, it is your opportunity to tell a clear, engaging, and interesting story about yourself and what you do, while connecting the needs of the prospective employer to what you are uniquely able to offer.
After 20+ years advising clients about their careers, I’ve seen thousands of versions of this answer. The strongest ones all share the same structure and I’m going to teach you how to create your own.
What The Interviewer is Really Asking
The interviewer doesn’t want to know the whole you. What they really want to know is: Do you have the skillset, the self-awareness, and the right demeanor for this role? Will you make their life easier? Will you make them look good? Can they relate to you? Will you have an easy rapport and enjoy working together? They are listening for alignment – your values, your interests, the energy you bring.
In telling your story you are drawing a through-line across your background, career, and life choices. You are curating your work life to address the needs of this role and organization. If you fail to make that connection, you will not progress in the interview process.
Start With a Theme
First, create a theme that ties all the pieces of your story together in a clear and memorable way. It enables the interviewer to categorize you – in a good way – when they are considering your fit for the job.
Some Examples
“Everything I’ve done in my career has been at the intersection of business and politics.”
“I help companies assess risk, whether it’s financial, environmental, or legal.”
“I help organizations clarify their story during times of transition.”
Summarize Your Experience and Tell Them Where You Want to Go Next
In a couple of sentences, describe for the interviewer the work you’ve done and what you’re trying to do with this next move.
Some Examples
“While spending 10 years at a big international bank in risk management, I co-led a network of hundreds of employees promoting environmentally sustainable practices and awareness. I’ve decided I want to focus the rest of my career on sustainability.”
“After spending five years in ecommerce for major fashion retailers I joined a big beverage company to develop their social commerce strategy. I’m now looking to pivot back to fashion.”
Connect Your Skills and Experience to the Particular Role
Now that you’ve introduced yourself, it’s time to explain how your background and skills make you right for this role. This is where your skill stories come in. Skill stories are a way to show what you’ve accomplished in the context of the role you’re interviewing for.
Some Examples
“My approach to strategy development has consistently delivered results, from stress testing models that identify macroeconomic risks to capacity planning frameworks that optimize resource allocation across 300+ person engagements.”
“One of the main reasons I’ve succeeded in consulting is my strong client management and communication skills. I am frequently asked to manage follow-on projects given my ability to understand, communicate, and expand upon client needs. My success has led to ~$1M+ in additional business, establishing us as the client’s top diligence team.”
The Finished Product
Now that you’ve completed the background work, let’s finish up with a memorable framework for developing your final narrative. Let’s use a 3C Structure:
1. Clarity — Who You Are
● A sentence or two describing your work identity
● Not a job title, but a functional identity
Examples
o “I’m an eCommerce leader with a decade of experience driving growth for top CPG and fashion brands, specializing in Social Commerce.”
o “I’m a product designer with 20 years’ experience working for design firms, and I take pride in making function beautiful.”
2. Credibility — What You’ve Achieved
● Your most relevant experiences, not your entire history
● One or two meaningful accomplishments
● Tie each back to the theme you established
3. Connection — Establishing the Fit for This Role
● Why this role? Why this company?
Example #1
I'm a policy analyst with a track record of translating complex data into actionable strategies that drive real-world impact. My background spans climate adaptation research, stakeholder engagement, and program evaluation—work that's sharpened my ability to synthesize dense technical material and communicate it clearly to various audiences.
I've managed multi-stakeholder initiatives where success hinged on both getting the numbers right and persuading the right people to get on board. That has included facilitating tense community meetings to coaching teams through process improvements, to diving deep into datasets to surface insights others missed. I'm comfortable operating independently and also know when to pull in the right expertise. I've collaborated with economists, engineers, community organizers, and communications teams to deliver work that holds up under scrutiny.
On the technical side, I’m very comfortable with technology and adopt platforms quickly (I recently taught myself Tableau and basic Python) and have a knack for creating data visualizations that clarify. I'm also a strong editor and have often been the person who turns a draft into something decision-makers can use.
What's driven my career so far is the chance to work on problems where careful analysis can shift outcomes—whether that's informing a $10M funding decision, shaping how a city thinks about resilience planning, or helping an organization understand where its programs are succeeding or falling short. I'm especially drawn to roles where I can combine quantitative rigor with strategic thinking.
I'm looking for opportunities in policy research and program strategy, or analytical roles within mission-driven organizations, particularly those within climate or social impact. This role seems to fall at the nexus of my experience in strategy and data-driven analysis while enabling me to commit myself further to mitigating climate change. And I find your team very open-minded and excited about your mission.
Example #2
I grew up in a family of artists and actors, and storytelling is in my blood. I've spent my career finding the emotional core of complex ideas and translating them into messages that move people to action. I build bridges between organizations and the communities they serve, and I thrive on helping mission-driven teams amplify their impact.
My path has never followed a straight line, and I'm grateful for that. Each detour has added depth to how I approach problems and connect with people. I started with a Ph.D. in Biology, convinced I'd spend my life in research labs. Instead, that foundation sparked a passion for science communication, which led me to produce a documentary series on climate resilience that aired on public television across the Midwest. The relationships I built in that world drew me into the museum sector, where I spent a decade leading visitor engagement and public programs for natural history institutions. My work expanding accessibility initiatives and reimagining educational outreach caught the attention of a national foundation, bringing me to Washington, D.C. in 2012. There, I spent eight years directing communications strategy, overseeing everything from policy messaging to donor relations, crisis communications, digital transformation, and stakeholder engagement across diverse constituencies. Most recently, my deep commitment to environmental justice led me to serve as Executive Director for a grassroots advocacy organization fighting for clean water access in underserved communities.
Now that I've returned to the Pacific Northwest, I'm seeking environmental or science-focused organizations ready to rethink how they engage the public and build lasting support for their work. I’m all in on your organization’s mission and I feel confident my background in crisis communications strategy is just what you need right now.
Hopefully these step by step instructions and examples resonate with you! Here are some quick FAQ’s to help you further:
Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
● Turning your narrative into a biography: This is not your chance to tell your life’s story! Keep it focused, professional, and interesting.
● Listing every role chronologically: Focus on getting your point across without worrying about when things happened.
● Being too humble: An interview setting is never the time to be modest. It’s your time to shine!
● Being too vague: Specificity is your friend. Don’t try to be all things to all people.
● Forgetting to tie it back to the role: Remember, it’s not worth saying if it doesn’t answer the question, “Why should we hire you?”
If you’re ready to practice your story and could use some help, download my free worksheet here. If you’d like more personalized help, contact me here.