Guide
“Tell Me About Yourself”
Fresno Summit Advisors · 3 min read · By Chenée Robbertze
“Tell me about yourself.” It sounds like a simple question. It isn’t. I personally dislike this question. Probably one of the hardest parts of the interview. I always think, “What could they possibly want to know?” I’ve learned a great deal from my boss, who has over 10 years of experience as a recruiting and people leader. After sitting through more interviews than he could probably count, he’s seen firsthand how often candidates struggle with this question. And I think I know why. When a hiring manager asks, “Tell me about yourself,” what they’re really asking is: “Why should I keep listening to you?” That might sound a little harsh, but your answer is your opportunity to give them a reason to want to hear more. Your resume already got you into the room. It showed the hiring team that, on paper, you have the experience and qualifications to potentially do the job. Now they want to know who you are.
The quick takeaway
Give the interviewer a clear thread: the work you do, the experience that is relevant, and why this opportunity makes sense.
Don’t read your resume back to them
This is a mistake I’ve made myself.
You start walking through your resume:
“First, I worked here. Then I moved to this company. Then I did this…”
But the interviewer already has your resume.
It has everything they needed to get you to the interview.
Now you need to give them something more.
Think about your answer as an opportunity to showcase your personal brand.
Who are you? What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing?
Those are the things your resume doesn't always tell them.
Talk about what you enjoy
Your experience tells them what you’ve done.
Your interests and motivation tell them more about who you are.
For example, you could say:
“I’m a sales professional with a background in business development and client relationship management, driving healthcare benefit sales for X company. My main buyers are small to medium-sized employers. What I’ve found throughout my career is that I really enjoy understanding a client’s problem, figuring out what they actually need and turning that into a solution that creates value for both sides. That’s one of the reasons this opportunity caught my attention.”
That answer gives the interviewer more to work with.
It tells them what you’ve done, but it also tells them what you enjoy doing.
And that matters.
When you talk about passion in an interview, you don’t have to say, “I’m passionate about this role.”
Show them what you’re passionate about.
Maybe you enjoy solving complex problems. Maybe you’re energised by sales. Maybe you like leading teams and watching people develop. Personally, I like helping people grow.
Those details make your answer personal and help the interviewer understand what actually motivates you.
Connect yourself to the opportunity
This is where you connect the dots.
Your experience has brought you to where you are. Your interests and strengths tell them where you want to go. The role you’re interviewing for should connect the two.
For example:
“My background has given me experience across sales, client relationships and project management, but the common thread has always been helping people solve problems and moving opportunities forward. I’m particularly interested in this role because it gives me the opportunity to bring those skills into an environment where I can continue developing while contributing to the growth of the business.”
That’s very different from simply listing your previous employers.
You’re telling a story:
- This is who I am.
- This is what I do well.
- This is what I enjoy doing.
- And this is why this opportunity makes sense for me.
That’s the goal.
Give them something to ask about
You don’t need to tell the interviewer everything.
Your resume already contains the details.
Instead, give them enough to understand who you are professionally and enough to make them want to ask the next question.
If you mention that you enjoy business development, they might ask how you generate leads. If you mention that you enjoy solving client problems, they might ask you for an example. If you mention that you’ve managed projects, they might ask about one.
You’re giving the interviewer threads to pull on.
And that’s exactly what you want.
Your answer isn’t just responding to the first question. It’s helping shape the questions that come next.
That’s personal branding.
Before your next interview
Prepare your answer to “Tell me about yourself.”
Think about four things:
- Who are you professionally?
- What are you particularly good at?
- What kind of work genuinely interests you?
- Why does this opportunity make sense for you?
Keep it concise. Make it relevant. Make it personal.
And most importantly, don’t try to tell them everything.
Give them a reason to keep listening.
Put it into practice.
- Choose the experience most relevant to this role.
- Write a short opening in your own words.
- Add one concrete example of your contribution.
- Connect your next step to this opportunity.
- Practice aloud without memorizing every word.