Interview"Tell me about yourself." How to answer
A question asked in almost every interview. Why it is asked, how to build your answer, model answers, and what to avoid.
Why interviewers ask it
It is almost always the first question. The interviewer is settling in, hearing how you speak, and looking for a thread to pull. They do not want your life story or your resume read aloud. They want a one to two minute summary that makes them think, "this person fits the job".
How to build your answer
- Present: who you are professionally right now, in one line.
- Past: two or three facts from your studies or work that are relevant to this job, with a number if you have one.
- Future: why you are here: what you want to do next and why this role fits.
- Keep it to about 60 to 90 seconds. Practise aloud until it sounds like speech, not recitation.
- End on the job, so the interviewer's next question follows naturally.
Model answers
I completed my B.Com from City College this year with 8.1 CGPA. In my second year I did a two month internship at a CA firm, where I entered purchase and sales vouchers in Tally for six clients and helped prepare GST return data. I found I enjoy work where the figures have to tally exactly. In college I was also treasurer of the Commerce Association and kept the event accounts. I am looking for an accounts assistant role where I can handle day to day entries and learn finalisation, and that is why I applied here.
I am a field sales executive with three years in FMCG distribution in Indore. I handle about 180 outlets across two beats and have met my monthly target in 26 of the last 30 months. What I am best at is opening new outlets and getting payments in on time: I added 45 outlets in two years. I have enjoyed the work, and I now want a larger territory and some team responsibility, which is what this senior executive role offers.
I have taught science to Classes 6 to 10 for four years. Along the way I found that the part I liked most was writing: I wrote the worksheets and lesson scripts for my department and edited the school magazine for two years. Over the last six months I have completed a content writing course and written twelve articles for an education blog, which are in my portfolio. I would like to do that full time, and an e-learning company is where my classroom experience is most useful.
These are examples about invented people. Keep the structure, and put in your own facts and numbers.
What to avoid
- Starting from your birth, school and family. Begin with the present.
- Reading out the resume line by line.
- Speaking for four minutes. Stop at about ninety seconds.
- Personal details such as marital status or father's occupation, unless asked.
- A memorised speech delivered without looking up.
Likely follow-up questions
- What did you learn in that internship? Have one specific thing ready: a task, a mistake you corrected, a tool.
- Why did you choose this field? A short honest reason linked to something you did.
Other common questions
Questions by job
Model answers are examples. They show the shape of a good answer, reviewed in November 2026. Use your own facts: an answer copied word for word will not survive a follow-up question. Employers differ, and nothing here promises selection. Names in the examples are invented.