How do you answer 'Describe yourself' in an interview?

Answer 1

While describing yourself in an interview, the answer should always be related to the job. Remember, although the employer is asking personal questions, they are still all related to "what can you bring to the company?" So, I usually give adjectives like reliable, loyal, etc., but make sure you back these with supporting examples. The most important thing is to make sure you boil it all down to presenting the answer in a way that it matches the things the employer is looking for.

Here is more advice:

• Think about what kind of person you would like working for you and convey that to the employer. The best advice I can give to a job seeker is first aim high, well as high as you are capable of and realize the more you are willing to learn through experience or school is valuable. See yourself as a commodity. Be honest about your capabilities, if you don't know how to do something, say you don't know but let the employer know you are capable of learning and even give an example of something else you learned to do, maybe at another job or even a hobby. Most jobs will have to train you to their way and processes so don't undermine your capability and be proud of your accomplishments in life because they will only bring you up.
• Just list off a few characteristics that you see yourself as having. Make all of the characteristics sound as positive as possible. This question is usually asked in order to gauge how a person perceives him- or herself. Just be honest. Are you outgoing? Shy? Diligent? Stubborn? Clever? Passionate? Level-headed? Easy-going? etc., etc. Don't stress too much.
  • If you can't think of anything, think of a few people who know you and imagine how they would describe you. Pretend that your mom, a sibling, a good friend, a co-worker, and your spouse or significant other are all sitting down in a room making a list of your characteristics and then use the things you think they would say.
• A job interview is NO TIME to be shy. Brag about yourself. It's expected. Brag about all of your good points and don't mention anything negative or anything you "can't do." Be positive and upbeat.
• With complete honesty, don't try to make yourself better than you are, but don't yourself down, either.
• Employers love to ask you questions that get to your perception of yourself. These may come in several forms - "How do you describe yourself"; "What are the qualities you possess that make you the best candidate for this job"; "What do you bring to this company that will make this company stronger" or a variation on these are commonly asked.
• Your resume should already have a personal statement that discusses your qualities - in the most positive terms possible. Make sure you are familiar with your resume. VERY familiar. This is especially important if you didn't write it yourself, or if you have multiple resumes tailored to different positions.
• Because this is such a common question, it may be a good idea to sit down ahead of time and list 4-5 qualities and examples in your previous experience where these qualities allowed you to overcome a problem or succeed at a task.
• Remember, the interview is not a "game"

  where you are trying to outsmart the interviewer to get the job. Your best strategy is to honestly sell yourself and your abilities to an employer to get a job that is a good fit for you, in a company that is a good fit for you. Outsmarting an interviewer to get a job in a company or position that ultimately leads to unhappiness on either or both sides is really outsmarting yourself.

• Give a fair answer, tell them about your strong and weak points, but try to emphasize some of your qualities. For example, you could say that you are a hard-working, responsible, serious person, you are able to handle with people, able to work under stress, you are an easy learner. Don't be shy to talk about your creative "side". But be honest, admit that you also had some "bad moments" in your past jobs.
• Your answer should be relevant to the job for which you are being interviews. Do not start going into your personal life. Keep your self-introduction professional!
• A person is defined in three ways: (1) who he is right now, (2) what he has done in the past, and (3) what he will become in the future. So, here is how you answer: (1) I am a [the job title for which you are applying or something very close.] (2) I have [how many years of experience] in [what field, what subject]. (3) I want to be [a job title that is a couple or a few levels above the current position for which you are applying in 5 to 10 years.] Close your answer with an affirmative question: "Is there anything else you want to know?"

• You should be very straightforward and honest in replying to this question. The interviewer wants to check if what you have mentioned in your resume is correct or not.

• I would answer the question based on who is interviewing me? If it's a sales manager/Technical Manager/Human resources manager? Depending on the person's field I'll have to mend the answer to please him... I feel that everyone's goals are different... so analyze that and then answer.

• this question with your 30-second "elevator speech" about yourself. The standard format for this speech is... "I am a (BLANK), who does (WHAT)." In my case... I am a PROJECT MANAGER, who PROVIDES QUALITY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, Blah, Blah, Blah. (you get the idea).

• Let me share what my recruiting office tells its candidates as they head out for that crucial face-to-face interview. When asked to "tell me about yourself," say, "I will gladly answer that question, but may I first ask you a question? (They ALWAYS say yes) So that I may better focus my answer, what are the issues you want me to address should you hire me? Once they share with you what they need to have you do, then proceed to address how your training, education, skills, and experience can best resolve these issues. By answering in this fashion, you have proven that you know how to focus ... and that you have what's needed to fix the issues they need to have fixed. It's always a winner ... and beats the heck out of, "Well, let's see, I was born on a small farm in Idaho ..."

• I suggest you go into the interview with a few "talking points" about yourself, in other words things you want the interviewer to know about you. Then you try to hit those points in response to any questions you are asked, such as "tell us about yourself." Also be sure to have copies of your resume with you and offer them. In general, interviews go better when you spend them listening and don't talk. If the interviewer is just telling you about the job, you might have a good shot at it.
• This is the chance for you to run down a 30-60 second sales pitch for yourself. The employer doesn't want to know that you like gardening or have four dogs. Here's where you start usually with your education and highlight selling points about your skills, experience and goals.

More Suggestions:

It's one of the most frequently asked questions in an interview: Tell me about yourself. Your response to this request will set the tone for the rest of the interview. For some, this is the most challenging question to answer, as they wonder what the interviewer really wants to know and what information they should include.

The secret to successfully responding to this free-form request is to focus, script and practice. You cannot afford to wing this answer, as it will affect the rest of the interview. Begin to think about what you want the interviewer to know about you.

List five strengths you have that are pertinent to this job (experiences, traits, skills, etc.). What do you want the interviewer to know about you when you leave?

Prepare a script that includes the information you want to convey. Begin by talking about past experiences and proven success:

Next, mention your strengths and abilities:

• "My real strength is my attention to detail. I pride myself on my reputation for following through and meeting deadlines. When I commit to doing something, I make sure it gets done, and on time."

Conclude with a statement about your current situation:

• "What I am looking for now is a company that values customer relations, where I can join a strong team and have a positive impact on customer retention and sales."

Practice with your script until you feel confident about what you want to emphasize in your statement. Your script should help you stay on track, but you shouldn't memorize it -- you don't want to sound stiff and rehearsed. It should sound natural and conversational. Even if you are not asked this type of question to begin the interview, this preparation will help you focus on what you have to offer. You will also find that you can use the information in this exercise to assist you in answering other questions. The more you can talk about your product - you - the better chance you will have at selling it.

Here are examples given by Wiki s contributors:

• Hard worker, quick and eager learner, pays attention to detail.
• Example: Because of past experience and MBA degree, I am versatile and can perform well in many kinds of positions. Now I am looking for a challenging internship position in an established company. Basically, I am an experienced and flexible person can be successful at any kind of finance works.
• "Hardworking", "Task-oriented", "Solution-oriented", "Dependable", "Motivated", "Independent", "Team player" are all examples of good terms you can use. There are many more.
• I am a self-starter dedicated, hard-working person who works well with other, punctual, detail oriented a team player, great organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Describe yourself as outgoing, hardworking, dependable, eager to learn and grow professionally, etc.
• Fast paced, quick learner and very challenging. That's all they want to hear.
• This question is usually asked in order to gauge how a person perceives himself.
• Just be honest. List off a few characteristics that you see yourself as having. Actually, a question of this kind is an ideal way to plug in everything we want to say about ourselves that we had leave out of the CV.
• If you have attended a premier institution, say that the institution taught you much more than the degree it awarded you. Mention people who influenced you, talk about the books you like reading, your hobbies and your other interests.
• Talk about your strengths. Mention an instance when you used your conflict resolution skills or selling skills or whatever. But make certain that it does not sound like blowing your Trumpet. Mention these instances as a good learning experience.
• Talk about your weaknesses, but make sure that they are positive weaknesses. For instance you could say that that you are a person that pays more attention to details than is warranted. You can openly confess a tendency to be impatient with team members who cannot carry their own weight, or who cannot contribute sufficiently.
• Maintain the right tone in doing so. You do not want to give the interviewer the wrong impression or make him feel that you get impatient at times.
• No one can do that for you as only you know yourself.
• If asked to then you should do so. Prepare yourself for personal questions.
• Just list off a few characteristics that you see yourself as having. If it's for a job interview, make all of the characteristics sound as positive as possible. This question is usually asked in order to gauge how a person perceives him or herself. Just be honest. Are you outgoing? shy? diligent? stubborn? clever? passionate? level-headed?
• Don't stress too much. If you can't think of anything. Then think of a few people who know you and imagine how they would describe you. Pretend that your mom, a sibling, a good friend, a co-worker, and your spouse or significant other are all sitting down in a room making a list of your characteristics and then use the things you think they would say.
• Do not mention a bad quality if you are not working on it, e.g., what is your weakest quality? I am not very competent using computers but I am currently taking a evening course to rectify that/ I am going to.
• Most importantly back up what you say, why are you reliable?

Answer 2

One of the most important things you can do throughout your career is to continue learning. Attend classes, go to seminars, be a member of a professional society that offers speakers on key subjects. Self-study is another way to learn new things and volunteering can bring you to new horizons and gaining new skills. Learn about quality, tracking and measuring performance. Try taking on a leadership role in a group. You'll certainly learn how to work with all kinds of people and situations, learn delegation, follow-up and other essential skills such as budgeting, and problem solving. Go for and obtain a professional certification. Consult. These are the things you can talk about in an interview.

Answer 3

Systemic issues run rampid in my department, quick thinking is a necessary tool i utizlied to resolve these types of concerns as they arise. Contacting the necessary departments until the issues is resolve are the steps i take for a positive result.

Answer 4

Discuss your specific job skills, give examples of how you have applied those skills in your current or past jobs, and talk about the beneficial outcomes to your compan(ies) that resulted from using your skills.

Discuss how your strengths will benefit you and meet the needs of the new employer.

In addition to specific job skills, such as typing, filing, or operating heavy machinery, be sure to mention the intangibles, such as your work ethic, communication skills, leadership, efficiency and commitment. These assets often mean as much to an employer as anything.

Answer 5

Some good things to say about yourself are...

That you're hard working, loyal/honest, trustworthy, friendly, patient..

i don't know; that's a few things.

even if you're not, give them what they want to hear!

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 6

A good answer here will be an example of a time you successfully challenged and solved a work-related problem. It shows you're competent and that you derive satisfaction from work well done.

Answer 7

I can describe you as a person with a poor grasp of the English language.

and smell bad

Answer 8

great