5 Tips To Nail „Tell Me About Yourself“ In Your Next Interview!

We only get 1️⃣ shot at making a good first impression.

In interviews, that first impression is usually made with the infamous question:

„Tell me about yourself?“ 🧐

Let’s face it, most of us feel uneasy when asked to talk about ourselves. 

It‘s awkward 😬, uncomfortable 😖, and stressful 😰.

But with some preparation you can nail it every time. 💪

Here are 5️⃣ do‘s and don’ts to help you turn this 😨 question into a 🌟 first impression! 

1️⃣ Keep it short and sweet

Remember, this isn't your life story but only an introductory question! 

It should be a concise overview of:

💼 Your relevant experiences & skills, 

💪 Your motivation, 

😇 Your personality.

Aim for 2 minutes max, anything longer might make you sound unprepared or worse, rambling. 

Example: For a Marketing leadership position, my pitch is in the lines of „I‘m French with Portuguese background, living in Berlin since 16 years - but my German still sucks. I‘ve always worked in Marketing for startups (…) My core experiences are at (…) where I (…). I‘m also a leadership and career coach. And I have 2 cats that are fully part of my working life!“

2️⃣ Speak their language 

When talking about your experiences and skills in your pitch, use keywords from the job description.

It will show that:

🛠️ You understand their needs & requirements

💡 You are familiar with the industry terminology

🎯 You‘re aligned with their values

It might be an unconscious bias, but people tend to gravitate towards others who speak their same language.

Example: If the job ad mentions they’re looking for a „team player“ you could say „I thrive in team settings. At my last job, collaborating closely with the Product team helped increase (…).“

3️⃣ Highlight your skills and strengths 

We tend to squeeze all our CV in our pitch, which stretches it longer with irrelevant details and tempts you to speak faster.

So make sure you focus on highlighting only your top strengths and experiences that are the most relevant to the role. 💪

Don‘t worry - you’ll get to share more about your past experiences in the rest of the interview!

Example: „I love storytelling, and combined with my SEO experience, it allows me to write content that not only ranks but resonates. Actually, at (…), my last viral article contributed to a 25% increase in newsletter sign-ups.”

4️⃣ Get personal (but not too personal!)  

Giving a glimpse of who you are as a person will help connect with the interviewer and show how you can fit the company culture.

⚠️ But beware: while it’s important to show your personality, there are cultural (and sometimes legal) differences to consider. 

So stay aware of not crossing any lines, and share only what ties into your strengths and would bring a positive light on your profile.

Example: „Outside of work, I’m an avid runner and training for the marathon has taught me a lot about dedication and long-term goals“

5️⃣ End on a high note – literally! 

End your pitch by circling back to why you’ve applied for the position, your deep motivation.

Express your enthusiasm towards the company purpose or role to show them that you are truly passionate!

Example: for an alternative medicine company you could say „I truly believe that alternative medicine accessibility can tremendously help staying healthy on a daily basis - I’ve experienced it myself!“

So there you have it, 5️⃣ tips to perfect your pitch!

Remember to practice but keep it flexible to sound natural, and true to your authentic self! ✨ 

Actions for today:

• Write out your own personal pitch using these tips

• Practice saying it in front of a mirror or with a friend

  
  

Good luck! 💪