How to Answer the Most Important Job Interview Question

In nearly every interview, the first thing an interviewer will say is simply, “Tell me about yourself.” This is usually the most important part of the interview, because it gives you the opportunity to set the tone of the meeting and make a great first impression. It's crucial that you have a clear and concise elevator pitch ready to go. You’re not about to dive into your whole life story, but there are some relevant personal and professional facts you should cover when asked this question.

The most obvious part of your answer should be an overview of your general career trajectory. The interviewers may or may not have read your resume in depth, so don’t assume they know everything about you. You can summarize portions of your career history that are less relevant or jobs that are similar (i.e. saying you did three unscripted medical shows instead of listing out each one), but be sure you spend a little more time talking about your most recent position and your duties there, or if you've taken a career detour or pursue multiple simultaneous paths, the most relevant experience you've had that relates to the role. You can set yourself up for success during the rest of the interview by demonstrating how it makes sense for them to hire you because your work experience aligns so well with what they’re looking for.

While your career history is important, this initial question is also your chance to show that there's more to you than what's on a piece of paper. Based on your resume, your interviewers know you’re most likely qualified, so they really want to get a sense of your personality, how well you’ll get along with the department, and why you are excited about this role in particular. You should explain what drove you to pursue this opportunity. Illustrate that not only is this is a logical next step based on your skills and experiences, but also that you are passionate about this field/company/team for a specific reason. When you show your enthusiasm, it will help your personality come across during the interview, as people tend to relax when they are talking about things they truly enjoy.

With this information, you should craft a clear story. If you've had multiple disparate experiences that line up really well to position you for the role (this is especially important if you're making a bigger career transition), this is your opportunity to weave them together. Consider the difference between "My most recent role was at an independent financier, where I funded horror films and managed distributor relationships" and "My most recent role was at an independent financier, where I funded horror films, and earlier in my career, I worked in development for a genre-oriented indie graphic novel publisher, and I really understand niche audiences. That's why I got really excited when I learned about the work your team is doing to produce cross-platform content that engages devoted fandoms."

As an added bonus, if there’s an opportunity to get personal tidbits in there, those can spark more casual conversation and facilitate a personal connection with your interviewers. For example, maybe you’ll learn that one of them is from your hometown or will have attended your alma mater (this is something you may even learn before the interview through your research prep!). Or if your commitment to a certain philanthropic cause is what ultimately led you on your career path, that might prompt some additional questions that will let your personality shine. If you can create opportunities to break the flow of a formal and rehearsed interview answer and engage the interviewers, it will help them get to know the fun parts of your personality and backstory and will make all of you feel at ease.

There's probably a lot to fit in, so stick to the highlights. Be sure not to ramble. Keep your answer to a few well-constructed, confident, informative sentences that flow logically. A brief but substantial answer will give your interviewers the opportunity to pursue a conversation or continue on with their questions without getting lost or bored. You also want to avoid sounding like you're delivering a rehearsed monologue for the millionth time! In fact, it's best to customize this answer to the specific opportunity. Think about it not as "Tell me about yourself" but rather as "Tell me about yourself at the 30,000 foot level, so I can understand what brought you here today." 

Make sure to rehearse your response out loud so you can control the timing and feel really confident in the room! The more you do this, the more natural you'll feel and sound when answering this question in an actual interview.