How To Answer “How Would You Describe Yourself”

Interviewers frequently like to open the interview with ‘How would you describe yourself?’ or as it’s sometimes phrased ‘Tell us about yourself?’  This type of open-ended question can throw some people. Do they want to know if I’m fun to be around? Should I include personal details? These are just somethings that could race through your mind when coming up with your answer.  In this article, we look at why the interviewer is asking this question, provide pointers on what and what not to include and give an example answers that you can use in your next interview.  How to answer “How Would You Describe Yourself”:

• I’m organised
• I’m a natural leader
• I’m obsessed with results
• Test out your answer before the interview
• Don’t summarise your entire CV
• Avoid anything that could be controversial
• Don’t just say “I’m perfect”

Related [4 Types Of Tough Interviewers And How To Deal With Them] 

Why is the interviewer asking you to describe yourself? 

A CV is the best way to sell your experience and qualifications to a potential employer. But, it doesn’t matter how well written your CV is, getting your key skills and strengths to shine in a two-page document isn’t easy. The interview is the easiest way for your potential employer to explore beyond what’s written on your CV, to get a glimpse of your personality and to also hear what motivates and interests you.  This helps them judge if you’re a good cultural fit for their company. If you’re not familiar with this term, deciding on cultural fit involves delving into your values, ethics and beliefs and deciding if they align to the company's. If there’s a mismatch between you and the company, it may not work out well for either of you. But, if there’s a match the employer benefits as employees who match the company’s culture are more invested in the company and more productive. And, you as an employee also benefit as you’ll be happier and have greater job satisfaction both of which can improve your chances of achieving promotion.  Interviewers often start the interview with an open-ended question like ‘How would you describe yourself’ as a way of easing into the interview. No-one is going to be able to show off their best side if they’re faced with a difficult interview question like ‘Convince us you’re the best person for the job’, the moment they’ve sat in the chair.  Related [15 Interview Questions You Should Be Prepared To Answer]

Things to consider when answering ‘How would you describe yourself?’ 

If the question ‘How would you describe yourself’ hasn’t been asked in previous interviewers there’s a good chance it may come up in your next interview. So, it’s important to prepare for it to prevent yourself from rambling on and not answering the question.  Firstly, let’s look at things to avoid including in your answer: 

• Don’t summarise your entire CV word for word. The interviewer has read it already and found it impressive. That’s why they’re interviewing you!
• Avoid anything that could be controversial, like marital status, whether you have kids, your religious and political stance. These factors don’t determine if you’re the right person for the job and they may also work against you getting hired. 
• Don’t just say “I’m perfect” because nobody is. And, this type of answer will make you sound egotistical. 

When planning your answer, refer back to the skills section of the job description and the strengths you’ve mentioned in the personal summary section of your CV. Pick out one or two key points and discuss these further with examples to back up your claim.  For example, you may wish to answer with:

I’m organised

“I’m extremely organised and this means that I’m always on top of my work schedule and projects I’m leading on are completed on time. I use several tools and apps to track my projects and to manage my diary. I keep a clean and organised workspace, and my files are always up-to-date and easy to locate. This makes it easier for my colleagues to pick up on and work on projects if I’m not in the office. In my last job, I designed a new workflow for our department and this increased productivity by 25%.” 

I’m a natural leader 

“I feel really comfortable taking the lead and in my previous jobs, I was often chosen to oversee large commercial projects. I have a team-mentality and this shows through my passion for helping others and finding the answers to challenging tasks. In my last job I was promoted to project leader within one year of joining the company.” 

I’m obsessed with results 

“I hate under-achieving.  To ensure my team and I remain focused on reaching our targets, I regularly check on our progress and think of things that can be done to help achieve our goals. I don’t find pressure intimidating but I understand that others may. I’m comfortable adapting my approach to ensure the whole team feels motivated and valued. In my last job, I helped the team reach the sales target of a new product launch, one month early.”  Related [10 Most Important Skills That Every CV Needs To Show] 

Test out your answer before the interview 

Once you feel you’ve nailed your answer you should spend time practicing it before your next interview. Providing a polished answer will show the interviewer that you’re confident in answering ambiguous questions and that you’ve put the effort into preparing for the interview.  It would be ideal if you could practice your answer to ‘How would you describe yourself?’ in front of some else like a family member, friend or flat-mate in a ‘mock interview’ type scenario. They could critic your performance and the content of your answer and if needed provide feedback for improvement.  If this isn’t possible consider recording or videoing your answer using your phone and listening or watching it back. Doing this allows you to gauge if the answer has enough substance or if you’re giving away too much irrelevant information. It can also help show if you’re talking too quickly, too quietly or loudly and most importantly if you come across genuine and interested.  As more employers are moving to virtual interviews watching yourself answer this question lets you see firsthand how it comes across on screen. If you’re happy how it sounds, perfect. If you don’t like it then you have time to change it and practice it again before the interview.  Related [How To Ace Your Virtual Interview]