“Tell me about yourself”, “What can you tell us about yourself” is a common opening question in an interview. However, candidates often stray off-topic and ramble about their entire career.
Think of your answer as an “Elevator Pitch” – a concise introduction that highlights the most impressive parts of your education, experience, and achievements.
The three-part model to introduce yourself
According to BigInterview, to focus on the key points, use the following three-part model:
1. Who you are:
Start strong and capture the employer’s attention with a summary sentence of your experience and standout achievements.
Example:
- “My name is Nguyen Van A, with two years of experience in marketing since graduating from Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages – Information Technology, and I am very passionate about this job.”
2. Why you are a good fit:
Next, highlight further strengths in your profile (about 3-4 bullet points), emphasizing achievements and highlights from your previous work history, or academic achievements attained.
You can also proactively explain any gaps or career changes in your work history.
Tips: Don’t hesitate to add some personal information to make the story richer. Employers also want to understand more about you as a person to assess your fit for the position. However, be careful not to ramble.
Example:
- “Currently, I am working as a marketing coordinator at a fashion e-commerce startup.”
- “I am responsible for social media marketing activities and closely coordinate with the marketing manager to organize events, which I really enjoy.”
- “Previously, I spent a year as an assistant in the Marketing team at company J.”
- “It was a wonderful experience. I supported two Deputy Directors, managed schedules, handled expense reports, and ensured everything in the office ran smoothly.”
- “I love the variety in my daily work and working with talented people who have taught me a lot about marketing.”
- “I have also volunteered for several community projects outside of work because I realized I love the creative side of marketing and wanted to gain more experience.”
- “I helped coordinate several major marketing events for clients and wrote content for a few email campaigns.”
3. Why you are applying for this position:
Finally, show your enthusiasm for this position and why you are interested in it. You can go into more detail later in the interview. Here, your goal is to convey your excitement and fit, while ending your answer concisely and confidently.
Example:
- “I am applying for the Marketing Intern position to gain practical knowledge in this field and complete my internship. In addition, I also hope to have the opportunity to become an official employee of your esteemed company after the internship”
- “Although I love my current job, at this stage of my career, I realize I need to find a company where I can develop long-term, and I think this position will be a great fit for my skills and goals.”
Above is the 3-part model used for the self-introduction question. Please tailor your presentation to fit your own experience and career goals. Note the following points:
- Your answer should be short, concise, and focused on the most prominent points.
- Use the three-part model to structure your answer.
- Demonstrate your enthusiasm and fit for the applied position.
Vi
En