One of the most common, yet surprisingly challenging questions that stumps candidates during an interview is the seemingly easy, “Tell me about yourself.” It’s generally used as a way to open the conversation, but its broad nature can make it difficult to form an answer. Be prepared for the inevitable “Tell me about yourself” interview question with these tips on how to prepare:

Avoid Being Too Personal

When a hiring manager says, “Tell me about yourself” it doesn’t mean who you are as an overall person – it’s to get a sense of you as a candidate, what sets you apart from the others, and how you would fit in at the organization. Stick to professional information about yourself, and only include hobbies, interests, or other personal tidbits if they somehow strengthen your candidacy.

Start in the Present

Craft your answer beginning with where you currently are professionally. Talk about your most recent role, and then touch on any past experience that is relevant. Complete the response by focusing on the future – what interested you in the position and what you hope to bring to the organization if you are hired.

Put Experience Into Context

When you’re telling the interviewer about your professional experience, aim to put it into the form of a story. Ideally, you want your answer to communicate how the position in question is the next logical step in the progression of your career. Add details about what you accomplished and learned in each aspect of your professional experience, and how it led you to the next step. This allows you the opportunity to give the hiring manager more insight than the brief information listed on your resume.

End on an Enthusiastic Note

Give your answer a strong and memorable conclusion with a definitive reason why you want the job. Hiring managers tend to prefer enthusiastic candidates over indifferent, but still highly talented ones, because they are more likely to be committed to the company and more internally motivated to perform to the highest standards since they’re happy to be there.

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