How to Answer Tell Me About Yourself

Answering ‘Tell me about yourself’ means giving a 60–90 second summary — present, past, future — linking your background to the role, not reciting your CV. This guide covers this question specifically, distinct from the common-questions guide (which covers interview questions broadly) and the prepare-for-interview guide (which covers preparation).

The present-past-future structure

• Present — who you are now: degree, current role or status, and key skills, in 1–2 sentences.
• Past — relevant background: education, internships, projects, and experience, in 2–3 sentences, with results, where measurable.
• Future — why this role, and how it fits your goals, in 1–2 sentences, linking your background to the employer’s needs.
• 60–90 seconds total — concise, rehearsed, natural, not memorised word-for-word, as interviewers state.

How to tailor the answer

• Match the job description — skills and experience, matching the role’s requirements, highlighted first, for interviewer relevance.
• Lead with strengths — strengths relevant to the role, with evidence, not personal history unrelated to the role.
• End on the role — future section, linking to this employer and role, specifically, not generic career goals.
• Practise aloud — rehearsed aloud, timed, with feedback, before interviews, for natural delivery, not reading or reciting.

Answer example (original, adaptable)

‘I am a [Degree] graduate from [Institution], currently [Status: serving / recent graduate / intern], with skills in [Skill] and [Skill], demonstrated through [Project/Internship]. During [Project/Internship], I [Responsibility with result, where measurable]. I am applying for [Role] because [Specific reason], and I am keen to contribute [Skill/Value] to [Employer/Team].’

Adapt wording to your degree, skills, and target roles, honestly, for every interview. Examples are templates, not text to recite.

Mistakes to avoid

• Reciting your CV — reading CV bullet points, in order, wastes interview time. Summarise, with relevance, not lists.
• Personal history overload — childhood, family, and unrelated personal details, diluting professional relevance.
• Overlong answers — answers over 2 minutes lose interviewer attention, whatever the content. Keep to 60–90 seconds.
• Generic endings — ‘I want to grow’ and similar phrases, without role-specific reasons, wasting the future section.

Related Guides & Next Steps

• How to Write a CV With No Work Experience
• How to Answer What Is Your Expected Salary?
• Common Job Interview Questions in Nigeria
• How to Apply for a Job With No Experience

Frequently asked questions

How should I answer ‘Tell me about yourself’? With a 60–90 second summary — present (who you are now), past (relevant background, with results), future (why this role) — linking your background to the role, not reciting your CV.

How long should my answer be? 60–90 seconds, concise, rehearsed, natural, not memorised word-for-word, as interviewers state.

Should I recite my CV? No — reading CV bullet points, in order, wastes interview time. Summarise, with relevance, not lists.

Can I use an answer template? Yes, as a structure — adapt wording to your degree, skills, and target roles, honestly, for every interview. Templates are structures, not text to recite.

Should I mention personal history? No, beyond relevance — childhood, family, and unrelated personal details dilute professional relevance. Lead with strengths relevant to the role.

Sources and last update

• No salary figure, vacancy count, or hiring outcome is asserted anywhere in this article, deliberately — employer career pages and reputable boards, checked at application time, govern.
• No company is named as currently hiring anywhere in this article, deliberately — hiring windows open and close; employer career pages govern.
• Scam patterns: fees for jobs, payment to personal accounts, guaranteed jobs or shortlisting, and interview coaching selling fake experience are red flags — verify every employer on official channels before applying or paying anything.
• No job, shortlisting, salary, or hiring outcome is promised anywhere in this article.

Last updated: 24 October 2026. Guide — review every 6–12 months, and on every major hiring-platform change.