How to answer “Tell me about yourself”: a short, true story that ends at this job.

1. Present: where you are now. Your current or most recent role, in plain words, and the part of the work you are strongest at. If you are a student or changing careers, say what you are doing now and what you are focused on.
2. Past: what got you here. One or two experiences that connect to this job, each with a concrete detail. Pick what the posting cares about, not a full chronology.
3. Future: why this job. One or two sentences on why this role is the right next step and what you would bring to it. This hands the conversation back to the interviewer.
4. Then stop. Around a minute is enough for an opening answer. If the interviewer wants more, they will ask, and the follow-up questions are where your stories belong.

• Student or graduate. Lead with what you are studying and a project, internship or job that shows the skills the role needs. Then say what drew you to this field.
• Changing careers. Name the move directly and give the thread that connects the old work to the new: a skill you used in both, or a project that made you switch.
• Returning after a break. Give the break one sentence, without apology, and spend the rest on what you did before and what you have done to get ready to return.
• Experienced. Resist the career history. Pick the two or three moments that matter most for this job and leave the rest to your resume.
• Internal move. Talk about what you have learned in your current team and why the new role is the next step, without criticising where you are now.

Illustrative: these answers were written by TryHired to show structure. They are not real candidates' answers and were not given in any real interview. Every name, employer, number and result is fictional or a bracketed placeholder: replace each bracket with your own true details, and never claim an achievement you did not have.

Present-past-future template

When to use: Fill each bracket with something true about you.

I'm a [current role or focus] at [Employer], where I mainly [the work you are best at]. Before that I [one relevant experience], which is where I learned [a skill this job needs]. I'm applying for this role because [a reason tied to the job], and I'd bring [what you would contribute].

Opening answer (weak)

What it shows: A life story with no direction.

Well, I grew up near here and I've always liked working with people. I did a few different jobs after school and then I moved into an office role, which I've been doing for a while. I'm looking for something new now, so I thought I'd apply.

Opening answer (stronger)

What it shows: Short, relevant and finished.

I'm a [current role] at [Employer], where I handle [the main responsibility] for [the people or area you serve]. Before that I spent time in [previous role], which taught me [a skill the posting asks for]. What draws me to this job is [something specific about the role], and it's the kind of work I want to do more of.

Career-changer opening

When to use: Naming the switch and the thread that connects it.

I've spent the last few years in [old field], most recently as [role]. The part I enjoyed most was [a task that links to the new field], and over the past [period] I've built on that by [course, project or volunteer work]. That's why I'm moving into [new field], and this role fits because [reason].

Why the stronger answer works: The weak answer spends its time on background the interviewer did not ask for and ends without a reason for this job. The stronger answer covers the present, one relevant past experience and a specific reason for the role, then stops. All examples are illustrative; build yours from your own facts.

Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every sample on this page is free to use without buying anything.

• Reciting your resume from the first job onwards.
• Starting with your childhood or personal life.
• Talking for several minutes before the first question.
• Using adjectives such as “passionate” or “hard-working” with nothing to back them.
• Memorising a script that falls apart if you are interrupted.
• Ending without saying why you want this job.