In this post, we will teach you how to “describe yourself” in a job interview. At some stage early on during your interview, the hiring manager will ask you to “describe yourself”, and how you answer this difficult interview question will be the difference between a pass or a fail – it is imperative that you grab the attention of the interviewer and create a positive impression with your answer!
We are going to tell you why the hiring manager is asking you to “describe yourself”. If you understand why the question is being asked, it makes it easy for you to give a brilliant answer! Next, we’ll tell you what to include when describing yourself in a job interview and I will also give you a brilliant, easy to remember structure to use so you can remember your answer.
Finally, we will give you 3 brilliant answers to the interview question, “describe yourself” and all you have to do is choose which answer you think is the strongest!
WHY IS THE HIRING MANAGER IS ASKING YOU TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN YOUR INTERVIEW?
They are asking you this question for two reasons.
REASON #1 – They want to quickly get to know you, and assess how you might add value to their organisation in the position.
REASON #2 – They want to assess your communication skills. If you are not fluent and confident when describing yourself you may not be a good fit for their team. That is why I strongly recommend you practice your response to this interview question several times before your interview.
HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR ANSWER
The best structure to use when describing yourself is called the SMART system.
S stands for the SKILLS you have relevant to the position.
M stands for your MOTIVATIONS in life and what drives you.
A stands for any ACHIEVEMENTS you have gained so far.
R stands for the REPUTATION you have amongst friends and work colleagues.
T stands for the TYPE OF PERSON you are and what you will do for their company if they hire you.
EXAMPLE ANSWER 1: “DESCRIBE YOURSELF” (SCRIPTED ANSWER)
“I would describe myself as someone who has the skills to match the job description. I am industrious, hard-working, loyal, and supportive of others. I am motivated in life by constantly learning, growing, and achieving great things. I have a track record of achievement. For example, in my last role, I helped my employer successfully launch a new product on social media to achieve record sales. Amongst my friends and work colleagues, I have a reputation for helping others, and for always taking ownership of difficult challenges. If you hire me, I will be an employee who strives to add value in the role to ensure you see a positive return on your investment!”
EXAMPLE ANSWER 2: “DESCRIBE YOURSELF” (SCRIPTED ANSWER)
“In recent years, I have developed various skills that I believe will be of benefit to your company. I am industrious, I never shy away from a difficult challenge, I love helping other people, and I am a very fast learner. I am motivated by three things. Staying fit and healthy, doing a great job for my employer, and continuous learning and development. In my last role, I achieved many great things in the team I was a part of. For example, we worked hard to win the company a lucrative sales contract and I also recently won employee of the month. I have a good reputation amongst my friends, work colleagues, and former boss. He would describe me as someone who needs little supervision and someone he could rely on to do tasks outside of my job description. If you hire me, I will be the type of person who brings fresh ideas to the company, and I will always be on the lookout for ways to help you grow.”
EXAMPLE ANSWER 3: “DESCRIBE YOURSELF” (SCRIPTED ANSWER)
“The words I would use to describe myself are trustworthy, self-disciplined, productive, flexible, and knowledgeable. The skills and qualities I have will help me to have a positive impact in this role. I am motivated by supporting my family and I will only achieve this if I do a great job for my employer. I have achieved many positive things in both my work and personal life so far, including helping my last employer save money by finding them a new office supplies company, and also helping them to gain a larger following on social media. In my last job, I had a reputation for being available to help out the company at short notice and I would willingly carry out duties outside of my job description. I am the type of person who will embrace change positively and help train up members of staff as and when they join the organisation.”
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