Tell us about yourself.

3 Answers

Answer :

Bad answer: “I graduated four years ago from the University of Michigan, with a Bachelor’s in Biology – but I decided that wasn’t the right path for me. So I switched gears and got my first job, working in sales for a startup. Then I went on to work in marketing for a law firm. After that, I took a few months off to travel. Finally, I came back and worked in marketing again. And now, here I am, looking for a more challenging marketing role.”  


Instead of giving a chronological work history, focus on your strengths and how they pertain to the role. If possible, illustrate with examples.


Good answer: “I’m really energetic, and a great communicator. Working in sales for two years helped me build confidence, and taught me the importance of customer loyalty. I’ve also got a track record of success. In my last role, I launched a company newsletter, which helped us build on our existing relationships and create new ones. Because of this, we ended up seeing a revenue increase of 10% over two years. I’m also really interested in how companies can use web tools to better market themselves, and would be committed to building on your existing platform.”

Answer :

Example : “My name is Jennifer Smith. I graduated from ABC University with a degree in women’s studies. I started at ABC with a major in biology, thinking I was going to pursue a career in environmental protection. But then, two things happened. First, I realized that I was more interested in environmental policy rather than the scientific aspect. Then I took an elective in women’s rights and a light went on for me. I had always supported women’s rights and was amazed that it continues to be an issue in this day and age. Since that time, I have been able to volunteer and work on behalf of women’s rights, both for abused women as well as homeless women. I am here today because I believe my demonstrated passion for women’s rights as well as my experience in non-profit organizations will be beneficial to your organization.”

Answer :

Here you need to keep your answer interesting and personable, giving a brief overview of your career history to date, why you chose your chosen career path, cover your academic background and wrap up with perhaps any professional / personal achievements. Your answer should be no longer than 3-4 minutes, and remember you want to set the scene and highlight initially your transferable skills to be elaborated at a later stage when talking through your C.V.

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