how to answer “tell me about yourself” in a job interview — Ask a Manager

One of the interview questions that most intimidates job seekers is one that most interviewers assume will be easy: “Tell me about yourself.” It sounds straightforward – but as every job seeker knows, it’s not that simple. What do they want to know? Are they looking for a complete history of you? Do they want to know about your personality and personal life, or should you focus strictly on work? Is this supposed to be a 30-second overview or a more involved rundown?

There’s a pretty simple way to approach this question, which I wrote about today at New York Magazine. Head over there to read it.