Tell Me About Yourself

 

 

Tell Me About Yourself =Here, We are discussing “How To Introduce Yourself” formally and informally.

You face these questions everywhere “Tell me about yourself,” “Introduce yourself,” “Give your introduction,” or “How to introduce yourself?” These all are very common in job interviews and general introduction.

 

But “To Give an Introduction” is not that difficult. We know that people do ask it usually so, why don’t we pre-prepared for it? Let’s start it.

 

 

 

 

 

KJ – Hi, I am KJ. This is Mr English. Do you wanna (want to) introduce yourself?

Mr English – I am Mr E. I am a student. My strength is that I am good at everything. My weakness is that I cannot speak English. We are four members at home. My father works at the office. My mother also works at the office. My brother is studying in college. His college name is…

KJ – Ahhh! Stop it! Stop it! That’s enough.

 

Mr Monkey – May I try?

KJ – Yeah, you can.

Mr Monkey – Yo! Myself Monkey, I am from the jungle. Interesting place, isn’t it? I am an accountant. My strength is, I can climb trees. My weakness is, I cannot calculate numbers.

 

 

KJ –  What is your opinion on this?

KJ – Don’t do these mistakes in your introduction, we are going to learn a few rules to use for making your introduction better.

 

So let’s start it.

 

There are generally three types of introduction –

1. Formal as Officially for Companies and Organizations
2. Formal as for Educational Purposes
3. Informal Introduction.

 

 

Informal Introduction –

 

 

The Informal Introduction is like “Mr Monkey” said. It’s an informal introduction. You cannot use it for office purposes for an interview.

 

 

It’s like when you are hanging out with your friends at parties, functions, ceremony. You are talking to new people, not for official purposes, just for general purposes to make new friends. That is informal.

 

In functions, if you use a formal introduction, it makes the conversation boring. They don’t take an interest in you. If you want to make new friends, you should use an informal introduction.

 

 

Step 1. – Greeting.

 

You can start a conversation by saying –

• Yo!
• Hey!
• What’s up!
• Wassup!

 

So, they can answer and then you start saying about yourself.

 

 

 

Step 2. – Name.

 

Few phrases you can use to introduce yourself like –

 

• I am Sam/(Your Name).
• Myself Sam/(Your Name).
• People call me Sam/(Your Name).
• My friends call me Sam/(Your Name).
• My parents call me Sam/(Your Name).

 

These phrases present yourself or make yourself more charming or more attractive. So, try to use it in an informal way, not in a formal way.

 

 

 

Step 3. – Address.

 

After “Step-2,” talk about your address, not your exact address. Your location or your place where do you belong? So you can use a few phrases like –

 

• I live in (your address).
• I hail from (_______).
• I reside in (______).
• My residence is in (_____).

 

So, you can fill the blanks by telling your location like Delhi, New York, Columbia, or anywhere, etc.

 

 

 

Step 4. – Profession.

 

About your profession, be specific, do not explain it or elaborate it just say a word like –

• I am (a doctor).
• Being (a doctor) is my profession.

 

Here in the place of the doctor, you can mention anything.

 

Remember – Be specific, don’t be over-elaborative on it.

 

 

 

Rule No. 1 – Connect with Situation.

 

 

• Connect with situation means, if you’re in a party talk like you are in a party so, be specific.
• Simply take thirty-second to introduce yourself, do not take more than that.
• Say something interesting about you, about your profession only if you have.
• If you do not have then you can mention anything related to that topic, related to that situation.

 

Suppose that you are in a fashion show and you say that I like this model or I like that outfit then it is interesting about that because everyone is there for the fashion show.

 

So something interesting about you, if your profession is interesting if you have something else interesting then talk about that make the conversation interesting through your introduction because the introduction is a way to snoop in and make new friends. So be interesting and charming.

 

 

 

Step 5. – Ask about themselves.

 

Ask about themselves because it is not a job interview that you are giving an answer to “Tell Me About Yourself” and they are listening. It is an informal introduction so their introduction is important to ask them “what about you? or How about you?”

 

Remember the important point after they introduce themselves.

 

Say them – “Nice to meet you.”

or

When the conversation is over then say – “Nice meeting with you.”

 

That means the conversation is over, you both are going.

 

• Nice meeting with you. (At the End)
• Nice to meet you. (At the Beginning)

 

 

 

Educational Introduction.

 

 

Tell Me About Yourself – Educational Introduction.

This is a formal introduction, not an informal one. You can introduce yourself in college, schools, or in a podium because in college there are also some interviews that you will face. That time you can introduce yourself for using this method.

 

 

Step 1. – Name

 

Tell them your name.

• My name is (______).
• I am (_____).

But ‘My name is (___),’ it is the best for formal, do not use others because they are informal.

 

 

 

Step 2. – Residence

 

About your residence, use some phrases like –

• I live in (_____).
• I reside in (______).

 

If your birthplace is different then you can use that –

• I belong from ______ (your place).
• My birthplace is _____ (the name of that place).

 

 

 

Step 3. – Education/Experience

 

About your education, if you already mentioned your education then don’t need to mention it again.

 

Remember the rule first “connect with Situation,” if the situation allows you to mention your education then do it otherwise don’t.

 

You can talk about your experience because some students work as well as study.

So, if you may have, you can mention your experience there.

 

 

 

Step 4. – Other special Activities.

 

Any project/task you may have succeeded in.

 

 

 

Step 5. – Family

 

 

In family, you can mention like –

• We are ( 3 ) brothers and sisters. (For brothers and sisters, you can say ‘siblings.’)

e.g. – if you are 2 brothers and 1 sister then you can say – we are 3 siblings.

– If you are 1 brother and 2 sisters still you can say – we are 3 siblings.

 

 

 

Phrases you can use –

• Apart from my parents, we are _____ siblings.
• There are ______ members in my family.

 

 

You can mention your family’s profession by using these phrases like –

• My father works as ________ (then your father’s Profession).

or

• My father is a ______ (than your father’s profession).

 

 

• You can use similar like for your mother and brother but if your mother is a homemaker, use homemaker.
• Do not say house maker cause it denotes that she builds a house, like labours build house.
  
• So you can say homemaker, a homemaker is better. It means, she connects home, means a family connector.

 

• You can also say ‘we are two brothers and sisters.
• If the brother is younger, then you can say – younger brother. (that means the age of a brother is lesser than your age or sister.)
• If they are elder that means they have more than your age. So, you can use elder brother and sister otherwise sibling is the best.

 

 

 

Step 6. – Goal/Aim.

 

Tell them about your goal and aim – ‘What do you want to be in the future?’

 

For talking about your goals and aims, you can use these phrases like –

• I want to be ______ (your profession.)
• My dream/my aim/my goal is to be ______ (your profession.)
• My passion is to be _______ (your profession.)
• I am passionate for being _______ (the profession.)

 

In the blanks you can use your profession like doctor, engineering, anything else you can mention or you can say

• Every second of a moment, I (always) think about being/to be _______.

 

or you can just say –

 

• I (always) think about being/to be ______.
• I am dedicated to be _______.

 

So that’s how you can introduce your educational introduction.

 

 

 

 

Job Interview Introduction.

 

Move on to the most important “Job Interview Introduction.”

Tell Me About Yourself – Let’s start it.

 

 

Step 1. – Name.

 

• My name is _____. (Always use ‘my name is ___.’ Do not use anything else except for ‘My name is _____.’ Cause it is formal and the rest of the things are informal.)

 

 

Step 2. – Address.

 

Address, you can use similar address phrases like you used in an educational interview. Same phrases, you can mention here and talk about your address.

 

 

Step 3. – Experience.

 

About your experience, the experience is very important because experience denotes that you are eligible for this job or not. So, prepare for the experience very well.

Remember you firstly say the latest experience you have (means from your previous job experience then move backward till your first job.)

 Rule No. 1st “Connect with the situation” – understand where you are actually. If you are in a marketing interview, tell only your marketing experience, the rest of the experience is important but at the end.

 

 

 

Rule No. 2 – Prepare Background Story or Prepare a Back-Up Plan.

 

 

Remember the Rule No. 2 prepare the background story because if you are mentioning your experience then they will definitely ask a few questions about your experience that –

 

• How did you manage that?
• How did you do that?
• How did you learn that?

 

So, you always prepare for the background story because if you are fluently talking about your interview, your introduction then they ask you a few questions and you did not mention them.

 

They can judge you that you are not good or eligible for the job so always prepare the background story.

The background story of everything you have in your introduction, if they ask any question from anything, you can answer easily.

 

 

For example – If you say, I am a librarian. I have three years of experience. My work is to arrange books or manage their places. (So, if they ask how do you do that and you don’t know how to express in English then it’s a problem for you.)

 

So, background story helps you there, prepare it. Say fluently so he can understand.

Okay! he knows everything, it is really his job. He knows better. You are eligible for the job.

 

There are a few general questions., they always ask like –

 

• Tell me about yourself
• How was your last trip or vacation?
• How was your last experience (in any company that you mentioned)?
• What’s your future plan?
• Where do you see yourself after (five years/ten Years/four years, they can mention)?
• What’s your daily routine?

 

So, these general questions, they normally ask you, prepare it.

 

 

Rule No. 2 (remember background story), always prepare it, make a note at home, remember it, read it again and again. So, you don’t need to hesitate in front of them because you know everything.

 

• How was your last experience, trip, or vacation? (you can use Present Simple, Past Simple, or Past Verb)
• About your future aim – where do you want to see yourself? (then you can use Future Verb or Present Simple)
• Your daily routine. (you can use Present Simple or Present Verb.)
  

 

 

 

Step 4. – Education.

 

After experience talk about your education, your education is very important. Do not mention everything you have done most important is preferable like – do not say that I have passed my senior secondary exams.

 

Then I am graduated from this college. ‘Final’ is important which means the latest is important like I have a master’s degree that’s important on which subject, on which stream, you can mention.

 

Few phrases you can use for talking about your education, you can say –

 

• I am graduated _______ (then your degree like B.Com or anything else.)
• I have passed ________ (then your graduation degree) in that ______ (in the place or in that time you can mention the place/time there.)
• I completed my _______ (graduation or master’s degree you can mention that.)

 

 

 

Step 5. – Other Special Activities.

 

Other special activities remember Rule No. 1 (connect with the situation) so, your activity is based on your job or your profile on which you are filing. If you are going for a marketing job, your special activities would be based on marketing.

 

For example – If you are going for a librarian job and you told them that I won a race in my college.

And on the other hand, another person said – I helped my librarian in college and he gave me a prize.

 

 

Which one is better?

 

If you do not have any special activities, then you can say that the race thing but if you have mentioned that or use some special words to make it more attractive. Always use example demonstration so he/she can understand better still you can use Rule No. 1 (connect with the situation) or Rule No. 2 (making a background story).

 

 

If you said, I won a race still you can connect that for the librarian thing like I won a race that means I am fit enough to work all day without getting tired.

This seems more attractive so, elaborate on it, prepare a background story.

 

Mr English – Congratulation! you got the job.

 

 

 

Step 6. – Strength or Like.

 

 

About your strength or like mention your strength which is related to your job. If you are finding a job as a marketer, then your strength should be as a marketer or accountant job, you should have been accountable or any strength which is related to your account work.

 

For example – As a marketer, you can say –

 

• I am good at bargaining/convincing others or
• I like to convince others or
• I like to bargain.

 

or for an accounting job, you can say –

• I am good at calculating numbers.

 

 

 

Rule No. 3 – Be yourself.

 

Remember Rule No. 3 (be yourself), you know yourself better than others. So if you are using these things and he asks you some questions so, you should have a story (a background story) to answer.

 

 

If you don’t find the strength that you can answer easily because if you are saying, I’m good at calculating numbers and he asks you some numbers to calculate and you didn’t then it’s a negative point for you but if you follow the Rule No. 2 (background story or a back-up plan) then you can use that back-up plan to cover yourself or to protect yourself from the embarrassment.

 

Remember the most important thing, do not mention your family cause “They are not arranging a marriage to you for their daughter or son.”

 

They want you for the job, you are important, focus on yourself in the introduction. If they ask about your family, then talk about it otherwise don’t.

 

 

Step 7. – Goal/Aim.

 

Talk about your goals and aims, so you can use similar phrases as you use in the educational introduction. Remember don’t say anything which can cause you trouble.

 

For example – Don’t say that I want to gain more experience to go into a big company.

or

I want to see myself after five years in your position.

It’s a bad impression.

 

 

We have this discussed –

• Rule No. 1 – Connect the situation.
• Rule No. 2 – Background story or a back-up plan.
• Rule No. 3 – Be yourself.
• Rule No. 4 – Don’t be over-fluent.

 

 

Don’t speak over fluent because if you are preparing the introduction at home so, don’t speak like you are reading. I saw a lot of students when I asked them their introduction, they talk fluently, they don’t stop. It seems that they are cramming it (they crammed it – crammed as they remember it).

Now they are reading. If you said your introduction at a super-fluent speed, then he asked the next question and you did not answer or then you come to your normal speed, he can understand you remember your introduction.

You don’t even know the means, “what did you say?” So be general while speaking.

 

 

Rule No. 5 – Speak until they want (to listen).

 

If an interviewer nodding his/her face that means he/she wants to listen; so do not stop there, continue, prepare a five or six minutes’ introduction. Remember Rule No. 1 (connect the situation), if he is just nodding generally so, three minutes is enough.

 

 

 

Key Point – No Weakness.

 

 

The most important thing, do not to talk about your weakness until they ask.

Suppose that if you are finding a stranger, do you tell them what’s your weakness, no!

 

If they ask then you answer, so, in your introduction, do not talk about your weakness until they ask. When they ask about your weakness then talk about that

or

don’t talk about a weakness that can lose your job so, talk about a weakness that can easily be digestible.

 

They can understand, okay, it’s a minor weakness like –

 

Don’t say that I can’t speak in English because you said your whole introduction in English now you are saying in your weakness I can’t speak in English. (I heard that also from students.)

 

So, it’s a bad impression.

or

If you are in an accounting job, you can’t say – I cannot calculate numbers, use a weakness which is very minor.

 

For example – If a teacher is saying that I cannot tolerate students. It’s a very bad impression, he won’t (will not) get the job.

 

So, find the very minor weakness.

Suppose if I am a teacher and I say I don’t like to treat my students in tuition classes because I want them to ask every doubt in my classroom, not separately in tuition classes.

 

So, it is a weakness because I don’t get to earn much money cause of that but it is a good impression.

 

It’s very trending now to talk about a weakness that is actually a strength.

So, let the interviewer be confused. Is that your weakness or actual strength?

 

So make that prepare a background story because if he asked you, “how can you say that?”

Then you are prepared for it.

 

 

I hope you understood the steps, rules, and phrases. Follow the rules and steps, you’re going to crack the interview next time definitely. These ways are so generic for giving self-introduction anywhere. Best of luck with your next interview.

 

 

 

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