How To Describe Yourself In An Interview

How To Prepare In Advance

One of the most important things to keep in mind when preparing your answer is that this question is not about your character in general, its about your understanding of yourself in relation to the job youre interviewing for. Its therefore important that you do your research and have a solid knowledge of the company and the role before preparing your answer, to ensure you can tailor it effectively.

One of the best ways to start preparing is to make a list of positive adjectives that best describe you and that you feel make you a good fit for the role, based on the job description and your knowledge of the position and the company.

For example, if the position is a sales role and you enjoy negotiating and meeting new people you should include that in your answer, as negotiation and communication skills are key requirements.

How To Describe Yourself In A Positive Way

Now that weve discussed how to describe yourself in an interview, lets look at some positive words that will send the right message to your interviewers.

Positive Words to Describe Yourself During an Interview

• Knowledgeable
• Mature
• Inspiring

For even more positive ways to describe yourself, check out this ultimate list of positive adjectives.

Ways To Describe Yourself In An Interview

While you might have an idea of what traits and characteristics you want to highlight about yourself, you might not be sure how to format your answers. Sometimes, an interviewer wants you to give a detailed description of your character, and other times, they just want you to summarize who you are in as few words as possible. Either way, weve got you covered.

In the examples below, weve provided some sample interview questions and answers, along with some bonus tips. Feel free to take sentences from different responses to create your own, unique way of describing yourself! While we dont recommend using these answers word-for-word, they should give you an idea of what good, effective interview answers look like.

Additionally, we highlight different strengths that may fit your personality or goals in the interview room. Every business, interviewer, and position can value different character traits. Its important to know how to use that to your advantage.

Be sure to read the summary at the end of each tip to understand why and when to use them.

So, lets look at 9 ways to describe yourself in an interview:

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Understand The Company Values

Do some research on the company. Familiarize yourself with the company vision, mission, and goals. You can usually find information on an About us page on the companys website. Some companies include a mission statement on their flyers or at the bottom of emails. Visit any company sponsored social media pages, as well. These sources can reveal any sponsorships the company contributes to or nonprofit organizations associated with the company. An organization that takes part in the annual telethon for the local animal shelter supports animal rights. If the company you are applying for has a recycling program, they value environmental conservation.

How To Nail Responding To The Request Of Describing Yourself To The Interviewer

Single words are not the only means to describe yourself in a job interview. In fact, nothing is more boring and uninteresting than listing a bunch of redundant words.

We suggest that you give context to the word or words you are planning to describe yourself with in the job interview. Start by telling a short amusing story about your last job, or your college experience. And from that jump to the conclusion saying: that is why I think I am very., or that was when I learned something about myself and how I do things a certain wayetc.

This is a great method to break the ice and bond with the interviewer as well as to serve the main goal that is describing yourself.

Another option on how to describe yourself in an interview is using the third person while you speak. Now we know, many candidates do not like to talk about themselves too much. Be it them afraid to come off as arrogant, or simply because it makes them uncomfortable. Try saying something like: My colleagues always said I was, or My classmates/ group partners always described me as since I.

There is no one true or correct way to do things. Just try not to be very basic and redundant to actually catch the recruiters attention and stand out from the crowd. We will always remind you to be yourself and prepare well for your interviews.

Thank you for reading our article! if you havent already to discover more career advice and why not meet your potential employer?

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Align Your Experience With The Job Requirements

See where your unique characteristics and prior experiences align with the needs of the job. To give the strongest response, plan your answer based on the similarities. Employers ask you to describe yourself to gain information about how your particular career story relates to your abilities to meet the demand of the job and fit within the company culture.

What Are The Best Words To Describe Yourself On A Resume

A resume summary is a great way to introduce yourself and your achievements succinctly. Its also the best place to include powerful words to describe yourself on a resume. Essentially, your summary should consist of a short elevator pitch explaining why youre the best fit for the job.

Recruiters typically scan resumes in just a few seconds, so using the right words to describe yourself on a resume summary is crucial. The best strategy is to tailor your resume to the job description. Thus, you should choose adjectives that are relevant to the position and the company.

Words to describe yourself on a resume:

• Proactive
• Team player

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Include Your Educational Qualifications

After you introduce yourself with your name and other basic details, brief the interviewer about your educational qualifications. Although, you would have already mentioned it in your resume, yet you are required to give well-rounded details about what have you studied. Be honest about your achievements and ensure that you are not sounding overconfident while talking about your feats.

Points To Remember Before You Attend This Interview Question:

• Assume, now you are sitting in front of the HR manager.
• Take the initiative to attend this question and tell your real answers.

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Bringing It All Together

Did you notice how many tidbits of information are included in this 60-second answer? An interviewer can ask follow up questions about what an exceptional candidate experience means to you, how you evaluate a teams dynamics, your experience with inclusive hiring practices or why you want to teach others rather than being an individual contributor. This question allows you to direct the interview and give a preview of the stories youll tell when asked a behavioral interview question.

When constructing this answer, dont worry about memorizing or using the exact same words each time. Just have a few bullet points in your mind that touch on each question. The interviewer wont know if you say something in a different order or leave something out. Whats most important is that you share a bit about your passion, experience and desire to have the job.

Words To Describe Yourself In A Job Interview

A common job interview question is what are 3 words to describe yourself?

When recruiters ask you to describe yourself, they are looking to find out two things:

• Do your personality and skills match the job requirements?
• Are you honest in your answers?

Keep this in mind and it will be much easier to answer this typical interview question successfully.

Now, if youre wondering how, exactly, you should answer this question, heres what we recommend:

Lets see how this works through an example. Say youre applying to be a teacher and youre asked what are three words to describe yourself?

Heres how NOT to go about it:

Wrong Example

• I am creative, competitive, and tenacious.

Now, theres nothing technically wrong with these adjectives however, the answer isnt the best possible for two main reasons:

Heres a more interview-friendly way to answer this question:

Correct Example

Heres a list of words you can use to describe yourself in a job interview:

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I Am An Excellent Communicator

Effective communication skills are necessary for ongoing success in almost any position and every industry, but they dont always come naturally to everyone. When a candidate can communicate well, they help ensure messages arent muddled internally or when delivering information to a customer.

Example:I am an excellent communicator. I pride myself on making sure people have the right information because it drives better results. Most business issues stem from poor communication, so I feel a responsibility to keep everyone on the same page. These skills helped increase my personal client retention rate by more than 40% in a year, and helped the team deliver 100% of our projects by the original deadline.

These are just a few examples of how to answer the question, How would you describe yourself? but there are plenty of other qualities you could share. Take time to review the job description and look for similarities between whats required and your

Words To Describe Yourself On Your Resume

Your resume is usually your first point of contact with a potential employer, so its extremely important to get it exactly right, down to the words that you use to describe yourself. You want to use strong words for your first impression with a hiring manager, so make sure you chose them wisely.

Think about your greatest strengths, and find words that align with them. You should also consider the job description when choosing words to describe yourself on your resume. If the job description calls for a team player, you might not want to least that you are extremely independent and work best on your own.

If the job description lists desired qualities for a candidate, you should consider using those words on your resume. Tweaking your resume for each different job description will ensure a higher level of getting called in for an interview.

Here are eight words to describe yourself on your resume:

1. Enterprising7. Persistent8. Passionate

are all the types of qualities that any employer would want, Herz said. But if they check your references and this is 180 degrees different from how you are then just do your best to choose the best words that reflect your essence. For example, maybe you left your last job because you were unable to get along with others because you were the most passionate member of the team. In that case, passionate is a great word and its important to find a company who values that in a similar way as you do.

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Interview Question: How Would You Describe Yourself

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One of the first questions you may be asked in a job interview is, How would you describe yourself? While you have several options when deciding how to answer this question, the key is to explain why your specific experiences and attributes make you the best fit for the role.

When an interviewer asks you to talk about yourself, theyre looking for information about how your qualities and characteristics align with the skills they believe are required to succeed in the role. If possible, include quantifiable results to demonstrate how you use your best attributes to drive success.

Variations Of The Interview Question ‘describe Yourself In Three Words’

• How would your friends describe you?
• How would your colleagues describe you?
• How would your boss describe you?
• Describe yourself in a few words
• How would you describe yourself with just 3 words?
• How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
• What are 3 words to describe yourself?
• Describe yourself in one word
• Describe yourself in 5 words
• Describe yourself in one sentence
• How would you describe yourself?
• Describe your personality in 3 words
• Describe yourself in 3 words best answers
• List 5 words that describe your personality

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Template For Responding To Describe Yourself

I’ve been working in _________ for ____ years. I love doing _________, ____________, and __________ because _____________________. Over time, I’ve developed skills such as ___________, ___________, and ____________. This role is especially exciting to me because _______________________.

Alyson Garrido is passionate about helping women advance their careers and find jobs they will enjoy. As a career coach, she partners with her clients to identify their strengths and create a path toward a more fulfilling career. Alyson provides support around preparing for interviews, performance reviews and salary negotiations, ensuring that you present yourself in the best possible light for job search and career advancement. Learn more or book a session with Alyson by visiting www.alysongarrido.com.

Identify Your Own Strengths

Evaluate your own skills and abilities. Reference the cover letter and resume you submitted. These can guide you and help identify what you should discuss when describing yourself. Use information that relates to what you have included on your application paperwork, but take care to provide more material than what the hiring manager has already read. Your interview is an opportunity to discuss, elaborate, and provide a more complete picture of your abilities.

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Describe How Your Mind Works

Welch says employers are deeply interested in how you think and operate, and you should use one of your three words to accurately capture that.

She recommends using words like “conceptual,””creative,””curious,””analytical” or “methodical” to describe your thought process.

One of the biggest mistakes candidates can make in this situation is using business jargon. For example, Welch says phrases like “results-driven” or “customer-focused” rarely move the conversation in the direction that an interviewer wants it to go.

Talk About Yourself As A Team Player

Question: In your opinion, what are your most important traits?

Sample answers:

Im very communicative, detail-oriented, and versatile. I like to think of myself as a team player. While I dont mind taking on solo projects, I prefer to work with others.

I like to think that Im persistent and persuasive. Working in sales, these traits have served me well. Outside of work, I enjoy taking part in lively debates where I can share my views with others.

Summary:

You did your research on the company and found that the work culture is based on community, group, and teamwork. If thats the case, make sure the interviewer knows you can function well within that culture, and you enjoy socialization outside of it. Remember, for many employers, its just as important to fit into a work culture as it is to be able to do the job well.

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Prepare A Concrete Example For Each Trait

The one difference between describing yourself in an interview compared to a resume is that you have the space to provide evidence of your best traits in an interview. Anyone can claim theyre a dedicated team player. You need to follow the claim up with a concrete example of when and how you have demonstrated that characteristic.

To do that, its best to use the STAR method. This will help you prepare a short story for each word to describe yourself in an interview.

Example answer

I am ambitious and highly motivated. I always set goals for myself, so I have a clear idea of what Im working towards. I thrive in environments that challenge me, and Im always looking for new ways to improve myself and achieve better results. For example, in my previous role, I managed to cut down company costs by 13% by conducting an independent overview of the company expenses. I was promoted in just over a year due to my exceptional results and drive.

What You Should Not Say

Many job candidates make the mistake of answering this question with talk of something personal. Some even launch into their life story, starting with their hometown and continuing on through their college graduation.

Alternately, others share descriptions of the problems in their current job, explaining that they applied for this position because their boss is a micromanager or their employer wont allow them to work a flexible schedule.

And some job seekers simply summarize their resume, going point-by-point through their work experience and education history.

All three of these responses can quickly send your new-job dreams down the tubes. If you answer with either of the first two, hiring managers see a red flag an indication that youre not that serious about the position or simply trying to escape a bad situation at your current job.

And if you go with the third approach, youre throwing away an opportunity. You can assume the interviewers read your resume before inviting you for the interview, and they dont need you to walk them through it.

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