How To Answer ‘Describe Yourself’ Without Showing Off 

Are you preparing for your next job interview? If so, you may be wondering how to answer the inevitable ‘describe yourself’ question. 

Don’t worry - we’ve got you covered. 

Here’s some advice from our team on how to answer this common interview question. Let’s approach this by being confident and not cocky.

Karen Karen Jayne Harris, Senior Consultant, says it helps when you share in the context of a story. “Frame what you are going to share where you faced a challenge and how it resulted in a successful outcome. The conclusion is how it relates to the person you are. What you are doing is sharing in relation to the working environment.”

“Another idea I’d recommend is to share testimonials of what others have said about you. By framing this as someone else’s words, it can help if you become uneasy about promoting yourself. The recommendations of others are doing it for you.”

Describing yourself with a balance is what Jordan Ball, Senior Industrial Recruitment Consultant would suggest, “Approach it from a professional followed by a personal angle. From a professional side be clear on where you shine, such as teamwork or adaptability. It’s not just ‘work’ skills people want to hear, when it comes to your life outside of work, show how relatable you are. For instance, it could be fairness, honesty and gratitude. Our character traits are so important.”

Georgia Brooker, Financial Recruitment Consultant, understands that when describing yourself, honesty always wins. You can’t step up with a pretend persona. “I always say to present examples of the obstacles you have faced and what you took from it. For instance, it could be acknowledging that no one is perfect, but we have to be resilient. Think about how your personality is going to complement a new work environment.” 

Kat Bielecka, Recruitment Consultant, knows that you can’t get carried away and share a 10-minute life story. “Always stick to the facts around your achievements and progression and then you can start to open up. What I would suggest is to present yourself through the eyes of others. You do this by saying, ‘my friends see me as…’ What you are doing is positively highlighting yourself, but putting the emphasis on someone else.

Being asked to describe yourself can put anyone on the spot. Accept that this question is more than likely to be asked.

Prepare ahead of time for the interview by writing out your answers and practicing them. Being able to articulate who you are is a key part of the interview process. 

With a bit of preparation, you can confidently and comfortably answer this question and describe yourself with confidence.