describe yourself

Describe Yourself – Best Answers to This HR Interview Question

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Posted by admin May 15, 2019

One of the first questions every interviewer asks in a job interview is, “How will you describe yourself?” There are multiple ways and means to tackle this question. But the right approach is to arrive at a reason that makes you the best candidate for the job. One way is to describe specific internships, training, experiences and personal attributes that are closely related to position.

In your first job interview, your interviewer will ask you to talk about yourself or describe yourself. It is their way of collecting information about your qualities and characteristics. It is the interviewer’s approach to find out if you have the correct skills for the job. Hence the question “Describe yourself” gets thrown at you. In order to give it your best shot, include quantifiable results to demonstrate your best qualities that are relevant.

How to approach the “Describe yourself” HR interview question

1. Do your research
2. Look at examples
3. Use power words
4. Avoid mistakes

Do your research to tackle “Describe yourself” interview question

Look at examples and sample answers to “Describe yourself” HR interview question
In this section of the article, we have framed sample answers to help you tackle the HR interview questions with ease.

Sample answer 1: For an Engineering Graduate or Fresher

“I am ambitious and self-driven engineering graduate. This is my first job interview and hence I would like to point out for the first time that I actually thrive on challenges. I have this habit of setting personal goals and achieving them, be it a cricket match or a mechanical engineering project like dismantling and reassembling a 4-stroke engine. This is a way I push myself to look forward to something good and achieve nothing but the best. I have this habit of looking for an opportunity to do better than my past performances and eventually attain excellence. I would like to add that due to these personal traits, I was elected the class representative 4 times in a row for academics, placements and extracurricular activities.” 

Sample answer 2: For a Commerce Graduate or Fresher

“As a B. Com student, state-level orator and as an intern at a leading Accountancy firm, my mantra to succeed has always been the same “I can win!” You must have guessed already that Shiv Khera is my favorite author. Speaking of my background, my father is a CA and runs his own firm. He is my idol and my hero too. Watching him while growing up, it was crystal clear in my head that I wanted to take up commerce and ace in it like him. Honestly, I have inherited a never-say-die spirit from him which led me to top my B. Com batch and take a gold medal back home.”

Sample answer 3: For an Arts Graduate or Fresher

“I am an iPhone movie maker, an abstract artist, and a writer at heart. I have been a brutal bookworm since my childhood. I hate to boast but I can actually finish 3 books parallelly in a week. Also, I possess a decent dressing sense which has made me the unofficial designer of my clan and my college gang. Also, I am a super organized person and love to keep my workstation, den and car spic and span. Coming to which, work wise also I am super organized. I like to work methodically so as to achieve a defined end result. Before I start a project, I like to have a clear end-to-end discussion so that everyone in the team is on the same page. Additionally, I am an outgoing person but I hate to party, which is another rare combination!”

Some broad categories under which you can put a structure to your answer for the “Describe yourself” question:

1. I am passionate about tasks assigned to me.
2. I am ambitious and a go-getter.
3. I am an organized person.
4. I’m an ambivert.
5. Leadership comes naturally to me.
6. I am a results-oriented team player.
7. I possess excellent communication skills.

Use power words wherever necessary

Power words are emotional words packed with persuasion. Most smart interviewees sprinkle their answers with carefully-chosen power words. These drench your answer with sensory details which can draw the interviewer one emotion to another as skillfully as any novelist or screenwriter.

## Convey passion with words like Energized, Enthusiastic, Interested, Love, Motivated, Priority, and Win.
## Convey responsibility with words like Accomplish, Coordinate, Detail-oriented, Effective, Maintained, Organize, Practical, Reorganize, Responsible, Results-oriented, Team player, & Leadership
## Convey leadership with words like Accelerate, Accomplish, Build and Coordinate

Avoid these mistakes while answering the HR interview question “Describe yourself”

Don’t keep mumbling words over and over. If you are unable to frame a answer in your head, please take a pause and then tackle the question. Some mistakes you should avoid while tackling the “Describe yourself” question:

## Crossing the 30-60 second-mark while answering the question
## Not being able to hold your train of thought while describing yourself
## Rambling on and on and noticing that the interviewer has lost interest
## Facing difficulty while communicating or articulating ideas

These issues arise when freshers or job interview candidates stress themselves out the night before by over preparing. Do not do this to yourself. Last-minute preparation is advisable but getting stressed is not. It will only leave you looking tired and worn out on the interview day, which might leave a bad impression on the HR manager.

Extra tips to ace “Describe yourself” HR interview question as well as the overall interview

On the day of the interview try and plan ahead. It is best to arrive around 10-15 minutes early. Please do not arrive late as it might kill your chances of landing your first job in the first place. Also, have breakfast, use the loo and then get there. Do not forget to turn your mobile off before entering the venue.

Mid-way through the interview, it is advisable to ask a question for feedback. Since you are a fresher, the interviewer would be more than happy to answer your query or might signal you to hold this discussion until the end. We highly recommend this feedback collection discussion.

Rather than guessing if you’ve satisfied the interviewer with your answer to “Describe yourself”, simply give it your best shot and then ask, “Does that answer your question, or did you want more information?” This will ensure you do not get interrupted before the HR manager is satisfied. Besides, it stops you from rambling unnecessarily for an extra two minutes!

Overall, if you follow the tips shared above, you will pass this “Describe yourself” question easily and sail through the rest of the interview. Give a well-prepared and targeted answer which is crisp and brief.

Other questions that can be answered similarly

Following are other HR interview questions which can be answered the way you answer the commonly asked HR interview question “Describe yourself”

## Describe yourself or your personality
## Describe yourself as a student
## Tell me about yourself
## How would you describe your ideal job?
## How would you summarize your biodata?
## Explain about yourself
## How much job oriented are you?

The aforementioned sample answers, tips and strategies will surely help you tackle the HR interview question “Describe yourself” and related queries with ease and confidence. In case your interview goes well, do share your detailed interview experience with us here. Also, don’t forget to like us on Facebook and Instagram. 😊

All the best!

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