Many tech interviews begin with the open-ended question “Tell me about yourself.” This lets the interviewer find out more about your background. It also helps determine which question to ask next.
Your answer impacts the interviewer’s impression of you as a candidate. This is why your response needs to be tailored to the role, your background, your top achievements, and your interests. These details demonstrate how you stand out from other candidates and why you want the position.
Your response should follow the “past, present, future” format. This includes your relevant work experience, current role, and the position you are pursuing.
Gain additional insight into how to talk about yourself during a tech interview.
Tips to Share Your Background
- Remain professional. Keep your answer under 2 minutes. Highlight your top selling points relevant to the role.
- Practice answering without memorizing. You may forget something during the interview that could impact your rehearsed answer.
- Understand your audience. Pay attention to who the interviewer is. This may include the hiring manager, an HR professional, or a member of the C-suite. Tailor your response so they understand what you are saying.
- Include details about your work, academics, and personal interests (WAP). Focus the majority of your answer on your experience and accomplishments. Share a bit about your educational background and personal interests related to the role or company.
Examples of Interview Answers
Experienced professional: I have been a tech project manager for 8 years. I graduated from University X, where I made the Dean’s List, with a major in business administration and a minor in computer science.
I entered the tech industry as an administrative assistant at Company Y. I provided clerical support for interdepartmental communication, helped manage schedules, and maintained the digital filing system.
After that, I spent six years as a project manager for Company Z, which provided cloud computing solutions. I managed five teams of software projects and made sure everything went smoothly in terms of business goals, deadlines, budget, and more.
In my downtime, I enjoy reading about artificial intelligence, tech, and robotics. Since your company works in all three, I decided to apply.
College graduate: I recently graduated from University X with a B.A. in international business. I learned a lot of theory in subjects like corporate communication, international economics, and corporate governance. I also was part of the student government and maintained a GPA of 3.6.
I have worked hard in my education and am ready to apply my knowledge to practice.
I have significant exposure to the business environment. Many of my courses involved working with companies to solve problems.
I want to leverage everything I learned in school and get hands-on work experience.
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