Tell me about yourself.

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
What You Need to Know
What to Avoid
Answer Example

There's no right or wrong answer to this question. Your interviewer simply wants to get to know you as a person and as a professional. It can often serve as an icebreaker. But the opportunity here is to put your best foot forward and deliver your elevator pitch as to how you are the right fit for this job, and how it is the right fit for you while showcasing your personality as you communicate your message. The more confident you are, the stronger your performance will be. The confidence that you project to your interviewer will carry over to your expertise.

While researching EY's careers site, you'll find advice they offer their candidates, such as for you to "Be yourself and let's explore how we can make a bigger impact, together. Be succinct. Think about what you want to tell us about yourself, relevant work experience, and your view on current market trends and sector developments. We want to get to know you as an individual and discover your strengths and everything that makes you unique. Focus on the past, present and the future. Think of a few sentences describing your professional persona on a timeline. Mention your background and give a brief summary of your previous experiences, then explain your current employment situation and briefly explain the why are you interested in the role. Close your pitch by sharing your general career aspirations and how the role can help you achieve them."

Here's some more advice from the EY careers website, "Do not try to exploit this question and squeeze in too many facts and information. You may feel tempted to say more about your previous roles or motivation, but be sure that the interviewer has separate questions on hand to explore this, so leave the rest to the later part of the interview. Finish with a question (Optional, but this is a nice conversation starter to continue the next part of the interview). After responding, finish by asking the interviewers if there are questions on what you have shared or if there is anything that they may wish to know more."

"I went to school to earn my degree in widget science and graduated at the top of my class. I landed an internship with ACME Corp, which then turned into a full-time job. I have pursued and been rewarded with a few advancement opportunities in the company, but I feel my career is no longer moving at the velocity I would prefer, nor are there the right opportunities in the right direction for my career. So I started exploring, and in my job search I found EY Global which really felt like the right fit for me, so I am ready to do all it takes to try to earn a position with the company."