How to Answer: Tell me about yourself.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an IT Business Analyst job interview.
5. Tell me about yourself.
How to Answer
This question is typically asked at the beginning of an interview and has essentially become the small talk opportunity to allow everyone to settle in. Simply walking your interviewer through the highlights of your resume is a common strategy, but it is also a missed opportunity to stand out among the other candidates. To get the most out of your response, include something interesting from your background that led to your desire to work in technology, or share an exciting detail from one of your greatest achievements. Adding a detail or two that grabs the attention of your interviewer shows them you can drive a conversation (a key skill for an analyst working directly with stakeholders) and are ready for a great interview.
Written by Karrie Day on March 28th, 2024
Answer Example
"When I started college, I wanted to pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon. I love science and understanding the system of the body and working to put things that are broken back together again in a way that makes them stronger than before was appealing to me. However, I learned this was not the path for me when I participated in a program to shadow surgeons in college. I reflected on my options and landed on pursuing a career in information systems. I realized that working to develop great IT solutions involved using the same skills I loved about the original path I was on, but in a way that was better suited for me.
Since graduation, I have held two roles as an analyst. My first role was with a fintech SaaS company. I worked directly with our clients to understand their business and identify solutions that were a great fit for their needs. I was initially paired with a senior analyst, but given the size of our company, I was assigned as the solo analyst shortly after I began working there. It was stressful at times, but I learned a lot in a short amount of time and it was a great experience overall.
After two years, I moved out of my consulting role to work at XYZ company which is where I am today. I am an advanced analyst in our accounting and finance enterprise solutions group. I work in a cross-functional scrum team and I serve as the product owner for several custom solutions we've built on top of our third-party financial software. I enjoy working with my team, but I am ready for a new challenge. I am excited to be here interviewing with you today as this role represents an opportunity to leverage my experience and subject matter expertise while allowing me to grow my knowledge of new systems, industries, and business processes."
Written by Karrie Day on March 28th, 2024