Intermediate· B1–B2Job interviews10 min

Job interview: 'Tell me about yourself'

Answer the most common interview opener with a short present, past and future structure.

The scene

You are in a job interview for a customer support team lead role. After the greetings, the interviewer asks you to tell them about yourself.

Speaker A
Interviewer
Speaker B
You (candidate)

Your goals

  • Answer 'Tell me about yourself' in about one minute
  • Use a present, past, future structure
  • Link your experience to the job you are applying for

Key vocabulary

Press the speaker to hear each word or phrase.

  • background

    your education and work experience

    My background is in customer service.

  • currently

    at the present time

    I'm currently a senior support agent.

  • to be responsible for

    to have the duty of doing something

    I'm responsible for training new staff.

  • to handle

    to deal with something

    I handle around forty requests a day.

  • to develop

    to grow or improve a skill

    I've developed strong problem-solving skills.

  • the next step

    the next stage in your career

    This role feels like the right next step.

  • a good fit

    suitable for a job or team

    I think I'd be a good fit for this team.

Useful phrases

  • I'm currently working as … at …

    Starting with your present role

  • Before that, I …

    Moving to your past experience

  • What I enjoy most is …

    Showing motivation

  • That's why I'm interested in this role.

    Linking your story to the job

  • I'm looking for a chance to …

    Describing your future goals

Practice studio: speak the dialogue

Pick your role and press Start. Your partner's lines are read aloud; then say your line into the microphone (or type it) and see which words you got right.

Your role

  1. Interviewer

    Thanks for coming in today. To start, could you tell me a little about yourself?

  2. You (candidate)

    Of course. I'm currently a senior customer support agent at a software company, where I've worked for three years.

  3. Interviewer

    What does your role involve?

  4. You (candidate)

    I handle complex customer problems, and I'm responsible for training new team members.

  5. Interviewer

    And before that?

  6. You (candidate)

    Before that, I worked in a hotel reception, which taught me to stay calm with upset customers.

  7. Interviewer

    Interesting. What do you enjoy most about your work?

  8. You (candidate)

    What I enjoy most is helping new colleagues get confident. Training has become my favorite part of the job.

  9. Interviewer

    So why this position?

  10. You (candidate)

    I'm looking for a chance to lead a team, and this role feels like the right next step for me.

You speak 5 lines as You (candidate); Interviewer is read aloud for you.

Speech recognition is done by your browser (in Chrome and Edge this uses the browser maker's online service). Nothing is stored by AltFTool.

Your turn: speak freely

Answer out loud in your own words. There is no score here: aim for full sentences and fewer filler words.

  1. 1. Answer 'Tell me about yourself' in under one minute: present, past, future.

  2. 2. Describe what you enjoy most about your current job or studies.

  3. 3. Explain why a job you want is the right next step for you.

Quick quiz

Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.

  1. 1. What is a good structure for 'Tell me about yourself'?
  2. 2. How long should your answer usually be?
  3. 3. Which sentence links your story to the job?
  4. 4. What does 'I'm responsible for training new staff' mean?

0 of 4 answered

Common mistakes

  • Avoid: I am working here since three years.

    Say: I've worked here for three years.

    Use the present perfect with 'for' plus a period of time.

  • Avoid: My name is Ana, I was born in 1995, I have two brothers…

    Say: I'm currently a senior support agent at…

    Interviewers want your professional story, not your life story.

  • Avoid: I am responsible of training.

    Say: I'm responsible for training.

    'Responsible' is followed by 'for'.

Tips

  • Write your answer as three short parts, then practice saying it aloud until it sounds natural, not memorized.
  • Choose past experience that is relevant to the new job and skip the rest.
  • End with why you want this role; it invites the next question.

Questions about this lesson

How do you answer 'Tell me about yourself' in English?

Use present, past, future: what you do now, one or two relevant past experiences, and why this job is your next step. Keep it to about a minute.

Should I talk about my hobbies in a job interview?

Only if they are relevant to the job or the interviewer asks. Focus on your work and skills first.

Finish the lesson

Finish the practice studio and the quiz and this lesson is marked complete for you.

Next lesson: Scheduling a job interview by phone

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