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How Would You Describe Yourself?

how would you describe yourself

Do you have an important interview looming that you are struggling to prepare for?

If you have your sights set on your dream job, it is essential to perform well in the interview. Being able to answer interview questions confidently is at least half of the battle.

There are several standard questions that are likely to come up during the interview. Understanding these questions and how to answer them gives you the chance to prepare.

So, let’s find out the best way to answer, ‘how would you describe yourself?’…

Different Ways to Describe Yourself

There are a variety of ways that you can choose to describe yourself. Generally, it is best to pick two or three examples that you feel the most comfortable with. Here are examples of personality traits that you can use to outline your answer.

Describe Yourself as Flexible and Resourceful

The job you are interviewing for may require you to work to strict deadlines and unusual hours at times. Highlighting this characteristic shows the interviewer that you are ready to rise to the challenge. Some people thrive under pressure and constant change, so if that’s you, make sure the interviewer knows you are one of these people.

Give a Short and Meaningful Summary of Yourself

This is a good answer if the question comes close to the start of the interview. It provides the interviewer with a short and snappy summary of your main attributes. You can use this summary as a foundation to build on later in the interview.

Talk about Yourself as a Team Player

The culture of many companies is based on community, teamwork, and group work. Highlighting yourself as a team player shows that you will be the right fit for this sort of working environment.

Highlight Your Experience and Knowledge

If you’re applying for a technical position, it is essential to show that you have the skills to do the job. Highlight your knowledge and experience in a clear and concise way. Make sure that the interviewer understands that you have valuable skills that set you apart.

Describe Yourself as a Constant Learner

This is a good tactic if you do not have a lot of work experience. The ability and willingness to learn can easily make up for a lack of experience in the right situation. Presenting yourself as a constant learner is especially useful if the company offers training programs.

how would you describe yourself guide

Present Yourself as Confident

Employers appreciate employees who are confident and can take the initiative in tricky situations. Rather than simply stating that you are confident, it is essential that the interviewer receives this impression of you. Therefore, making sure that you look and feel the part during the interview will help you to come across as confident.

Present Yourself as a Self-Starter or an Independent Person

Rather than working in a team, some jobs require employees to work alone for extended periods. People who are very sociable can find solitary working conditions challenging to handle. If you thrive when working alone, highlighting your independence is a good idea.

How Best to Answer, “How Would you Describe Yourself?”

By now, you may have an idea of the personal attributes that you want to highlight. The next task is taking these aspects of your personality and shaping them into a well-rounded answer. Let’s look at how to do this for different types of characteristics.

I am ambitious and driven

Drive and ambition are essential qualities in order to grow and succeed in many jobs. Employers like to seek out and employ candidates who are ambitious. Employers can be sure that these employees will work hard to constantly improve and reach their next goal.

I am passionate about my work

Even if an employee is skilled, they will not shine if they are bored at work. Passion is one of the buzzwords that interviewers and employers look for. Passionate employees are usually driven to work hard and are loyal to the company if it challenges them.

I am very organized

Strong organizational skills are valued by all industries as employers usually need people to work to deadlines. This quality is essential in project management roles, administrative positions, and many other roles. People who are organized also usually have good attention to detail.

I am a natural leader

While many skills can be taught, leadership skills are much trickier. People who have natural leadership skills usually thrive in the business world and are able to boost team morale. This skill is critical if you are interviewing for a management role.

how would you describe yourself

I am a people person

Being naturally outgoing helps people to thrive in a wide range of business situations. If you are working in a sales or customer service role, being able to establish rapport with customers is important. It is also essential when working closely with a team.

I am results-oriented

People who are results-oriented constantly keep the end goal in mind. This is important when working in sales and a range of other jobs. Employers can be sure that results-oriented applicants will get the job done no matter what happens.

I am an excellent communicator

Strong communication skills are essential for ongoing success in virtually any position and every industry. Employees who communicate well are able to deliver information to clients and other team members effectively.

Preparing the Perfect Answer

The secret to answering this standard interview question well is preparation. While you want your answer to sound natural and spontaneous, it is best to prepare what you want to say. The following tips can help you to shape the perfect answer to this interview question.

Understand your audience

Before working out how to best present yourself, work out what the working environment will be like. The personality traits and skills that you highlight should be those that are most valuable for the position. Therefore, it is vital to research the company and company culture before the interview.

How?

Checking out the company’s website and online presence should indicate what their values are. For example, if the company values professional growth, highlight your ability and willingness to learn new things.

Describe traits that fit the job and team

It is time to think about the traits that the interviewer is likely to find the most impressive or exciting. The trick is to choose characteristics that are the most relevant to the job you are interviewing for. This can be achieved by reviewing the job description and highlighting the skills that stand out.

Best practice?

Again, the company’s culture and the working environment should help guide you toward your answer. If the company values collaboration, highlight the fact that you work well with other people. Conversely, you should highlight your independence if you will mainly be working alone.

Backup your claims with an example

It is not enough to simply highlight a personality trait and leave it at that. You also need to explain how that trait helps you to overcome obstacles or stand out from the crowd. For example, your organizational skills could help you to stay on target and get your work finished ahead of time.

Tips on How to Describe Yourself in an Interview

Your delivery of interview answers is just as important as the words you choose to use. It is essential to maintain natural eye contact and avoid fidgeting. Here are some other tips that can help you to perform well in an interview.

Keep things positive

No matter how you choose to describe yourself, make sure that you remain positive at all times. The interview setting is your chance to put your best foot forward and truly shine. If you put yourself down in any way, the interviewer is likely to doubt your commitment and abilities.

how would you describe yourself tips

Avoid boasting

Trying to find the line between confidence and boasting can be pretty tricky at times. Coming across as too confident can actually read as being arrogant. This may make the interviewer question whether you will be able to get along well with the rest of the team.

Be honest

While it is obviously important to try and impress your interviewer, avoid lying and exaggerating at all costs. Many interviewers are good at reading people and especially good at reading body language. If your answer comes across as disingenuous, it is likely to damage your chances of securing the job.

Make your answers personal.

The goal is to provide an engaging personal answer that helps you to stand out from other applicants. If you have done your homework and brainstormed your answer, this should not be a problem. Moreover, try to avoid giving an explanation that the interviewer is likely to have heard several times before.

Keep it short and simple.

Try to make sure that your answer is as short and to the point as possible. If your interviewer is particularly interested in your answer, they are sure to ask for more information. The aim is to limit your response to two or three sentences that highlight valuable and interesting character traits.

Be confident

Although you may feel nervous going into the interview, it is essential to come across as confident. This confidence is likely to translate to your ability to perform your work duties well. Confidence is a valuable trait in most industries and will come across in both what you say and your body language.

More Suggestions

It’s an excellent approach to fully familiarize yourself with all common interview questions according to the job type. Are you interviewing to be a hostess? Head straight to these Hostess Interview Questions! Cook position? Check out Cook Interview Questions to know in 2023.

US company chains

We’ve also got the most common interview questions per company, such as Dollar General Interview Questions, these Walgreens Customer Service Associate Interview Questions, Disney Store Interview Questions, and so much more! Simply search your employer on our site to check!

Still unsure if or how to quit your current job? I highly recommend these resources for excellent support: Resignation Letter Sample, How to Quit Your Job Gracefully, Good Luck Finding Awesome Coworkers Like Us Again, as well as Work Sucks!: A Funny View of a Serious Problem.

Back to today’s discussion…

Now You Know What to Say

Describing yourself to a potential employer is not always easy, especially in an interview. It is only natural that you will want to present yourself in the best possible way. However, you also want to come across as relatable and show that you are the perfect person for the job.

One strategy is to ask close friends or family members to use different words to describe you. Make a list of several words or phrases that come up as the people are describing you. Highlight the words that relate to work skills and attributes and shape your answer around these words.

Happy interviewing!

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1 thought on “How Would You Describe Yourself?”

  1. i am a hard worker and looking everyday i lost my job over 2 weeks ago i have a couple of job interviews and because of so many apps still looking i want to work and enjoy working but in the meantime i need help until i go back to work very soon

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