How to master your interview self-introduction

And common mistakes you must avoid!

Author

Sophie @ Speak Tech English
January 13, 2025

In partnership with

 

So many interview candidates get lost on the first and most simple question… “Tell me about yourself?”

Today, you will learn how to master your self-introduction:

  • Part 1: Use a simple but effective structure

  • Part 2: What key phrases to include

  • Part 3: How to answer follow up questions

PART 1

Structure

A good interview self-introduction has three parts:

  1. Who you are: Your name, job title and an overview of your experience
    e.g. "My name is Alex, and I’m a software engineer with over five years of experience in developing cloud-based applications."

  2. What you’ve done: Highlight your key achievements or projects
    e.g. "I recently led a team to redesign our company’s customer portal, which resulted in a 40% increase in user engagement."

  3. Why you’re here: Explain your motivation for applying to the position
    "I’m excited about this opportunity because it aligns with my passion for creating scalable and innovative solutions."

Level Up: Use parallel structure to ensure your sentences flow smoothly. For example, if you say, "I’m skilled in A, B, and C," make sure A, B, and C are grammatically similar.
(Study parallel structure in our textbook)

Do you mention your hobbies and interests in your interview self-introduction?

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PART 2

Key Phrases

  • I have a background in software development with a focus on mobile apps.

  • I specialise in optimising front-end performance.

  • I’m passionate about creating user-friendly designs.

  • My most recent project involved leading a team to develop…

  • In my role as DevOps Engineer, I improved deployment processes, reducing release times by 30%.

Level up: Avoid going into too much technical detail in your self-introduction. If you are listing skills or interests, stick to the rule of 3 to keep the interviewer engaged.

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PART 3

Follow Up Questions

Practice how you would answer these follow up questions:

Can you tell me more about [specific project or skill]?
→ Prepare to deep dive into one or two projects that highlight your skills.

Why did you choose to work in [industry/role]?
→ Focus on what excites you about your work. Do not say because of the money!

Why do you want to leave your current role?
→ Avoid negative answers like ‘I don’t like my team’ or ‘the salary is too low.'

Level Up: Don’t be afraid to clarify if you don’t understand a question. For example, “Sorry, do you mean in my current role or my previous role?”

Last Week’s Poll

We asked you: What type of company do you work in?

It was interesting to see that 28% of you work in start-ups!

Dmitri said: “I work in a large corporation and also in a startup. Because of remote working, I can have two jobs. It is not easy, but I learn many things from both!”

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