How to describe yourself in a job interview: A comprehensive guide

No matter what questions you're asked during a job interview, understand that all roads lead to the reason why you're the best person for the job. From "Why should we hire you?" to "How would you describe yourself?", your answers should convince the recruiter that your personality, background, and skills are what they're looking for.

So, how would you describe yourself? You don't answer this question in a job interview the way you would in a slam book. This question is crucial because it reveals your personality to the interviewer, and you can use it to introduce your skills and experiences. But beyond that, the answer also shows the interviewer your level of self-awareness and confidence. 

In 2022, the Ministry of Manpower and JobStreet's Hiring, Compensation & Benefits Outlook reported an upward trend in applications and hiring. Competition is fierce, and hiring managers are particularly meticulous, especially in an increasingly digitised world. 

Apart from making your resume stand out, you must be able to sell yourself and your skills to make an impression. Job interviews allow employers to evaluate how you present yourself. These also let them assess how well you can articulate your case as "the one”. 

• Understanding what the interviewer wants
• Different ways the interviewer can ask the same question
• Identifying your personal qualities
• Crafting your answer
• Practice makes perfect
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Example answers
• Final tips for success
• Conclusion
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Understanding what the interviewer wants 

Some interviewers use this question to ask how you do in the workplace, while others use it to inquire about non-work-related things. Either way, your answers indicate the kind of person you are and how you may perform in the workplace. 

Take this example:

I am a go-getter. My team once had the seemingly impossible task of creating a new application in two weeks. However, with a sound strategy and proper delegation, we were able to beat the deadline. I practise this in my personal life, too. I've just won a regional CrossFit competition. I was a runner-up for three consecutive years and I was a DNF (did not finish) on my first try, but finally, after sheer determination, I made it!

Yes, this answer tells the interviewer how determined and persevering you are. It offers a peek into your delegating talents and sense of responsibility. But it also shows your enthusiasm and confidence for your work as well as your grasp of your skills. 

Interviewers know how to read between the lines of your responses. It may seem generic, but your answer will give them a feel for your personality, traits, and values – and your potential to fulfil your duties and fit in with the company culture. 

ReLaunch Me career coach Leah Lambart says interviewers often make up their minds about you in the first few minutes, so your response to “How would you describe yourself?” should make an impact.

“You don’t know what questions will be asked afterwards, so this may be your only chance to demonstrate why you’re the best candidate for the job,” she explains.

Different ways the interviewer can ask the same question

There are many ways the interviewer can ask you the same question. They could ask you to pick one to three adjectives to describe yourself, reveal how friends or colleagues would describe you, or ask you to share your best work attributes. 

No matter what approach, the intent is still the same: to get to know you better and assess your fit.

Identifying your personal qualities

When you describe yourself, always consider the requirements of the role, even when you speak of personal attributes. Frame your love for painting in a way that displays your creativity. Talk about how your weekend cooking classes taught you lessons in creative problem-solving.

Lambart warns not to overdo it, though. “If you want to provide a small amount of detail about your interests and hobbies outside of work to build rapport, think carefully about what you want to share, as there is always the risk that the interviewer may not have the same interests or views,” she explains.

Techniques for identifying your personal qualities

It can be tempting to answer the question as openly and honestly as possible, but be mindful that your response should satisfy the interviewer. Some interviewers will be extra friendly intentionally to get you comfortable so that you forget about giving the appropriate answers. Here are some tips you can try:

• Illustrate your professional history. Take the chronological approach and talk about where you've been, what work you’ve done, and how these work experiences and your personal qualities may benefit the hiring company. You can also inject how joining the company will benefit your career.
• Dive straight into your traits. What unique or special trait do you bring to the company that makes you the best person for the job? Make sure to stick to your positive qualities. The time for strengths and weaknesses will come later in the interview.
• Look at your favourite activities in and outside work. Do you enjoy preparing and presenting slideshows? Then you might be a natural storyteller and public speaker. Do you like practising photography or sketching in your spare time? Then you could say you’re creative and have an eye for design.

If you struggle to find the best words to describe yourself, ask friends or colleagues to give an unbiased description of you so you can pick out the best traits worth sharing. 

You can also take a personality test to help you learn more about yourself and your strengths. Take the VIA Survey, Enneagram, or the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. These are not just fun tools, but eye-opening profilers that could help you be more self-aware.

Whatever technique you use, never lose sight of the goal: You're telling them you're the perfect candidate for the opening.

Understanding the difference between hard skills and soft skills

Part of promoting yourself during the job interview is to communicate your proficiencies. You must discuss both your hard and soft skills and how well they match the requirements of the role you're gunning for.

Hard skills are technical knowledge. They could be a particular programme, software, or tool, like Adobe PhotoShop for graphic designers or JIRA for project managers. But they could also refer to a writer understanding the principles of good writing or a teacher knowing the fundamentals of education. Hard skills are measurable and learnable. 

Soft skills, meanwhile, are your personal and interpersonal abilities. An aspiring manager, for example, would be expected to have leadership qualities. A marketing assistant should be adaptable and innovative, while a salesperson must be persuasive and confident. 

Examples of best personal qualities in the workplace

Every workplace will have its own set of valuable personal qualities to have. However, some traits, like soft skills, are "universal". 

Dedication, hard work, reliability, being a quick study, organisation, and flexibility are only a few attributes that employers are attracted to. These show that the applicant is passionate about their job, can adapt to any situation, and can learn the ropes fast – all qualities of an efficient and responsible worker.

An Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) paper reported on in the Straits Times found that less-educated Singaporeans are at risk because less than half of local workers strove to develop core skills, such as creative thinking, career planning, and networking, and were thus being left behind in the job market. 

So, if you want to stand out to your interviewer, highlight these qualities when you talk about yourself – assuming you have them, of course!

Crafting your answer

Now that you understand yourself better and know your most admirable personal qualities, you must put them together. Articulating your strengths is the key to making a lasting impression on the interviewer.

How to structure your answer

You can structure your answer to let the interviewer visualise your skills. Provide examples or situations that show the interviewer how you are as a worker.

You could also employ the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) as a framework for showcasing your strengths. Mention a hurdle you had to overcome, explain your role in solving it, narrate how you managed, and discuss the outcome.   

The beauty of the STAR method is that it highlights how your unique skills and personality helped save the day. It also positively frames you as a proactive worker. Remember to keep your answer concise. Don't drag out the details to sustain the interviewer's interest. 

If the interviewer seems engaged, a good follow-up to your story would be to share why you chose to do what you did in light of the situation. 

Here’s a sample script:

Situation: “My client was angry when the wrong chairs arrived for her party.”

Task: “I knew I had to remedy the situation quickly.”

Action: “I made a few calls to other suppliers in the area and had similar-looking chairs delivered to the venue.”

Result: “Although they were not the exact chairs the client had wanted, she appreciated my quick action and thanked me.”

If you don't want to follow a situation-based approach, Lambart also recommends this formula: present (current role), past (previous experiences), and future (your career goals). This format shows the interviewer that you take a long view of your career, confirming your determination and commitment.

Tips for crafting an answer that resonates with the interviewer

• Share a story or anecdote. An interview isn't a gab session – and everyone knows those conversations can take forever. Remember to stay professional. Your anecdote must express how you are as an employee, and why you would be an asset to the company.
• Show weakness. One thing to avoid during the interview is to sound overconfident or pretentious. You risk annoying the interviewer, and you don't sound believable. What you say during the Q&A has to match the contents of your resumé and portfolio. Explaining weakness or vulnerability can create empathy. Just make sure to conclude with a happy ending – where you solved the problem.
• Be authentic. Avoid falling into the trap of presenting an idealised version of yourself. Yes, put your best foot forward, but be sincere. Show who you are as a person and what sets you apart from the competition. 

Do you believe in a cause that may resonate with the interviewer? In your preliminary research about the company, did you see social initiatives and values that align with yours? By being authentic, you present a more relatable version of yourself.

Using specific examples to support your answer

You should be able to elaborate on anything you share with the interviewer. By expounding on your answer, you give them more details to get to know you better. You also back up your credentials with evidence. 

If you say you have good leadership skills, cite specific examples to support your answer. What projects in the past did you lead that reaped favourable results? Great with sales? Mention how much sales increased with you at the helm.  

Dos and don'ts of answering ‘How would you describe yourself?’

• DO come prepared. You might be an excellent speaker but still mess up your interview due to insufficient preparation. Make sure you research the company so you can tailor your responses accordingly. Your interviewer will be impressed when they see how much legwork you did to prepare.
• DO smile and express gratitude. Never underestimate the power of positivity during an interview. Stay professional yet pleasant, and leave with a word of thanks. 
• DON'T go on and on. As much as you want to elaborate on your answer, do not bore your interviewer to death. Keep your response succinct, sticking to pertinent details.
• DON'T sound like a robot. While preparation is essential, too much can make you sound robotic. Instead of memorising several paragraphs’ worth of answers, stick to the main points, which you can explain spontaneously in your own words.

Practice makes perfect

When you know what to answer and how to execute it, what remains is to practise. With enough job interview preparation and a stellar resumé, you’ll surely breeze through your interview.

Why practice is crucial

You can't predict how an interview will go down. Instead, show up believing you've prepared enough to do your best. Practising is your best friend. Rehearse to confidently answer possible questions so you're in control, no matter what the interviewer throws at you. 

Here are some techniques for practising your answer:

• Find a quiet area in your home to practise. You can even try setting up the place to resemble an actual interview.
• Dress the part. Leave no stone unturned. Are your pants making you uncomfortable when you sit down? Is your collar scratching you? 
• Practise answering questions. Say your answers out loud and experiment with your intonation and speed. The idea is that the answer will come so naturally to you during the interview, it won’t feel memorised, robotic, or rehearsed.
• Put up a mirror in front of you to check your reflection. Observe your facial expressions and gestures. Be mindful of your posture. Your body language speaks volumes about your confidence and comfort.
• Time your answers. There's no strict answer to how long you should speak, but keep it brief. List primary points and get through them within five minutes.  
• Set up an informational interview. The National University of Singapore suggests interviewing a professional in the industry you are interested in. Ask about their career experiences as well as their job-specific skills and qualifications.

You could also use JobStreet's Interview Tool as a guide. Record and playback your answers to see if you can refine your sentences and improve your tone.

The role of mock interviews in your preparation

Try to simulate an actual interview environment. Reciting answers to yourself is good, but you're not exactly an objective observer. A mock interview can help you anticipate follow-up questions and poke holes in your answers. 

Ask a friend or colleague to practise with you. Ideally, your mock interviewer should know the industry. They can start with classic questions such as "How would you describe yourself?" and "What are your career goals?" Encourage them to portray various interviewer types. 

You can also ask your mock interviewer to evaluate how you look and the way you answer. 

Common mistakes to avoid

Blunders can turn off your interviewer or leave a poor impression. Recruiters have complained about getting frustrated because of unprofessional, unprepared applicants. Make sure you prepare for your job hunt and steer clear of these common job interview mistakes. 

Common mistakes when talking about yourself

• Making it all about you: While interviews are about your strengths, they are not a channel for you to go on and on about your achievements and what the company can do for you. This stage demonstrates what you can contribute to the company, so turn the tables. Address how the company can benefit from your skills and qualifications. 
• Calling the interviewer a different name: One thing that can be annoying no matter the context is being called a different name. It shows you're not paying enough attention to the interviewer and don't focus enough on details. If you forgot, you can politely ask them to repeat it, or you can go with a "ma'am" or "sir" throughout the conversation.
• Not knowing your resumé by heart: Since you made your resumé (and it's about you), you should know its contents even with your eyes closed. Imagine being asked something on your profile without you remembering it. Your credibility will plummet. Always review your resumé before the interview. Also, while you should tailor your skills to match the job description, don't resort to exaggeration or falsehoods. 
• Not having any questions: Asking questions means you paid attention to the interviewer and are interested in learning more about the job opening and the company. Make sure to list down interview questions to ask your interviewer when you prepare for the interview.

How to avoid these mistakes

• Prepare a spiel and stick to it. A spiel helps you remember the key points while saving you from rambling.
• Pay attention. Pay attention to your interviewer, from when they introduce themselves to the details they mention about the job. These things could help you formulate follow-up questions.
• Bring a printout of your resumé. So you don’t end up forgetting information from your resumé, bring a printout that you can scan as you wait for your interview to begin. You can also print out an additional copy for the interviewer. They might not have a hard copy, especially if you applied online.
• Have a list ready. Research the company and list down any questions or clarifications you may have before the interview. Bring a printout and review this before the interview so details remain fresh in your head.

Examples of what not to say

• “I didn’t like how my company…” It’s simply unprofessional to rant about your current or previous employer to an interviewer. It reveals that you’d probably complain about them in a future interview.
• “I don’t know.” If you’re simply dumbfounded about what to answer, you can ask for a few seconds to pause and think. Use the opportunity to show how articulate you are and how you would apply your expertise and knowledge to the question.
• “How much leave do I get?” While being curious about the benefits is perfectly normal, reserve these queries for when you receive a job offer. Asking this during the interview makes you appear overconfident.

Example answers

How to tie hard and soft skills to the role and incorporate them into an answer

To weave your hard and soft skills into your answer, you can apply the STAR method discussed earlier. Mention the situation, the task at hand, what your action was, and the result. Explain what hard and soft skills came into play during the time and what the positive outcomes were.

Need to sell specific hard and soft skills? Here are sample spiels to try:

• Communication: “I convey complex ideas clearly and concisely. I’ve had experience presenting to large groups, and I enjoy engaging with different people throughout the organisation.”
• Data analysis: “I’m well-versed in Microsoft Excel and SQL, and I’m an expert at analysing and interpreting complex data sets. I’m good at presenting insights from these through infographics, tables, graphs, and other reporting tools. In terms of work arrangements, I’m pretty flexible. I can work independently or collaboratively on data-driven projects.”
• Leadership: “I consider myself a natural leader who can motivate and inspire others. I’ve had many years of experience managing teams and delegating tasks effectively, as well as providing constructive feedback and developing team members’ potential.“
• Coding: “I’m a pro when it comes to Java and Python. I’ve had experience in developing front-end and back-end applications and I make sure my codes are clean and efficient. I’m also used to collaborating with other developers on projects.” 
• Adaptability: “I’m a flexible person and I thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments. I’m a quick learner and I can easily adapt to new technologies or processes. I can work effectively and deliver on time even when under pressure.”
• Graphic design: “I’m a creative professional and I specialise in graphic design. I’ve mastered software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and I can produce visually appealing designs for print and digital media. I’m able to work collaboratively with other designers, and I’m always looking for ways to expand my design skills.”
• Problem-solving: “I’m a resourceful individual and an analytical problem-solver. I can identify and resolve complex issues and I can work on my own or with colleagues to come up with innovative solutions.”
• Project management: “I consider myself a detail-oriented project manager who can develop and execute plans from start to finish. I’ve had many years of experience managing budgets, timelines, and resources. My project management skills also include communicating effectively with stakeholders and ensuring project goals are met.”
• Empathy: “I’m a very empathetic person and I can connect with others on a personal level. I’ve had experience working with diverse groups and building strong relationships. I see to it that I actively listen and respond thoughtfully to the needs of others.”
• Digital marketing: “I’m a data-driven digital marketer proficient in Google Analytics and AdWords. I have considerable experience developing and executing successful digital campaigns across multiple channels. I’m also an expert in data analysis and optimising campaigns to improve return of investment (ROI).”

Final tips for success

Here are a few more pieces of advice to gear you up for a successful interview.

Additional tips to help you nail this question

• Emphasise the positives. Always highlight the good and downplay the bad. If you must talk about your weaknesses, always end with a success story or a lesson learned.
• Show how passionate you are for the job. Show how much you admire the company and the role.
• Always bring your answer back to the company and the job opening. It’s always about the company and not about you.

The importance of being authentic

You may want to present a sanitised version of yourself to the interviewer, but never sacrifice authenticity. Let your personality shine through. Be honest but professional. Your interviewer will appreciate that you’re comfortable in your skin and are confident enough to do away with pretension. 

How to make a lasting impression on the interviewer

• Dress for the part. An interviewer is more likely to remember the applicant looking sharp in a structured blazer or a crisp white shirt than one in a sloppily put-together ensemble. 
• Arrive on time. Punctuality should be strictly observed at all times. Making someone wait is considered very disrespectful. Don’t make the interviewer wait or look overeager because they arrived earlier than you.
• Be yourself. Let your personality shine through and don’t pretend to be an“ideal” version of yourself.

Conclusion

There are many ways to answer the question “How would you describe yourself?” Remember that this is not an invitation for you to go on about yourself. It's a way for the interviewer to assess the skills you are confident in and the experiences you're most proud of.

You can impress the interviewer by preparing well before the interview, practising your spiel, staying in touch with your authentic self, and professionally presenting yourself during the interview. Now you're good to go and ready to show off your best attributes.

Get an interview by creating or updating your profile on JobStreet. Navigate the job application process with tips from our Career Advice page. Download the JobStreet app on the App Store or Google Play.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

1. What are the most important personal qualities to mention in my answer?
   ⁠
   ⁠The question allows you to demonstrate your skills and attitude via examples and personal experiences. Be familiar with the job description so you can highlight the qualities that the company is looking for. 
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2. Is it okay to mention weaknesses when answering this question? 
   
   ⁠⁠Yes, if the interviewer asks you about any challenges you faced or weaknesses you had to work on. However, always end these stories positively: You were able to finish the product on time despite the loss of a member. The failed event helped you become stronger and better at time management.
   ⁠
3. How long should my answer be? 
   ⁠
   ⁠There’s no hard and fast rule. Just make sure to cover your skills. Your delivery is an important qualifier. Sometimes, an interviewer will indulge an engaging answer even if it's long. Generally, though, prepare a spiel and stick to it. Avoid rambling, too.
   ⁠
4. Can I use humour in my answer? 
   
   ⁠⁠Yes, as long as it aims to lighten the mood or break the ice, but nothing self-deprecating and nothing offensive.
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5. What if I don't have any work experience? 
   
   ⁠⁠Use your learnings as a trainee on the job, any volunteer work, or projects you handled as part of your college organisation.
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6. How do I balance being authentic and still present myself in the best possible light? 
   
   ⁠⁠Always focus on your positive qualities and stay professional. Do not compromise your values to get the job and, of course, be truthful with your skills from the get-go.
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7. What if I have trouble identifying my personal qualities? 
   ⁠
   ⁠You can do a self-assessment or ask friends or colleagues to describe you. For a more objective approach, take online profilers to determine your personality and attributes.