Top Law Schools

What is the best way to answer the "Tell me about yourself?" question. Generally speaking...

Start by walking through your resume. I'm originally from X, went to school at Y and majored in Z, I worked in A...... etc. Definitely start with professional stuff. If you either run out of information that connects you to the job/city or your interviewer asks then you can move on to personal information from your interests section.

On a cold, blustery night a mere 25 years ago a son was born. From the very beginning it could be seen that this child would achieve greatness....

Give that start a shot and let me know how it goes.

Do not go through your entire resume. When an interviewer asks you that question, they want to learn something new about you and it's a great opportunity for you to demonstrate why you have the skills to do the job and will also be a cool person to work with at 3AM.

This is what I did and it worked very well: State two things that will make you an asset to the firm (make sure you can back up each point with a short anecdote) and one thing that will make you a cool person to work with, like a hobby (I got this approach out of "Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams", which I highly recommend just for the portion on interviewing.).

bdubs wrote:Start by walking through your resume. I'm originally from X, went to school at Y and majored in Z, I worked in A...... etc. Definitely start with professional stuff. If you either run out of information that connects you to the job/city or your interviewer asks then you can move on to personal information from your interests section.

Not to be too critical but this is not how I would do it at all.


I approach this question by making reference to my status in school (so yeah, this is on resume) but then talk about the skills I like to use (always pick skills relevant for the JOB, not just random skills you have) and maybe toss in one or two interesting personal accomplishments (e.g., I like to challenge myself, I did [insert crazy feat you have accomplished] and it helped me test my limits and show me that I can push myself further than I expect).

So this may sound cheesy, but it gets positive reactions for me.


The Q is basically just a really bad icebreaker. Really you can give no "good" answer the interviewer will totally love, but if you screw up this first question the rest of the interview can suck.

Gorki wrote:The Q is basically just a really bad icebreaker. Really you can give no "good" answer the interviewer will totally love, but if you screw up this first question the rest of the interview can suck.

pretty much this. don't screw up by either being caught off guard by a softball question or by giving a weirdo answer.

Best of both worlds: what motivated you to make your educational/employment decisions. This will let me see that you are someone who actually thinks a little bit before acting. Then sprinkle in stuff you do when you're not a law student.

"Well, I'm X. I'm from X place and came to X place for X reason. I came to law school for X reasons and I'm glad to have met a lot of those goals. Now I'm here hoping to make a good impression. (Smile.) Oh, and in my spare time I enjoy doing X."

Whelp, I came here to kick ass and, if there's time, some names,

If you're good at talking with people, this is honestly the best question you can get. This question can turn an interview from a normal, forgettable interview into just a conversation where they reluctantly end it because the next applicant arrived. My interviews with Miami-Dade SAO, Queens DA, and Bronx DA went really well because they asked this question in almost every round.

For example, I'm originally from California, but I go to school in, and the interviews were conducted in, New York. So when they ask "tell me about yourself," I'd talk about how I'm not used to the cold weather at all, and it took me until February of my first winter to buy actual winter clothes, etc. That's something that's not obviously reflected in my resume and more importantly, it's something that they can sympathize in.

Yes, it sounds really dumb, and you wouldn't imagine it would actually accomplish anything, but you have to remember that these interviews are a chance for them to gauge "Can I work with this person? Is he personable?" I think those jokes worked because it was humble, a small joke, and it let them relate to me, even if its on a superficial level. On the other hand, you don't want to come off as too jovial or too relaxed, so it's a fine line.

As one person mentioned above, it is a bad icebreaker, but just go with it. Break the ice, and your interview will be much less stressful and memorable in their eyes.

Murphy1022 wrote:What is the best way to answer the "Tell me about yourself?" question. Generally speaking...

I can tell you what's NOT the best way to answer the question. No matter the vibe you get from the interviewer, do NOT wip your dick out and say "what more do you need to know?"

I know this will sometimes feel like it is the answer the interviewer is looking for, and it will be hard to ignore that instinct, but I implore you to do so. Sure, it may result in a few call backs, but some people are inexplicably put off by this type of behavior, and in an interview situation you have to play it safe.

"The details of my life are quite inconsequential... very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with Reeds- pretty standard really."

justinp wrote:"The details of my life are quite inconsequential... very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds- pretty standard really."

+1