Being able to describe yourself accurately is an important part of any job interview. Here’s how you can leverage this all-important question to your benefit.
Tips for Describing Yourself in an Interview
Words to Describe Yourself
When you go into a job interview, there are a number of things that the interviewer may ask. However, one of the most unique questions is, “How would you describe yourself?” A potential interviewer wants to know a number of different things from this question, and when a hiring manager asks it, your answer may either qualify you for a job or completely disqualify you from one. Here’s how to answer this job interview question and generally understand the right words to describe yourself.
Why Does an Interviewer Want to Know How You Would Describe Yourself?
First of all, why would an interviewer want to know this? There are two big reasons that a recruiter will ask you for the best words to describe you.
The first reason is simply that they want to get to know you a little bit better. There’s a huge list of words that could potentially describe a person in a positive way, and the exact words that you choose will say a lot about the type of person you are. Someone who chooses “empathetic” over “punctual” might work best in a customer-facing job, while someone who chooses “punctual” over “empathetic’ might work best in an administrative job. Interviewers know that you don’t completely lack the qualities that you don’t choose to highlight, but the words you consider the best words to describe you indicate your personality traits.
The second reason is that interviewers are looking for someone who is self-aware. The interviewer will combine your answer to this question and other common interview questions like “What are your greatest strengths?” and “What are your greatest weaknesses?” to get a general understanding of who you are and how you see yourself. If you just say, “I don’t know,” then it means you don’t have a great grasp of your own personality traits.
Words That Might Fit You to Describe Yourself
One of the best ways to discover the right words to describe yourself to a potential employer is simply to look at a list of positive words that might fit you. Here are some descriptive words that might help you in your job search:
- Empathetic
- Extroverted
- Open-minded
- People-person
- Problem-solver
- Punctual
- Results-oriented
- Self-assured
- Self-starter
- Team player
- Tenacious
Remember that this isn’t an online dating app, so you don’t need to describe yourself as though you’re on social media. You’re trying to fit a specific job description. Pick a few of these descriptors that you feel best describe you, and include them throughout your resume and in your answers to job interview questions.
When to Describe Yourself in the Job Hunting Process
Although job interview questions and answers are one of the most common places to describe yourself with these words, that’s not necessarily where it stops. You can use these words to describe yourself all throughout your resume and cover letter. As a matter of fact, this can be one of the best ways to reinforce your best characteristics to a hiring manager.
First of all, you’ll want to include these words in your resume summary. This gives a great first impression, as the summary or objective will usually be the first thing a hiring manager reads about you. Think of your resume summary as an elevator pitch for your dream job – it’s a paragraph that opens the door to the rest of your job application.
You should also include these traits throughout your work experience section. When you can show off how you used these qualities in your previous jobs, you’re more likely to have a recruiter believe you when you say that you have certain qualities. “Punctual” in your skills section doesn’t really mean much, but “Never late for a single shift, qualified for ‘Most Punctual’ award as top three in the district” packs more of a punch.
Lastly, remember to describe yourself with these words when you’re going through your actual interview. While ResumeNerd’s resume templates will definitely help you get the interview with a clean resume that shows off your skills and experience, the interview is where your unique qualities can really shine. Knowing how to describe yourself in the job interview shows that you understand who you are.
FAQ: Words to Describe Yourself
How might an interviewer ask me to describe myself?
There are many ways an interviewer may ask this question, such as:
- How would you describe yourself?
- What would a previous boss describe you as?
- How would your coworkers describe you?
- What are three words that best describe you?
- Tell me about yourself.
Any time an interviewer asks you to describe yourself as you see yourself or as someone close to you sees you, break out these words.
How many terms should I use to describe myself?
It’s typically best to pick three to five words that you go back to regularly to describe yourself. There’s no need to memorize these words, but think about what three to five words that best describe you. Whenever you need to describe yourself to an interviewer, default to these words.
How can I prove that these are good words to describe myself with?
The best way to prove to an interviewer that you’re telling the truth about these descriptors is to tie them back to actual experiences you’ve had. You’re not just “empathetic”; you “ranked in the top 10% for customer service six months in a row.” You’re not just “a self-starter”; you “initialized and set into motion a new system that helped pull in 23% more sales.” Describing what you’ve done with these personality traits will tell a much better story.
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