When people ask how you describe yourself, it’s a chance for you to make a first impression. The answers you provide will influence whether a recruiter hires you, a hiring manager makes an offer or a friend invites you out to lunch. The words you choose to use reflect your personality and values, and can set you apart from other candidates.
The best self-descriptions are specific, concise and accurate. They highlight your most valued qualities in the context of a particular situation. For example, if you say that you’re collaborative, give an example of how your team-oriented approach has helped to move projects forward. You could also use this opportunity to mention your strong interpersonal skills or ability to work well with a variety of personality types.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of using cliche or overused words when answering this question, so try to be more creative with your response. Avoid words like hardworking and team player – instead, focus on more specific, action-oriented descriptions, such as deadline-driven, dependable under pressure or goal-oriented. The more concrete and specific your self-descriptions are, the more impact they’ll have.
If you’re interviewing for a job, thoroughly review the company and role’s requirements to identify keywords and qualities that are relevant to the position. You can then match the expectations of the role with your own description of yourself. When you use words that are consistent with what the employer is looking for, you’re more likely to make a positive impression and get the job.
You’ll be surprised at how many times you need to explain yourself in a professional context, and this question is one of the most common. It may show up in job interviews, college applications or even LinkedIn profiles. You should always prepare for this question by thinking about how you would describe yourself and be ready to share an example that backs up your statement.
In addition to practicing how you’d answer this question, you should also become aware of the filters that can affect your perception of yourself and how others see you. For example, you might automatically label someone as lazy or egotistical, but these are just filters that come from your own biases and experiences. Try to challenge your own filters by keeping a journal or recording on your phone whenever you hear yourself use them.
This article was written by the staff at CareerBuilder and was originally published on September 12, 2019. It has been updated for freshness, clarity and style. For more career advice, follow CareerBuilder on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.