GuidesHow to answer 'Tell me about yourself' (the 60-second formula)
Present, past, future: a simple three-part answer with examples you can adapt in five minutes.
It's the first question in almost every interview, and the easiest to ramble on.
The formula: present → past → future (about 60 seconds)
- Present: what you do now, in one sentence, with one result.
- Past: one or two experiences that led here and matter for this job.
- Future: why this role, at this company, is the logical next step.
Example
"I'm a program manager at a health-tech company, where I run three programs with a combined budget of $4M. Before that I spent five years in operations, which is where I learned to make messy processes simple. I'm excited about this role because you're scaling your patient programs, and that's exactly the kind of problem I love."
Don't
- Start from childhood.
- Read your resume out loud.
- Go over two minutes.
Zoe writes a version for each job you apply to, using only your real experience, and lets you practise it.
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