about myself topic 8

Interview Questions

Comprehensive Interview Guide: 60+ Professions Explored in Detail

8 Examples of How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself”

By Biron Clark

Published: November 16, 2023

In this article, I’m going to walk you through steps and examples of how to answer the “Tell me about yourself” interview question to impress employers and get more job offers . We’ll also cover the costly mistakes you NEED to avoid if you want to pass this question.

Here’s exactly what you’re going to get:

The most-recommended method of how to answer “tell me about yourself”
8 examples of good answers to “tell me about yourself” for various industries
A shorter, newer method for experienced candidates
How to practice your answer to make sure you’re 100% ready for the interview

Let’s get started…

Why Do Interviewers Ask “Tell Me About Yourself”

“Can you tell me about yourself ?” is a common interview question that’s generally delivered as an icebreaker or pathfinder question, right at the start of an interview. It can catch you off your guard because it may seem vague, broad, and somewhat tricky. Honestly though, understanding a bit more about why interviewers ask this question (which is often framed as a command) will give you a clear insight into how to answer.

Interviewers ask this question to ease you out of those introductory jitters (that you both feel) and into the nitty-gritty of why you’re there. It’s their way of establishing a direction for the interview because it shows them how you summarize your experience and show its relevance to the job you’re applying for, which in turn tells them what to ask next. Trust me though, your answer needs to be relevant, the interviewer is likely not asking whether you’re a dog or a cat person but rather what background, skills, qualifications and experiences brought you to this interview today.

Watch: How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself?”

Different ways of asking the same question.

I mentioned how this question can sometimes be framed as a command, i.e: “tell me about yourself,” and so on. There are numerous ways this question might be framed, but all express the same intention on the part of the interviewer, so they should all be answered the same way. Common variants include:

“Take me through your resume.”
“Tell me about your background”
“Describe yourself.”
“Can you tell me more about why you’re here?”
“What brings you here today?”

When it comes to describing yourself, you may wonder where to start, how personal to be, and how far to get into it. “Describe yourself” certainly feels a little more personal than the rest. For insight into how to answer that variant, Read This Article .

How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview:

1. choose the right starting point for your story (important).

Your goal when answering, “tell me about yourself,” is to give a brief, concise walkthrough of your career story that will show off relevant pieces of experience. You want to start at a point in the past (like how you began working in this field), and end up in your current situation. So the first thing to decide is where you’ll begin the story… If you’re a recent graduate: Start with the fact that you just graduated, and explain why you chose this career path or field of area of study.

For example, you might start your answer like this:

“I graduated with my degree in Economics two months ago. I chose that field of study because I’ve always been interested in finance and money, and a couple of family members told me it leads to great career options, too.”

If you have 1-8 years of experience, start with the moment you graduated and walk them through your employment experience since then.

Here’s an example of how you’d start your interview answer in this situation:

“I graduated with my degree in Industrial Engineering six years ago and immediately went to work for a small design firm in Chicago. Since then, I’ve…”

And if you have 8-20+ years of experience, you can start with a mid-point in your career. This will keep your answer from getting too long.

For example, if you’re a manager, you could start with how you first became a manager. If you’ve been working for 25 years but have only been a sales professional for 12 years, you could begin with how you got started in sales.

Here is an example of how to begin your answer to “tell me about yourself” as a very experienced candidate:

“I first started managing people twelve years ago, when I was promoted from Customer Service Associate to Customer Service Supervisor. Since then, I’ve…”

2. Highlight Impressive Experience and Accomplishments

As you tell your career story, explain key accomplishments you’ve achieved, work you’ve done, skills you’ve learned, and key career moves you’ve made.

Were you promoted? That’s always a great sign and worth mentioning.
Did you accomplish something significant like solving a big problem for your last employer? That’s great to mention, too.
Did you build new skills or overcome challenges? Get specific! Tell details.

But random impressive facts aren’t enough. You should be thinking about how this ties in with the company you’re talking to.

You should always research the company before going into the interview . Study their job description in particular so you know what skills THEY care most about.
What does this particular job involve? Is there a lot of leadership? Talk about your experiences leading (no matter how small!), how it went, and what you learned.
Does the job involve a high level of technical skill? Talk about how you learned and advanced in that area through each step of your career!
You need to “tailor” your answer for, “tell me about yourself,” for their job description and their needs. Try to talk about experiences and qualifications that are relevant to this job you’ve applied for.

3. Conclude by Explaining Your Current Situation

Finally, the best way to finish your story is to bring them up to speed on your current situation. Why you wanted to apply for their job , what you’re looking to do next, etc.

For example you might end your answer by saying:

“…and that’s why I wanted to interview with your firm. This position seems like a great opportunity to advance those skills I just talked about, and continue building my career and challenging myself”.

4. Keep Your Answer Work-Related

When employers ask, “tell me about yourself,” in an interview, they usually want to hear about you as a professional. So the safest approach is to keep your answer work-related and share your career story, rather than personal details. You can show more personality as the interview goes on, but it’s risky to share too much personal info when answering, “tell me about yourself.” It could lead to your answer getting too long, or it could cause you to leave out important professional information that the interviewer was looking to know!

5. Be Concise When Answering (2 Minutes or Less!)

When they say “tell me about yourself,” it’s going to be tempting to give a long-winded answer. It’s such an open-ended question. And we covered a lot above, but there’s something just as important as any of that. You need to be concise. Your communication and ability to stay on track with your answer are two things they are watching closely. The interviewer wants to see that you can tell your story from Point A (the beginning) to Point B (the end) without getting sidetracked, distracted, or scattered. Because it tells them how you’ll communicate as an employee… when there’s a problem, when there’s a disagreement, or when you simply need to share your knowledge or opinion. If you take this answer beyond 2 minutes you are shooting yourself in the foot. In fact, below 90 seconds is ideal. Practice at home with a timer! That’s why I recommend choosing a starting point based on your experience (Step 1 above)… because if you have 25 years of experience and you start at the moment you graduated from college, your answer will be too long.

“Tell Me About Yourself” Example Answers:

Now that we’ve covered the key steps to answering, “tell me about yourself,” let’s look at some full answer examples to this interview question .

Example Answer for Experienced Candidates:

“I graduated with a Business degree in 2010, and was offered an account management position at a telecommunications company I had interned with. I loved working with customers and managing and growing my accounts, but the industry we were in just wasn’t very appealing to me. After that, I stayed a full year and learned a ton about how to build and manage accounts successfully and I ended up becoming a top performer in my group before leaving. I left at the 1-year-mark to pursue a very similar position within an industry I’m much more excited about- healthcare. I’ve been at this healthcare startup space for 2 years with this company and I feel ready to take my career to the next level so that’s why I’m currently looking for a new opportunity.”

That first example showed you how to answer “tell me about yourself” for experienced job seekers (at least a few years of experience). Now let’s look at an example for entry-level job seekers and job seekers with no experience .

Example Answer With No Experience:

“I graduated with a degree in Engineering two months ago. I chose that field of study because I’ve always been interested in math and physics , and a couple of family members told me it leads to great career options. One of my key accomplishments during my academic career was speaking at a conference on the topic of energy-efficient window design, based on research I had done for one of my senior-level classes. This led to an internship that I just wrapped up, so I’m actively looking for a full-time position now.”

Stand Out by “Tailoring” Your Answer to the Company

The end of your interview answer is a big opportunity to customize your answer for the company and job you’re interviewing for. When you talk about what you’re looking to do next in your career, try to mention whatever you see this company providing for your career (leadership, technical challenges, exposure to new areas, etc.) That shows them why you’re excited about their job, which will help you get hired! (I explain more about why this is true here ). Before we move on to more tips and a HUGE mistake to avoid, here’s one more example interview answer for this question.

Shorter Method for How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” (For Experienced Candidates Only)

The method I gave you above is the standard way most recruiters recommend answering “tell me about yourself.” It’s how I coached job seekers to answer this question for years. There’s another way you can answer, though… and it has some benefits. I’ll explain…Many experts have pointed out that if the interviewer wanted your career story, they could have looked at your resume or your LinkedIn , or asked a question like, “can you walk me through your background?” So there’s another approach for answering, “tell me about yourself,” that skips the career story and just cuts right to the chase: Why you’re awesome and why they should hire you !

Let’s look at 2 word-for-word templates that accomplish this.

After this, you’ll have two proven methods for answering, “tell me about yourself” in interviews, and in the next section, I’ll reveal how to decide which method is best for YOU.

Example answer if you’re job searching while employed:

“Well, I’m currently working at XYZ Company and I specialize in doing ___. The reason I applied for this job is I saw ___ on the job description and I think I would be able to help you ___ and ___. One of my key accomplishments in my current role was helping my employer do ___, and I’m confident I can help your team get similar results here.”

Example answer template if unemployed:

“In my most recent position at XYZ Company, I specialized in doing ___. The reason I applied for this job is I saw ___ on the job description and I think I would be able to help you ___ and ___. One of my key accomplishments in my last role for XYZ Company was helping them ___, and I’m confident I can help your team get similar results here.”

Which Method Should You Use for Your Answer?

If you have work experience, both options we’ve covered are very good, and it really depends on what you feel most comfortable with. Choose the one you like best. They’re both excellent ways to answer the question, so don’t stress over it! However, if you are entry-level and have no work experience… or internships at the very least… then I would go back to the top of this article and use the first, 5-step method for answering, “tell me about yourself.”

This second method we just covered is really best if you want to give a unique, concise answer and you have some relevant work experience to share in the interview!

“Tell Me About Yourself” Example Answers For Different Industries:

Healthcare:.

“After being licensed six years ago, I immediately entered a busy E.R. setting where I progressed to the point of triaging as many as 50 patients a shift. I’m skilled in patient record-keeping, stabilizing incoming patients, diagnosing injuries, administering meds, doing stitches, starting I.V.s, setting bones and offering emotional support to family members behind the scenes. I’ve adapted to the pressure but feel that, in the long term, I’d be better suited to a slower-paced environment with more focus on establishing lasting patient relationships. I’m ready to take on this post in your busy day clinic and believe that my advanced patient triage skills, along with my empathic nature, would be a great benefit to your team.”

This works because: This answer outlines your qualifications and extensive background in incoming patient care, triage, diagnosing and record-keeping. Your honesty about long term goals is appreciated. The answer shows how your skills have progressed since you were licensed, and it inspires confidence in your ability to handle a hands-on post at a busy clinic.

Service Industry:

“Having spent eight years in the food and beverage industry, I progressed from head waiter to front of house manager four years ago. I’ve held so many posts in the industry, from runner to waiter to head waiter to manager, but my dedication to quality service has never changed. I believe in knowing my product and process inside and out, uplifting my team members and demonstrating focused positivity throughout. It’s easy to fall into the temper trap when things get busy, but I prefer to knuckle down, smile and get it done. I want my customers to come back for more!”

This works because: This answer makes an impact because of how your personality shines through. The service industry is incredibly stressful, but it’s refreshing to know that you have a proactive, positive attitude to stressful situations, backed up with strong product knowledge and professionalism.

“I’m an accredited software engineer and systems integrator with more than ten years of active development experience. I’m proficient in Ruby, Python, Java, C++ and a wide range of associated languages and frameworks. I’m a team player, and I love bouncing ideas off my colleagues and engaging with diverse perspectives. I like to stay abreast of the latest tech and I’m wildly competitive when it comes to troubleshooting. I’ve also got an eye for detail and clean design and I’m dedicated to delivering a seamless, streamlined experience to the end-user.”

This works because: From this answer, it’s clear that you’re accredited and boast a diversified programming portfolio with plenty of experience in the field. It’s noted that you’re a team player, as teamwork is essential when developing and managing systems for a busy tech enterprise. And your attitude to problem solving, as being competitive will help you find fast and effective solutions.

“I’ve been a retail cosmetic artist and sales assistant for six years and I’m passionate about making clients feel utterly gorgeous! I have a strong knowledge of retail processes, including stock-take, merchandising and sales targeting. If I have to describe my stand-out quality it’s that I love to build up the team, make my colleagues smile and get them motivated to break targets for our department. Above all though, the customer comes first and I’m dedicated to building brand and store loyalty in the customer.”

This works because: From this answer, it’s obvious you know retail like the back of your hand and that you take pride in breaking targets and boosting the team morale. Your positivity shines through, and you highlight your passion for making clients feel special.

Practice Your Answer Before the Interview

As a final tip – make sure you go practice everything you plan on saying when the interviewer asks, “what can you tell me about yourself?” Nothing comes out perfect the first time, and you don’t want to appear nervous and stumble when they ask. So I’d recommend grabbing a piece of paper and writing down the key points you want to talk about in your answer. I like to write them in bullet format. Then, use your smartphone’s voice recorder app to record a few practice answers and see how you sound. Don’t look at your notes as you give your answer. The idea is to try to remember what you want to talk about without reading off the paper. Then glance at the paper AFTER to make sure you covered everything. Keep practicing until you can give a smooth answer without forgetting anything important.

Note: If you’re having a phone interview , you can use notes/bullet points to help guide you through your answer. Nobody can see you on the phone, so take advantage!

About the Author

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87 Self-Reflective Prompts To Help You Write About Yourself

Having trouble deciding what to write about yourself ?

Whether you’re writing for your journal, your memoir, or a class assignment, you have plenty of topics about yourself to choose from.

You’re more interesting than you might think.

So are the people you live with, work with, and meet — if only for a moment.

Once you look through the prompts listed below, the real challenge will be choosing which one to write about first.

What Is a Unique Way to Write about Yourself?

The point of writing about yourself is to grow in self-knowledge and understanding of where you are and where you want to be.

With that in mind, it makes sense to write about what you’ve learned so far and how you learned it.

It also helps to explore what you’re good at as well as what areas need work.

Consider the following categories of self-knowledge:

Mistakes you’ve learned from
Changes to your beliefs and the catalysts behind them
Painful experiences and what you’ve learned from them
Favorite things and why you love them
Things that make you angry or that motivate you to fight for change

Things to Write about Yourself: 87 Writing Prompts

Enjoy these all about me writing prompts . Start with one that leads your mind to a specific, vivid memory. Then free-write to your heart’s content.

1. Describe something you’re good at.

2. What do you want to be when you grow up and why?

3. How do you want people to remember you?

4. What personal beliefs of yours have changed over the years?

5. What would you like to invent and why?

6. If you won $1 million, what would you do with it?

7. If you had all the money you needed to create a nonprofit organization, what would its mission be?

8. What would you change about school or your country’s education system if you could?

9. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go first and why?

10. Where do you want to live, and what kind of lifestyle would you like to afford easily?

11. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever learned from?

12. Would you rather get paid well for a job you can tolerate or paid little for work you love?

13. What is your favorite food and why? Do you make it yourself, or do you prefer paying others to do so?

14. What superstitions do you believe in or have you believed in, and why?

15. Do you believe in luck (good or bad)? If so, do you think a higher power is pulling strings on your behalf — or working against you? How much control do you have over your life?

16. Describe your first job, what you learned from it, and whether (and why) you’d recommend it to anyone?

17. What do you love about yourself? And who in your life sees that in you? Who doesn’t?

18. Describe your best friend and how you met. What keeps your friendship going?

19. Write about an animal with whom you’ve felt a close kinship and describe the relationship between you.

20. If you could design your own home, what would be its most important features?

21. What’s your favorite outfit (including footwear and accessories) and why?

22. What’s your biggest dream for the future, and what are you doing to get closer to it?

23. What makes you angry? When was the last time something made you so mad you took action to change it?

24. What’s your favorite holiday and why? What do you do to celebrate it?

25. If you have a romantic partner, what do you love most about them and your relationship? What would you change if you could?

26. What do you most want to accomplish in your life and why?

27. Have you ever gotten something you wanted, only to realize it wasn’t what you really wanted after all?

28. Do you want to be more like one of your parents or grandparents? Why or why not?

29. Describe one of your earliest childhood memories.

30. Write about the benefits and challenges of having siblings — or of being an only child.

31. How much of your body are you comfortable with people seeing? Has that changed?

32. What do you find gross that other people don’t — or vice-versa?

33. Are you interested in marriage, or would you prefer a romantic partnership without marriage? What are your reasons?

34. If you could design your own end, what manner of death would you choose and why?

35. How do you want your body dealt with after you die? Do you want your remains buried or scattered, and why?

36. Describe a favorite game from your young childhood (aged 0 to 10).

37. Write about something you succeeded at because you did NOT GIVE UP.

38. Write about a favorite elementary school classmate and what you liked about them.

39. Write about an interesting high school classmate and what you liked about them.

40. Write about the best coworker you’ve ever had and why you loved working with them.

41. Write about the best job you’ve ever had and what you loved about it.

42. How would you build the perfect sandwich (with or without bread)?

43. Write about a death in your family and how it impacted you.

44. Write about a birth in your family and how it affected you.

45. Write about a marriage or divorce in your family and how it impacted you.

46. Write about your intimate social circle, how it was formed, and how it influences you.

47. Write about your chosen family — the people in your life who have become family to you — and how they have become so important.

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Speaking exams
Typical speaking tasks

Talk about yourself

This is a very common task at the beginning of a speaking exam. It is something you can prepare at home and practise. If you know what to say, you will feel more relaxed and confident at the start of the exam.

Instructions

Watch the video of two students talking about themselves in a speaking exam. Then read the tips below.

Examiner : Hi. What’s your name?

Kelvin : My name is Kelvin.

Examiner : Kelvin, OK. So, Kelvin, I’m going to ask you a few questions. I’d like to ask you about your school. So, what subjects do you like most?

Kelvin : I think I like economics most because I can study different kinds of demand and supply theory and I can use it in my daily life to observe the market. I think that’s very interesting, yeah, and very useful.

Examiner : OK. And are there any subjects that you don’t like so much?

Kelvin : Actually, I don’t like physics too much because I need to calculate many difficult questions and all those mathematics words. I’m not really used to them. So, I don’t like physics.

Examiner : I see. All right. Well, how about in the future? Are you hoping to go to university?

Kelvin : Yeah, sure.

Examiner : OK, and what would you like to study there?

Kelvin : I think I would like to study something about business. So, I think nowadays we can only make a lot of money by participating in the financial sectors. So, I would like to study something about financial business. I want to get rich, yes.

Examiner : OK, that’s great. Thanks, Kelvin.

Melissa : My name is Melissa.

Examiner : Melissa?

Melissa : Yeah.

Examiner : Hi, Melissa. And, can you tell me about your family?

Melissa : I’ve got no sisters and brothers. I live with my father and mother and my dog.

Examiner : And your dog?

Melissa : Yeah!

Examiner : Great. All right, I’d like to ask you a few questions about your school. So first, what subjects do you like most?

Melissa : I like mathematics the most because I think it’s satisfying to calculate the solution.

Examiner : OK. So, mathematics ... is there any other one?

Melissa : And English, I think, because it’s fun to learn a language.

Examiner : Great, OK. Which subjects do you think are most useful for you?

Melissa : I think accounting is the most useful because every company needs an accountant and to be an accountant I need to study this subject.

Examiner : Sure, OK. And are there any subjects that you don’t like?

Melissa : I hate Chinese because it’s difficult to study the passages. Yeah, and I don’t really understand what it’s about.

Examiner : OK, that’s great. Thanks, Melissa.

Here are our top tips for talking about yourself in an exam.

Think about the types of topics and questions you may be asked before the exam. School, family, free time, daily routines and future plans are common topics.
Practise answering simple questions about yourself. Work with a friend to practise or record yourself and listen to the recording.
Listen carefully to the questions. If you don’t understand the question, ask your teacher to repeat it.
Give complete answers in full sentences.
Look at the examiner. His/her face may tell you when you’ve said enough and he/she is ready for the next question.
Memorise your answers. It’s good to have ideas ready, but it’s better not to memorise long replies to typical questions.
Just reply with ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Panic if you are asked an unexpected question. Take a few seconds to think before you answer it.

Here are some examples of things you can say about yourself:

My name’s ... I’m from ... / I live in ... I was born in ... I’m ... years old. I go to ... school. I like ... because ... I don’t like ... because ... In my free time / After school, I ... My best friends are ... because ... My favourite (school subject, actor, pop group, sport) is ... because ... I have ... brothers and sisters. In the future, I’d like to ... because ...

Check your understanding: true or false

Check your language: ordering - questions, worksheets and downloads.

Everyone loves talking about themselves! Have you ever had a speaking exam like this? Can you think of any other sentences that might be useful?

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BRYN DONOVAN

tell your stories, love your life

Writing Inspiration
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Reading & Research

Things to Write About Yourself: 100 Writing Prompts for Self-Discovery

Things to Write About Yourself: Writing Prompts for Self-Discovery | image of a pen lying on an open journal

Writing is a great tool for personal growth, but it can be challenging to think of things to write about yourself. That’s why I put together this list of creative writing prompts for adults or teens. These may be used as memoir writing prompts if you’re interested in telling the story of your life, or the could be idea starters for blog posts or journal prompts for self discovery.

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You may not be able to relate to all of them, but I tried to make them pretty general! These creative writing exercises can also help you develop the characters in your short story, novel, or screenplay — just imagine your character answering them instead of you.

If you like these prompts for writing about yourself, you might want to pin or bookmark them for future reference. Take a look!

THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF | 100 writing prompts for self discovery | bryndonovan.com | open journal, cup of cafe au lait

Describe one of your earliest childhood memories.
Write about what you see as one of your best qualities.
Do you have the same religious beliefs that you had as a child? If so, why? If not, how and why did they change?
Write about the benefits of being an only child—or the advantages of having siblings.
Write about how a person can tell if they’re really in love. If you don’t know, write about how you don’t know.
Are you shy about your body, such as when you change clothes in a locker room? Or are you comfortable with it? Why?
Write about one of the most admirable classmates or coworkers you’ve ever had.
Write about one of the worst classmates or coworkers you’ve ever had.
Tell your story about the time you succeeded at something because you just. Didn’t. Give. Up.
Write about how you’re a typical resident of your city or town… or about how you’re different from most people there.
Write about how you fit the stereotype of people from your country… or about how you don’t fit it at all.
Describe your favorite toy or game when you were five years old.
Write about one of your most useful talents.
What superstitions do you believe in or follow? Do you do certain things to avoid bad luck, or make wishes in certain ways?
Write about a death in your family.
Write about a birth in your family.
Tell your story about your first best friend as a child. How did you meet them? How did you play together?
Describe a physical feature of yours that you really like.
Is your home usually neat, or usually messy? Why is that? Do you think it matters? Why or why not?
Describe a part of your job or everyday work that you love.
Describe a part of your job or everyday work that you loathe.
Tell your story about how you won something, like a contest, a game, or a raffle.
Do you think your hometown is a good place to live? Why or why not?
Do you fit your astrological sign? Why or why not?
Write about when you think it’s morally acceptable to lie. If your answer is “never,” write about why you think that.
Write about a trait you inherited or picked up from a parent.
Write about a way in which you are very different from a parent.
Discuss one of the most important qualities you think people should look for in a romantic partner.
Discuss a quality that you think is overrated when choosing a romantic partner.
Write about a kind of exercise or physical activity you enjoy.
Describe the contents of a desk drawer or junk drawer in your home, and write about the thoughts or memories that the objects in there inspire.
Write about what you wish people knew about your job, profession, or calling in life.
Write about a habit or addiction that you’ve been struggling with for years.
Discuss something you love about the people in your country.
Discuss something you wish you could change about the people in your country.
What was something you misunderstood as a child? It could be the definition of a word, or something about adult life.
Describe the benefits of being an introvert or an extrovert (whichever one you are.)
Describe the challenges of being an introvert or an extrovert (whichever one you are.)
Tell your story about the time you spoke up for something you believed in. How did it feel? Were there any consequences?
If you don’t have children – do you or did you want them? Why or why not?
If you have children – what is one thing that surprised you about being a parent?
Tell your story about when a friend (or a group of them) made your day.
Tell your story about when a friend (or a group of them) broke your heart.
Describe an experience at a doctor’s office, dentist’s office, or hospital.
Describe your dream home in detail.
Tell your story about how a teacher, coach, or boss supported or inspired you.
Tell your story about how a teacher, coach, or boss was so awful, they didn’t deserve to have their job.
Write about something you did in the past year that made you proud.
Do you live in the city you grew up in? Why or why not?
Tell your story about a trip or a visit you enjoyed when you were little.
Discuss whether you think people should share their religious beliefs openly, or whether they should keep it private.
Discuss why you do or don’t consider pets to be family members.
Describe what you think would be a perfect romantic date.
Write about a type or style of clothing that you feel uncomfortable wearing, or that you simply dislike.
Describe your personal style in clothing and whether it’s changed over the years.
Write about the worst house or apartment you’ve ever lived in.
Tell your story about a time when, rightly or wrongly, you got in trouble at school or at work.
Do you always vote in elections? Why or why not?
Do you think people make snap judgments about you based on your appearance? Are they accurate or not?
What’s something that people don’t learn about your personality unless they get to know you very well?
Write about something that terrified you as a child.
Write about a particular phobia or fear you have now. If you’re not scared of anything, write about that!
Write about something you believe that isn’t a particularly popular belief.
What’s something you wanted badly as a child? Did you get it? If so, was it everything you hoped? If not, did it matter?
When you’re feeling sad or down, what are ways that you make yourself feel better?
What is something that makes you almost irrationally angry?
Write about an object you own that has religious, spiritual, or symbolic significance to you.
Do you consider yourself hopeful or cynical about romance? Why?
Write a note apologizing to a part of your body for insulting it in the past.
Write a note thanking a part of your body for doing such a good job.
Tell your story about when you had a delightful guest in your home.
Tell your story about when you had an unwelcome visitor in your home.
Describe the time you were a guest in an unusual home.
What was the strangest course or class you ever took?
Write about a time when you tried your best – and it didn’t pan out. How did you get over it?
Write about a small thing you accomplished this week.
Write about the ways that your hometown has changed over the years.
Write about a way your country is changing for the better.
Describe someone who bullied you as a child. Why do you think they did it?
Do you believe that things happen for a reason, or do they just happen randomly? Why do you think this?
Do you believe that you have a lot of control over your destiny or future? Why or why not?
Write down a funny story that your family likes to tell again and again.
Tell your story about a time you got injured or you were in an accident.
Write about some of the things you do at home when you’re completely alone.
Tell your story about how you learned a new skill.
Describe the way you get to school or to work every day.
Propose a frivolous or ridiculous law that you would like to implement, and explain your reasoning.
Write about something you did (or didn’t do) that you’re proud of from a moral or religious standpoint.
Tell your story about having a great time at a party.
Tell your story about a party you wish you had never attended or hosted.
Tell a story that has to do with your hair, or the lack of it.
Write about a feud or rift in your family.

THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF | 100 writing prompts for self discovery | open journal, white flowers, cup of coffee

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If you want to do more self-discovery and you could use a fresh start right about now, check out my journal, The Book Of Dreams Come True ! It’s a journal about goals and manifestation, and I’m really excited to share it with you. I’m even making a sample available—here’s the free PDF download of that.[spacer height=”20px”]

THE BOOK OF DREAMS COME TRUE: A JOURNAL OF SELF-DISCOVERY, GOALS, AND MANIFESTATION | #best gratitude journal #manifestation journal #best gratitude journal #daily gratitude prompts #gratitude journal #barnes and noble Egratitude journal prompts #gratitude list #gratitude writing prompts #thanking the universe

[spacer height=”20px”]Do you have more ideas of things to write about yourself, or advice on how to do it? Let us know in the comments! Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

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Tell me about yourself, a step-by-step, fail-proof solution for your next job interview in english.

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Confident Job Interviews with Annemarie_About

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In Confident Job Interviews, you’ll go from worrying about your English to feeling confident in your ability to express yourself freely and share your professional expertise in the interview.

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Use this workbook as you watch the masterclass to stay 100% engaged and write down ideas for your response to Tell Me About Yourself in English.

Meet Your Confident Job Interviews Trainer

I believe English confidence and fluency are possible for everyone—even the shyest English speakers. And I believe anyone can speak English without fear, without feeling stuck.

Sure, mistakes might still happen. But they won’t cause embarrassment. And yes, it takes hard work and commitment. But it is 100% possible.

I’m crazy passionate about confidence and fluency and it’s my mission to help people achieve both, for work and daily life in English. They are the hardest to get in language speaking and I see that as an opportunity. I’m excited to make confidence and fluency a reality for my students through education, motivation, and my community.

Now about job interviews. I have a fun fact for you. In my career, I’ve been been a director in two organizations. I had the opportunity and responsibility to interview and hire employees. As a result, I know exactly why interviewers ask specific questions and what they’re really looking for.

I share all this inside knowledge in the Confident Job Interviews course.

Take the next step.

Share your example answer or your ‘aha’ moment below.

👉 IMPORTANT: Please read.

I review and respond to responses to the Tell Me About Yourself topic regularly. I respond to as many posts as I can.

However, if you have questions about other job interview questions, please review my lessons on job interviews in English or join my Confident Job Interviews course for complete support, from start to finish, for your next job interview. I will not provide advice on how to answer other job interview questions here.

Dear Annemarie, THANK YOU. I have lived in the USA for over 30 years and found your training amazing!!! I keep learning new words! I would like to share your info and channel with my followers in Mexico! So if you see an uptake it comes from the promotion I will do. I have a staffing business and I focus on bringing Mexican developers to the USA. Perhaps in the near future I can invite you to a BOOTCAMP where I usually have 200 people mostly from Mexico but some from LatinAmerica… we can plan it and it will be … Read more »

Thank you for your support. You are one of the best of us who teach us English without interruption. Even for those who lost their country because of reasons, you have made more efforts to teach English. Thank you.

Mohammad Jamil Siddiqi

Thank you Anne Marie, as usual it’s wonderful video and I really benefited from this method and strategies and I really appreciate your efforts. thank you so mach.

Hello, how to meet you?

Thank you so much for this masterclass! It helped me prepare for a job interview. You’re amazing!

Hi Anne Marie! this Masterclass is really interesting and gives us a lot of elements to be successful in any job interview! And what I liked most was the formule: past – present – future. I will follow your methodology and I’m sure I will get great results! Thank you very much for sharing it!

My pleasure, Romny. I’m glad it was helpful to you.

Hello Annemarie, I am very happy to get the “Tell Me About Yourself Masterclass” video clip. It’s really helpful to all job hunters. Not only this one, but I also appreciate other YouTube videos that were uploaded for us whose second language is English. Thanks a lot.

I’m happy to hear this was so helpful to you, Ram.

Thank you so much. I got a great benefit. The class was so helpful and clear. Cheers!

Wonderful! I’m glad it was useful to you, Ammar.

Thanks a million, Annemarie ! This masterclass is very structured and helpful for everyone who is looking for a new opportunity. Also, I always look forward to Wednesdays to get your new video, each topic is very valuable for me. When I am ready to make the next step in my carrier, I will definitely take your Confident Job Interviews course. Thank you again!

Thank you for the kind comments, Natalia! I’m so pleased to know this masterclass was helpful to you.

You’re AWESOME as usual Annemarie, Thanks for your content it’s very helpful and easy to follow.

I’d like to ask you about panel interview view, where you might meet 3 or 4 from different departments.

What’s recommended points I have to take care of ?

Thanks again Annemarie 🙂

Hi Mostafa, I’m pleased to hear this masterclass training was helpful. A panel interview is not unlike other interviews. It will be important to anticipate the kinds of questions each panel member might ask so you can be prepared to respond accordingly.

Dear Annemarie, I am so glad to watch your videos and learned a valuable lesson from your videos. I still need to improve my English language by speaking confidently and fluency. I like the way you speak and really warms my heart.

Hello Annemarie, you were simply awesome and you have been one of my favorite trainers. Your technique is awesome I closely watched your first two introduction videos and implemented the same by God’s Grace it worked. May God bless you with all your good deeds.

Thank you Annemarie, I like your lessons which are always demonstrate in a clear way and you always give examples of how to use different words in different contexts. Your worksheet is inspiring too, it’s an useful reflection on what we learned and give us chance to actively think about what we have learned and apply it to a real scenario, thank you very much!

You’re so welcome, Jessie. I’m happy to know my lessons are helpful to you! Thank you for sharing that with me.

I am a professional structural engineer who has a burning passion for new. Learning new things from other colleagues in team-working as well as studying new documents as an individual keep me going. I studied BCA and AS before I arrived in Australia.

Around ten years ago since I entered this profession, I have been faced with designing and drawing different types of steel and concrete structures.

I have a master’s in structure design from Polytechnic University in Iran and I have an enthusiasm for working on structures, that’s why I am excited about the opportunity to join your team.

Hi Annemarie, do you have a course about leadership and professional communication? I’m someone who’s been in the US for 14 years and received my masters and PHD in the US. I work at a research institution, and I think there is still a lot to improve in my spoken communication (to communicate more clearly and confidently). I could do a research presentation at a conference or a job talk with lots of preparations, but I find that I need improvement with daily communication where I have to speak and sound smart mores spontaneously: to lead team meetings, speaking up … Read more »

Hi Lulu, thank you for the question. It sounds like my Fluency School course might be a good fit for you. In this course, we focus on how to think clearly, speak spontaneously, control one’s voice for clarity, and improve overall fluency. You can learn more here: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/fluencyschool/

Thanks a lot for your support Annemarie, what option do you suggest if I don’t have previous experience with the jobs that I would like to apply..

Dear Annemarie, thank you for the interesting lesson, and for the precious advices on how to confidently answer the always stressing first question! I would like to receive your kind opinion on my response. “Throughout my career in Rhythmic Gymnastics I had the pleasure to be the Head coach in my former Italian Club of a well motivated group of coaches, working to establish the discipline and achieving medals and results. That led me to the position of Technical director in my region which I held for 8 years. I was reelected twice and the feedback I received were great … Read more »

Well done, Pamela. I’m impressed with how much you were able to share in just 3 paragraphs. You have an excellent way of expressing yourself. You’ve perfectly followed the past, present, and future formula. And I was glad to see you explain some of the good feedback you received while in the position of Technical Director. Interviewers always appreciated specific details. Moreover, the fact that you were reelected twice is compelling. It says a lot about the confidence others had in you. I like the way you handled being away from the role for some time after moving to the … Read more »

It was very useful information. It become much easier for me to formulate my answer to this question, even on my native language. Now when I know the formula I am calm when I have to answer and I do not loose my line of thought.

I’m so glad to hear this, Kamelia!!

Thank you Annemarie for your good support!I really appreciate your lessons. Now I am preparing for operations officer job interview. The answer for tell me about your self question is: For the last 5 years ,I have been walking as administration and logistics in different projects. I have been walking as logistic officer. In that position,I was responsible for providing all logistical support to ensure timely completion of activities.I was also assigned to do budget for all materials needed including estimation of travel allowances of employees, managing project materials and suppliers and I had the opportunity to brought a less … Read more »

Hi Yvonne, thank you for sharing your practice answer. You’ve done a nice job providing a broad overview of your experience along with the past, present, and future focus.

One note, I consistently see the verb ‘walk’ but I think you meant ‘work’ – is that right?

We could simplify the first two sentences by combining them, for example:

For the last 5 years, I’ve been working as a logistics officer on different projects.

The way you define KEFL and the Right to Play project is very helpful. It gives a clear picture of the specific projects you’re working on.

Thank you Annemary for sharing video on this topic. It’s was important for my, becouse I found example to introduce myself in my first interview landscape design specialty. I went to it with more confidence after preparation

You’re very welcome, Khrystia. I’m glad it helped you have more confidence.

Sure Thank you, Annemarie, for taking the time to meet with me. I’m Sajjad, an Iraqi pharmacist. I spent the last 8 years sharing my sales and marketing skills at the largest and most innovative medical companies in Iraq. I’ve developed a reputation for understanding what our clients want and staying right on budget. In my current role, I’d say my greatest strength is connecting with people. When our clients communicate their needs, I truly hear what they want, and I work tirelessly to find the solution that matches their needs. As a result, we have increased client retention by … Read more »

Hi AnneMarie I´m Jacqueline , Could you please take a look for my “tell me about yourself” response and tell me your advice: Over the past 17 years I have collaborated and led the assigned teams for internal or external IT customer projects and acting as a servant leader to remove obstacules and solving issues, problems and conflicts I´ve also worked to implement the processes and methods to improve the organizational maturity in all levels of the organization and also to improve the adherence to the quality standards of the company I took on the roles of experienced project manager, Portfolio manager and … Read more »

Hi Jacqueline, you have a strong start here. I can see you’ve thought carefully about the details and that you’re applying the past-present-future approach. Your quantitative data are particularly compelling with the number of projects you’ve managed, the budget, and cost savings. There is a LOT of detail here. With the variety of questions that will be asked during the interview, I’m certain you’ll be able to speak to each experience, skill, and strength you’ve highlighted here. For example, most job interviews include a question about your strengths. With that question, you could certainly highlight your customer service skills, support … Read more »

I searched a lot for courses to learn English, a lot of teachers, all of them are wonderful, but as soon as I watched your first video, I immediately knew that it was the right one for me. I do not know how to express now everything I want to say, but I think that after the end of the course I will talk a lot about this course. Thank you very much

Thank you for the kind comment, Kamel. I’m pleased to know my lesson was so helpful to you.

Annemarie, Since last 25 years I was searching a trainer who really teaches/ talks about professional, practical and powerful English , which makes difference and distinguish us from others, I had almost lost the hope that there is any learning platform which can teach real practical too the point and professional English which can transform our life from Zero to hero, I am from that geography where a master degree holder also can’t speak a basic english and I have studied in government schools where even english teacher can’t pronounce English in correct way. I think the most merciful almighty … Read more »

I’ve spent the last 2 years to accomplish the Master of Public Health degree with Massey University. In the final year, I luckily got in and completed my placement with Nelson Marlborough Health – Public Health Unit. That was an incredible opportunity for me to gain a broad and solid understanding of not only public health system but also primary healthcare and Non-Government Organizations. During the placement, I conducted a service improvement project to improve sexual health services for young people in the region. More impressively I’ve completed my thesis with an article about intimate parent violence and mother and … Read more »

Hello Annemarie! Thanks for your amazing and helpful video! I’m truly glad to know about your channel and website. you make me feel motivated to keep sharpening my English. So let’s start I’ve spent 3 years sharpening my design skills in content creation among other things, these include creativity, innovation capacity, learning by doing, and collaboration in my recent work expertise as a digital creator content freelance. In my current role, I’d say my greatest strength is connecting with people when our clients communicated their needs, I truly hear what they want and I work tirelessly to find the design … Read more »

Hi Mile, thank you so much for the kind comment. I’m pleased to know this was so helpful. And you’ve shared a wonderful example with a clear past-present-future focus! Your vocabulary is sharp and well-chosen. Your second paragraph is particularly intriguing because not only does it highlight your particular skillset but it’s also a skillset a potential employer would be interested in. For that reason, I would recommend that you follow it with a quick example and remove the paragraph “In fact, I would like to highlight…” I assume information about your online courses is on your resume, which is … Read more »

Hello Annemarie, I am so glad to meet your website. I believe this is an inflection point in my English path to really improve my speaking confidence. I am very motivated by your free lessons, and I will keep going to reach my confidence! Also, I wanted to share my “tell about yourself”: Over the past 8 years, I´ve worked as an electronic engineer in 2 main sectors, telecommunications and electrical. In both, I had the opportunity to introduce myself to data analysis. For example, I was responsible for analyzing non-technical losses in a region’s power transmission lines In one year, … Read more »

Bravo, Carolina! You’ve got a good start to the ‘tell me about yourself’ interview starter.

It is particularly compelling to see some quantitative information: “… we managed to lower the loss indicator by around 3%.”

I do have 1 question. Could you clarify what you mean by ” I had the opportunity to introduce myself to data analysis?” I want to be sure I understand that correctly. Typically we only use “introduce” with people.

I’d love to provide more feedback after having that clarification.

I am an electronics engineer who focuses on designing hardware. I have experience for over 3 years as an R&D engineer and then I was promoted to product manager in the Physics department in EEI company. In this role, I managed 20 workers of the factory and staff. and I led the process of producing different equipment for equipping the physics laboratories in the school and university. Going forward, in addition to building and improving on my current skillsets, I’d like to take a leadership role and develop my team to better serve your product center. That’s why I am … Read more »

Hi Annemarie, Thank you for your fantastic and very helpful videos. When describing your present role in the tell me about yourself question, how do you approach the present if you are not currently working? Thank you very much!

I address this fully inside my Confident Job Interviews. There are many options when explaining why you’re not working right now. The key is to be honest because the interviewer will ask. If it’s for personal reasons, you do not need to go into detail but you do need to address the reality that you’re not working and, instead, other things you’ve been doing in the meantime. For example, perhaps you’ve completed some professional development courses to maintain or sharpen your skills.

Thanks Annemarie for this and your other videos, just listen you speak with that clarity when you pronounce each word, made me feel that speak English could with fluency can be possible. I’ve been having some interviews and I feel that my communication skills in English have not let me nail a new job yet in the accounting field, even when I have the qualifications. I’ll have a new interview this coming week and hopefully this time can be better. Here it is my response: I spent 6 years sharpening my accounting, financial and analytical skills at Deloitte Touché El … Read more »

Hi Karen, First of all, I wish you much success in the interview this week. Please let me know how it goes. Secondly, you did a great job using the past-present-future formula and provided a big picture overview of your background and skillsets. This will help the interviewer better determine questions to ask for more information.

One recommendation is to double-check your verb tenses. I see “In 2015, I have the opportunity…” — to have is the present simple tense, which suggests this is true now. However, 2015 is the past.

All my best, Annemarie

Hi Anne Marie! I’m Milena from Venezuela since I started to watch your videos I finally found someone who support me to be confindent. I decided to apply for a bilingual role so this video has been too helpful for me

I’m so happy to know this video was helpful to you, Milena! And I wish you much success as you go through the application and interview process. Let me know how it goes.

Knowing why it is commonly asked in interviews along with a simple formula on how to answer this question gives me a whole new approach on how to properly answer this question. I never thought that you can already share a brief information on what your strengths are. It definitely will give you an edge and confidence at the start of the interview.

I’m about to have an interview and will apply what I have learned on the free quick class. Will update you on how it goes.

Awesome, Cleofe! I’m to hear this lesson gave you a new perspective on why interviews start this way and how to approach the answer. I’m eager to hear how things go in the interview!

Hi Annemarie, I’m indeed appreciate you and your all of video lessons. My english is getting better. That masterclass exactly what I’m looking for the last months. (Entry level a Graphic Designer position) Here is my answer: Over the last 6 years, I have been working as a student counsellor in the Education provider. Meanwhile, I have developed my graphic design skills by myself online the following my passion and I have created a design for education flyers, marketing brochures, logo designing as well. In my current role is that I’ve been working as a student counsellor by part-time at … Read more »

Hey Soko, I’m glad to know this is what you were looking for. And you’ve got a strong start with the answer you shared here. I can see how you’ve utilized that past, present, and future formula. And I appreciate the concrete examples of designs you’ve created.

I have one question for clarification.

You mentioned that a strength “is connecting with a creativity people.”

Do you mean that you connect to creative people (for example, artists)? Or do you mean you connect to people in a creative way?

Thanks a lot for your support Annemarie, I understand some important matters that you are offering me.

Dear Annemarie, You and your videos are wonderful, My name is Sherif and I am from Egypt Unfortunately, I still struggling due to my English skills level which is not satisfying me at all, But I try hard to improve it by watching very professional people like you Kindly revise my tell me about yourself answer below and will be glad to know your comments For the last 17 years, I have been sharpening my management skills, as well as deepening my knowledge of Front office management. I have developed a reputation for handling guest complaints and helping the company … Read more »

WW Hi Annemarie! Thanks for the advice and also learning phase on the dreaded question? I am about to have an interview on Thursday and now I can answer that question with confidence. I will let you know how the interview went.

Hi Gertrude, I’m so pleased this was helpful and I hope the interview went well! I’m eager to hear about it.

Hi Annemarie, first of all thank u for teaching, your speaking is very clearly , and when i listen your lessons after then my english getting better, and i think these videos give me motivation i really trying speak fluently, u give me many ideas to say my thoughts. Thank u very much

Thanks for the kind comment, Siviglia. I’m glad it was helpful.

Dear Annemarie, your video is wonderful, it really give me a big ahhaaa!! That’s what I need! Thank you so much for your excellent training! I have a more clear mind and being more confident surely in the interview. And I have a sense that my performance in the interview is a lot satisfied than before. I love listening to your video., I hope I can keep improving my English with you. 😘

You’re so welcome, Lam. I’m glad it was helpful.

Thanks indeed for this prolific masterclass! You did provide me with a broader perspective, and I simply appreciate it!

Dear Annemarie, thank you for your Masterclass, that was the best one I have seen in the last two years. Now I am in the middle of the job search process, with several unsuccessful interviews behind me. After the MC, the hiring process became easier and I realized my mistakes. For the last 10 years, I have been sharpening my management skills, as well as deepening my knowledge of intellectual property law. I have developed a reputation for legal support of company projects. In my current role, I’d say my greatest strength is connecting to people. When our clients or … Read more »

Hello Natalia, First, I apologize for my late response. I’ve been away from the office while moving across the country. Thank you for your patience in my reply. Secondly, I’m very glad to hear this masterclass was helpful to you and I hope you’ll feel more confident going into your next interviews. Your example answer here is truly spectacular and a great example for others to follow. You’ve followed the past-present-future formula with clear examples and qualitative data, which is particularly compelling. Your answer is concise yet full of details an interviewer would likely follow up on with questions to … Read more »

Your tutorials are excellent, I really enjoy viewing them. I hope to see more videos from you. Best regards

Thank you so much.

Hello Annemarie! < First of all: Many thanks for sharing with us your knowledge <3 > Here is my answer: Throughout my career, I have developed my passion for the customer services and sales fields. I like to interact with people, so, as a business executive, I found a way to help people grow their companies and do business simultaneously. Currently, I´m a Team Leader in a chain of fast-food restaurants in Stockholm, Sweden. My current functions have been important to me because they helped me to improve my soft skills: how to handle difficult clients, but also how to … Read more »

Hi Annemarie. I am so I interested in your training videos.Your help is really valuable. What you do for us the non-native English speakers, is a treasure! I have already posted my aha moment about myself. I hope I’ve done well my homework and gave good impression to my interviewers. Best regards

Hi Akrivi, thank you so much for the kind comment! I’m pleased to know my lessons are so helpful to you. And thank you for the note about posting your aha moment plus your practice answer.

As I entered this industry,I served my internship in aircrafts ground handling and started my career as a cabin crew member,then I became a travel consultant. During my 11yrs career as a Travel consultant I had to deal with different types of people daily. I’ve learned to stay focus and work hard to find solution that match their needs.Built my sales and negotiating skills while managing air tickets and a variety of bookings. As a result, I’ve accived to become a Corporate Travel consultant,organizing conferences and managing VIP& Business travels as I pay attention to details and give priority to … Read more »

Hi Akrivi, I can see you’ve done a nice job following the past-present-future formula here with some key language such as “during my 11 years…” “currently” and “going forward.” These words provide nice links from one sentence to the next and highlight that formula.

One note, in the first sentence, I would recommend being clear about which industry you entered. Also, it sounds like you want to use “When I entered this industry…” as opposed to as. When signifies the time you started.

Best regards, Annemarie

Hi Annemarie, I have a zoom interview next week and I consider myself a lucky one to find your wonderful video in this time. Would you please give me your feedback about my answer to ” Tell me about yourself” Thanks in advanced. “As an administrator and support staff, I tend to focus on connecting to people to develop my customer service, paying attention to details and sharpening my skills. Throughout my 8 years of experience, I’ve developed a reputation for understanding what the students and the clients want and how I can play a vital role to enable them … Read more »

Hi Amna, thank you for practicing your response! I just replied to your example on YouTube. 😊

This was my first lesson in your course, it i found it very helpfull and i will complete the whole course, thank you. My answer will be “Currently I am home with my kids, but earlier I worked in a school as a receptionist It was a great experience to deal with different people daily and challenge myself to stay focused even when I have too many tasks to finish correctly. Now, I’m interested to work with you because i think it will be a great opportunity to enter the work market again and the right place to build my … Read more »

Hi Annemarie, Your video has been so helpful and I really thank you. This is my example: I’m an electrical engineer with a core background in IT Project management and a strong technical problem-solving ability. Over the past 3 years, I’ve been working as a Digital Health Manager, developing and deploying digital solutions for diabetes care and treatment. While I was performing this role, the company released a digital health platform that contained several IT projects where I was managing, leading the software team members, and creating IT business solutions. Currently, I’ve been looking for new challenges in all IT … Read more »

Wow, fantastic, Javier! I can clearly see the past-present-future formula and you succinctly sum up your professional experience in a way that is compelling. It makes me want to ask more questions, which is exactly what you want. Nicely done.

Hi Annemarie your video is perfect and it came at a perfect time when I am looking forward to an interview.

I’m so glad to hear that. I wish you much success on your upcoming interview.

First of all, thank you for this class. Here is my answer. Currently, I am at home with my younger son, but earlier I was the institutional coordinator of Erasmus+ and CEEPUS programmes at this university. Since I entered this position, I was responsible for management of these programmes from the application until the final report. The measurable result of my efforts was that in my first year the university reached 74% in the new Erasmus+ evaluation system, and the next year this was 82%. Meanwhile I collaborated with two professors to accomplish new CEEPUS Networks leading this university. There … Read more »

Thank you for sharing your practice answer, Monika. I can see you using the past-present-fruture formula here and your quantitative details are very useful.

One recommended change: “Since I entered this position, I was responsible for management of these programmes from the application until the final report.” –> The word “Since” implies that you still work in this job. But it sounds like this was a position you had in the past. Is that right?

If so, I recommend using ‘while.’ You could say, “While in this position, I was responsible for…”

Hello there annemarie excelent your video want speak with confident

You’re so welcome, Nohemi! I’m glad it was useful.

Thank You very much for your great and clear information.

Speak Confident English is an online English fluency training company created to inspire, educate, and coach international women on how to build the courage and confidence they need to be successful in English—for work and daily life.

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Tell Me About Yourself—Guide & 5+ Sample Answers

By Kervin Peterson

10 min read

Many people think it’s easy to talk about themselves until the recruiter asks them to do so during the job interview.

Before you even know it, you start questioning yourself. What exactly should you answer when someone asks you to tell them more about yourself? Is there anything you should refrain from saying? How detailed should your answer be?

The good news is that we have the answers and can teach you how to answer the “tell me about yourself” question in the best possible way!

Key Takeaways

To answer the “tell me about yourself” question effectively, you should use the most effective formula for answering this question—Present-Past-Future.

To perfect your answer, don’t talk too much about your hobbies, don’t overwhelm the interviewer with details, and be honest.

Your answer should also be tailored to the company and show why you’re passionate about the job you’re applying for.

If you find it too difficult to come up with an answer, look at some “tell me about yourself” samples for inspiration.

How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question

The “tell me about yourself” question is open-ended , meaning there are numerous ways to answer it. This is the exact reason why so many people dread it—they don’t know what information they should provide in the answer to satisfy the recruiter’s curiosity.

On the other hand, if you don’t provide a decent answer, your entire job interview can go downhill. After all, it is true when they say you never get a second chance to make a good first impression .

What The Interviewer Is Asking

Understanding the purpose of any question is essential for coming up with an effective response.

By asking the “tell me about yourself” question, the interviewer is looking to:

Ease into the interview without stressing you out

Set the direction for the rest of the interview

Get to know you professionally

Examine your soft skills

Ultimately, their main goal is to get to know you to determine not only whether you’re a good fit for the job but also how well you’ll get along with the team. On top of all that, they want to check if your beliefs and behaviors align with the company’s culture and its core values.

By correctly answering the “tell me about yourself” question, you’ll show that you’re confident, professional, as well as capable of communicating clearly and effectively .

Not to mention, more than 80% of employers consider interpersonal skills—including verbal communication—important. As such, providing a coherent answer can significantly increase your chances of being invited to the next stage of the hiring process.

Our Formula For Answering “Tell Me About Yourself”

If you’re having trouble structuring your answer to the “tell me about yourself” question, we recommend using a simple yet effective formula called Present-Past-Future . This formula will help you keep your response clear and concise.

What you need to do is:

Start by giving a brief overview of your current situation , i.e. your current job. Don’t just state your professional title and call it a day. Instead, explain what you do and mention one or two professional achievements to start your answer with a bang!

Explain how you got to where you are now by summarizing your previous professional experience. You can mention your education, previous jobs, internships, volunteer work, or any other relevant experience.

Wrap up by mentioning yourprofessional goals for the future and explaining what made you interested in this job opportunity.

If you’re using the Present-Past-Future formula , your answer to the “tell me about yourself” question should look something like this:

Correct Example

I’m Joel Hutchins, and I’ve been working as a Customer Service Agent at Company X for the last 7 years. During this time, I have handled thousands of customers’ requests and complaints via phone, email, and chat with an average customer satisfaction rate of 93%.

Before that, I worked as a social media manager for Company Y but decided to switch careers and go for customer support, as it means even more interaction with people.

When it comes to my future plans, I’d like to use my interpersonal skills and the experience I have gained to represent companies that match my personal values. For this reason, I decided to apply for this job as soon as I saw the job listing, as I admire your company’s focus on diversity and inclusivity.

Another formula that works equally well is Past-Present-Future . Consider using it if you’re changing careers and your past work experience is more relevant to the desired role than your current position.

Whatever order you choose, make sure to tie it to the desired position and company . Your goal is to leave the interviewer with the impression that discussing this job opportunity with you makes perfect sense.

8 Tips For Answering Tell Me About Yourself

Need more tips on how to implement the formula and come up with the best answer to the “tell me about yourself” question? Here are some you may find useful:

Tip #1. Practice Your Answer

The good news is that you already know what the recruiter will ask you first, so make sure you prepare the answer in advance .

Take your time to think about what you want to say to them and how you want to introduce yourself to the hiring manager, and practice it in front of a loved one or a mirror!

Tip #2. Customize Your Answer Based on the Audience

Form your answer wisely depending on the person that’s interviewing you. You may be required to talk to multiple people during the recruitment process, but it doesn’t mean you must repeat the same thing every time someone wants to know more about you.

This means, for example, that you should avoid terms that are too technical if you’re speaking to a hiring manager or any member of the HR team. They probably aren’t experts in the field you’re experienced in, but expect some simpler answers related to your future plans or the competencies you possess.

Tip #3. Don’t Overwhelm the Interviewer With Details

Even though the answer to the “tell me about yourself” question should sum up who you are, you shouldn’t overdo it with details . You’ll have more time to talk about your professional experience during the interview, which means you don’t need to go in-depth right away.

This doesn’t mean you should skimp on important information. Simply emphasize the achievements you’re most proud of and leave the rest for later—the recruiter will probably ask you about other experiences, too.

Also, try to answer the question in less than one minute, as people tend to stop paying attention to what you say after 40 seconds of uninterrupted talking .

Tip #4. Be Honest

You may think that adding an “innocent lie” here and there is nothing wrong as long as it impresses the recruiter. However, that’s entirely untrue!

You shouldn’t mention any skills you don’t have or say you worked at a place you have never even seen. Be truthful and talk only about the things you have experienced.

If the recruiter or the hiring manager notices you’re being dishonest—and they can easily check it by asking sub-questions—you’ll probably have to kiss the job goodbye.

Tip #5. Show Why You’re Passionate About the Job

The fact that the conversation should be professional doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show how eager you are to work in the specific field or company.

So, try to explain—without rambling—what makes you passionate about your profession, the company, and/or the position you’re applying for. As long as you don’t go over the top , showing some emotion in your response can help you stand out from your competition.

Tip #6. Avoid Rushing Too Much Into the Future

Don’t rush into discussions about your future goals within the company—it’s too early for that.

For starters, you can explain what made you pay attention to the specific job ad. Whether you have used the company’s products or heard positive impressions from other employees, you can mention that.

Also, you can tell the interviewer how the way the company operates inspires you, as all that can help you grab their attention and be invited to the next round of interviews.

However, you should save the extensive conversations about your long-term plans within the company until later in the interview process. Don’t jump the gun before you’re sure you've got the job, as it may make you seem pretentious.

Tip #7. Don’t Talk Too Much About Your Hobbies

It is not a good idea to talk too much about a certain hobby because it may seem more important to you than your job. No employer wants to hire someone who may be absent from work in order to pursue their hobbies.

Still, that doesn't mean you shouldn’t mention a few hobbies that, for example, represent your energetic, healthy, or witty side. One of the goals of the “tell me about yourself” question is to get to know you outside of your profession, as it also speaks about you and your personality.

Tip #8. Tailor Your Answer to the Company You Want To Work At

Another important thing is that you should do your research and learn more about the company before the interview. Once you know how the company operates and what they’re looking for in a job candidate, try to base the answer to the “tell me about yourself” question on what you discovered.

For example, if you are applying for a job in the education field, make sure you mention previous jobs in this industry or any similar positions you’ve worked in. Avoid talking about jobs that are irrelevant to the role you’re applying for, such as waitressing or house cleaning.

“Tell Me About Yourself” Sample Answers

Every candidate is unique, so you definitely want to come up with a good, original answer to the "tell me about yourself" question on your own. Still, sometimes it can be harder than you’d expect.

So, if you’re looking for inspiration, here are 4 sample answers for all types of candidates, from students looking for their first job to seasoned professionals applying for a managerial role:

#1. Sample Answer—Student, Intern, or Fresh Graduate

My name is Annie Smith. I’m 23, and I recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business and Economics. During my studies, I attended courses related to international financial markets, business strategy, corporate communication, international political economy, and more.

I put a lot of effort into my education and took the subjects rather seriously, maintaining a GPA of 4.0.

I may not be experienced when it comes to working for companies of your caliber, but I’m eager to learn how the corporate world works. I believe the problem-solving skills I gained while working with real companies during my studies would make me a useful addition to your team.

Now that my university journey is over, I’m ready to put what I've learned through all these years to use, which is why I’m applying for this job.

#2. Sample Answer—Mid-Level Professional

Since graduating from college five years ago, I’ve worked as a data scientist for several companies. My last role—Principal Data Scientist at the X Company—allowed me to focus on designing and supporting the pipelines of data transformation.

During this time, I mastered using Java, Scala, and Python, as well as solving complex big data problems, which I would gladly demonstrate if I got the chance to work with you.

Regarding my future plans, I hope I’ll be able to further advance my career by pursuing a PhD in data science. This could enable me to become an expert in data science and boost my knowledge in other related disciplines.

In my free time, I enjoy doing yoga and solving brain teasers.

#3. Sample Answer—Management

I've worked as a project manager for more than ten years now. I graduated from the University of Arizona with a BA in Project Management and a GPA of 4.5.

Immediately upon graduation, I began my career as an Administrative Assistant at the X Agency. During my time at this company, I managed schedules, arranged meetings, and assigned administrative projects, while also maintaining the company’s digital records.

In 2011, I started working as an IT project manager at Y Company, and I’ve worked there ever since. So far, I’ve coordinated 10+ large-scale IT projects, making sure they are delivered on time and within the available budget.

With this experience under my belt, I believe that I’m a good match for a senior-level position at your company. What draws me to leadership roles is the possibility of overseeing important activities and improving the existing business procedures to achieve impeccable results.

#4. Sample answer—Career Change

Since my graduation from Yale University in 2012, I’ve worked as an attorney at three international law firms, one of them being the prestigious Z Law Firm. During this time, I’ve represented 100+ pro bono clients, which I found truly rewarding. This made me realize that I want to change careers and engage in helping non-profits pursue justice.

Thanks to the previous job positions I’ve worked in, I got a chance to advise various clients on crucial legal matters and help them negotiate complex cases. Since I also enjoy serving a greater purpose and helping people solve legal dilemmas, I’m positive that the experience I've gained makes me a good match for your non-profit organization.

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College essay

How to Write About Yourself in a College Essay | Examples

Published on September 21, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability. Your essay shouldn’t just be a resume of your experiences; colleges are looking for a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

To write about your achievements and qualities without sounding arrogant, use specific stories to illustrate them. You can also write about challenges you’ve faced or mistakes you’ve made to show vulnerability and personal growth.

Start with self-reflection, how to write about challenges and mistakes, how to write about your achievements and qualities, how to write about a cliché experience, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Before you start writing, spend some time reflecting to identify your values and qualities. You should do a comprehensive brainstorming session, but here are a few questions to get you started:

What are three words your friends or family would use to describe you, and why would they choose them?
Whom do you admire most and why?
What are the top five things you are thankful for?
What has inspired your hobbies or future goals?
What are you most proud of? Ashamed of?

As you self-reflect, consider how your values and goals reflect your prospective university’s program and culture, and brainstorm stories that demonstrate the fit between the two.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Writing about difficult experiences can be an effective way to show authenticity and create an emotional connection to the reader, but choose carefully which details to share, and aim to demonstrate how the experience helped you learn and grow.

Be vulnerable

It’s not necessary to have a tragic story or a huge confession. But you should openly share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences to evoke an emotional response from the reader. Even a cliché or mundane topic can be made interesting with honest reflection. This honesty is a preface to self-reflection and insight in the essay’s conclusion.

Don’t overshare

With difficult topics, you shouldn’t focus too much on negative aspects. Instead, use your challenging circumstances as a brief introduction to how you responded positively.

Share what you have learned

It’s okay to include your failure or mistakes in your essay if you include a lesson learned. After telling a descriptive, honest story, you should explain what you learned and how you applied it to your life.

While it’s good to sell your strengths, you also don’t want to come across as arrogant. Instead of just stating your extracurricular activities, achievements, or personal qualities, aim to discreetly incorporate them into your story.

Brag indirectly

Mention your extracurricular activities or awards in passing, not outright, to avoid sounding like you’re bragging from a resume.

Use stories to prove your qualities

Even if you don’t have any impressive academic achievements or extracurriculars, you can still demonstrate your academic or personal character. But you should use personal examples to provide proof. In other words, show evidence of your character instead of just telling.

Many high school students write about common topics such as sports, volunteer work, or their family. Your essay topic doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, but do try to include unexpected personal details and your authentic voice to make your essay stand out .

To find an original angle, try these techniques:

Focus on a specific moment, and describe the scene using your five senses.
Mention objects that have special significance to you.
Instead of following a common story arc, include a surprising twist or insight.

Your unique voice can shed new perspective on a common human experience while also revealing your personality. When read out loud, the essay should sound like you are talking.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

Writing process
Transition words
Passive voice
Paraphrasing

Communication

How to end an email
Ms, mrs, miss
How to start an email
I hope this email finds you well
Hope you are doing well

Parts of speech

Personal pronouns
Conjunctions

First, spend time reflecting on your core values and character . You can start with these questions:

However, you should do a comprehensive brainstorming session to fully understand your values. Also consider how your values and goals match your prospective university’s program and culture. Then, brainstorm stories that illustrate the fit between the two.

When writing about yourself , including difficult experiences or failures can be a great way to show vulnerability and authenticity, but be careful not to overshare, and focus on showing how you matured from the experience.

Through specific stories, you can weave your achievements and qualities into your essay so that it doesn’t seem like you’re bragging from a resume.

Include specific, personal details and use your authentic voice to shed a new perspective on a common human experience.

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Courault, K. (2023, May 31). How to Write About Yourself in a College Essay | Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/college-essay/write-about-yourself/

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How to Write a Short Essay About Yourself: Step-By-Step

Updated 06/4/2022

Published 06/19/2020

Yvonne Bertovich

Contributing writer

Learn how to write about yourself with confidence, including step-by-step instructions and examples of things to write about yourself.

Cake values integrity and transparency. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible. We also may earn commission from purchases made through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure .

Writing or even talking about yourself may not come easily to you. However, for professional or educational reasons, it’s often a necessity. There are other instances when writing about yourself may make more sense, as you can provide the rawest and most honest perspective.

Jump ahead to these sections:

Steps for writing about yourself, tips for writing about yourself creatively or confidently.

Examples of Things to Write About Yourself

You should feel empowered—not intimidated—in taking on a writing project about yourself. Use it as a way to challenge how you view your own experiences, talents, and more. We’ll discuss some steps for writing about yourself as well as provide a few examples.

Writing isn’t for everyone, especially when it’s required. As much as you may dislike it, following the steps below can help the process go that much more smoothly.

If you find that following a different order than what we’ve recommended for you works better for your process, feel free to adjust accordingly.

Step 1: Determine your purpose

What’s causing you to write this “thing” about yourself? What exactly are you writing? It may surprise you that people write all kinds of pieces for themselves—even writing your own obituary isn’t out of the question anymore.

The more specific you can get with yourself about your purpose will help the rest of the process. If it’s something stressful, like a college admission essay or a cover letter, try to frame the project in a different light.

For example, “I’m writing this essay to show people my heart and how passionate I am about removing disparities and barriers in healthcare. I believe in my abilities, and I want to further my education, so I can help heal people.”

Step 2: Ask yourself some questions

For any good piece of writing, there has to be fact behind it (if even these facts are abstract in narrative or fiction). The best way to gather facts about any subject is to ask a variety of questions, both soft- and hard-hitting.

You may ask these questions internally, during research, or directly and literally. Treat this question step as a self-interview.

Here are some questions to ask yourself . You may also ask yourself:

What is my goal of writing this piece?
What themes or ideas do I want to focus on?
What are my strengths and weaknesses?
What are some important lessons I’ve learned?
What do I want others to know or understand about me?

Step 3: Organize your answers

After asking yourself the example questions above as well as others, you should be sure to write down your answers and begin organizing them if you haven’t already.

It may be tempting to just answer your own questions in your head as you go—but don’t. This will just make the writing step more difficult. You may think that you’ll remember every good point or profound thought you come up with, but memory is a tricky thing.

If you’re working through your questions during a time when you’re not ready or able to sit down and type or scribble them out, at least make some notes in your phone or in a journal so you can have some descriptive hints for later. No matter how big of an epiphany you may have, it’s possible you’ll forget it.

Step 4: Write a draft

If your ideas are already fairly organized, writing your draft should come fairly easily to you. The draft process, however, is when you can start spicing things up with anecdotes, your own personal voice, themes, metaphors—all that fun stuff. The point in you writing something about yourself for yourself is for the very reason that you can make it unquestionably you .

Dull, watered-down words or even over-hyped language from a thesaurus plug-in isn’t going to impress anyone. Writing something about yourself (unless the assignment is creative or unorthodox) isn’t the time to act like something you’re not.

All of this being said, don’t stress yourself out too much. Letting your ideas flow freely and then editing or revising them later is how you should approach the process anyway. You don’t want to put too many restrictions on your ideas from the get-go. Warring with yourself about your ideas while writing is only going to tire you out sooner.

Think about it—you may spend hours trying to write a piece while overthinking that’s no better than a draft you could have written in 30 minutes on the fly. Not being totally in love with your first draft is normal. It just allows you that much more room to improve.

Step 5: Put your progress aside

Much like during the draft process, it’s very possible to overthink your work after it’s mostly done. If you constantly keep re-reading it or rehashing your ideas in your head, they may start to sound odd, or you may try to add where you need to trim.

For example, the same concept applies to repeating the same word over and over aloud — it’ll likely start to sound strange or even wrong the more you hear it. This also applies to music — ever play a song you love over and over till you hate it?

You need to give your words and your brain some time to rest away from each other until you try to make any drastic edits or changes. That being said, you may love what you’ve written already and decide you don’t need to change a thing—that’s great!

Step 6: Review and edit

After your break, you can pick up your writing once again. Read it with a critical eye. Go back and think deeply about your purpose and any provided prompts. Have you answered everything you intended to or are required to?

It’s not uncommon—though devastating—to write an entire piece only to realize you wrote from the wrong frame of reference or focused on the wrong issue. For example, if you were asked to write about a challenge you overcame in your life by following an important virtue, but you only wrote about winning a basketball championship and not the struggle behind it, this may miss the mark.

If you find a good number of issues in your work, don’t feel tempted to scrap the entire thing. What may work instead is to copy and paste your writing line-by-line into a new document. This way, you can save as much as possible while being sure to resolve even small discrepancies.

Step 7: Finalize your work

After you’ve undergone the brutal process of self-editing (or enlisting help from someone else you trust) you can prepare yourself for the home stretch. Finalizing your work shouldn’t take very long.

Y our process may differ; however, it’ll likely come down to reading over your work a few more times just to make sure you haven’t missed words, punctuation, or proper grammar.

It’s OK to use this step to feel proud of yourself, too. You may not take a lot of time to reflect on your life and everything you’ve been through—it’s important to practice self-love in this way and celebrate your accomplishments.

Talking or writing about yourself may not be everyone’s cup of tea. For example, did you need to provide a fun fact recently but draw a blank? You’re not alone. In fact, many people have a false assumption that they’re boring.

On the flip side, perhaps you’re used to talking about yourself, or, at least you’ve got the “fake it till you make it” type of confidence down-pat. However, you too can only benefit from adding a bit more razzle-dazzle to your spiels and writing assignments. Here are a few tips for writing about yourself creatively or confidently.

Allow yourself space

If you have an upcoming project or writing assignment that has you on edge, consider stepping away. Even if you don’t consider yourself an outdoorsy person, a walk around the block may help you breathe and get your creativity flowing. Naturally, the more sound your idea or angle, the more confident you’ll feel about your upcoming performance.

Keep that ego in check

An underinflated ego is just as bad as an overinflated one. Pay close attention to your internal dialogue when approaching new projects or writing tasks (or, honestly anything that comes up during your day). How much of what swirls around in your mind is fact? How much of it is just fleeting thoughts or opinions? You are not your thoughts, and you always have choices. Make good ones and be kind to yourself.

Try this: Instead of thinking to yourself, “Wow, this is a really complex writing assignment. I can’t do this.” Or, “How am I ever going to get into my dream school with this essay? I’m not a strong writer.”

Change your internal dialogue to, “I have good ideas. I may not have my plan figured out right now, but I’ll get it done,” or, “I have so many great skills to bring to the table and I am very passionate about what’s brought me here. I will convey this the best I can.”

Crowdsource

Sometimes an outside opinion can give us much-needed perspective. Ask your friends, family, loved ones, or coworkers to describe you in a few words or even in abstract ways. Don’t view this as you’re fishing for compliments. Ask your loved ones for honesty, as this insight can only help you when writing about yourself.

Build up a fuel bank

Pulling inspiration out of thin air may not always be possible. However, if you build up a few reliable sources of inspiration, the next time a project hits, you’ll be prepared. You can fuel your creativity and confidence in a variety of ways.

For example, you can create certain playlists for different moods, save favorite art or graphics in a digital folder or keep printed versions in your home or office, write down affirmations or notes-to-self in a journal or app, and so on.

Reflect on past accomplishments and setbacks

Even if you aren’t a fan of journaling, writing about yourself is far easier if you take the time to reflect, if only mentally. If you know you have a deadline to write about yourself in the near future, you may want to physically or mentally jot down a few real-life examples or experiences that come to mind.

But how do you get in the right headspace to reflect? What if you only witness recurring thoughts about past events while trying to fall asleep? Be sure to practice the first tip in this section: Give yourself some space to think. For once, limit the distractions, keep all other screens put away or turn on your "do not disturb" feature.

Now, think about some past accomplishments or setbacks that may not even seem relevant to the topic of the assignment. You may have an epiphany about unrelated things or discover something about how you operate. For example, you might realize that you feel less nervous in social and professional settings if you call out your anxiety as being excited.

Examples of Writing About Yourself

Even if you feel super confident about writing about yourself now, we wanted to provide a few short examples to help you get started. Your tone, word choice, and more may differ depending on which piece you’re working on.

Here are some tips for writing or publishing your life story you may also find helpful.

In a memoir or essay

Those were probably the best and the worst days of my life. I had never felt more happy and never felt more sad. I felt as though I were so close to having everything I had ever wanted, yet it seemed with every step forward, I had to take two steps back. It was exhausting. How did I get through it? To be quite honest, I have no damn idea.

Perspective helped. I knew I could have had it way worse; I knew that my struggle wasn’t unique. I knew, too, that even when the small wins would come they’d have yet another loss right on their tails. I paid dearly for having too much heart and optimism, so I regularly had to hose myself down with logic and pessimism.

On your blog or website

If you’re reading this, it’s too late. Just kidding! That’s just a really good Drake album. I wanted to take some time to talk about what’s been going on in my life lately for those of you who are nosey enough to care. Again, kidding, I know some of you really care. I’m so grateful to have even this small following that I have. It’s wild, really. Who would have thought that people want to know what’s going on in my head at any given time? Joke’s on you guys, though, because I don’t fully know all the time.

I guess I’ll start off by saying that work has been a whirlwind. As you all know, it isn’t an easy time for anyone, so please don’t take this declaration as a complaint. I’m thrilled to still have a job despite everything going on. However, leaving this reflection at just that would be doing both myself and you all a disservice. It’s weak. It doesn’t really describe what’s been going on. Allow me to continue.

In a college essay

When I was young, my grandmother told me I couldn’t please everyone — that some people just wouldn’t like me for no reason at all. This was very hard for me to swallow at times. What does this have to do with who I am today and why I plan to attend your university?

Well, this early lesson demonstrates that in order for this world to keep spinning, we all have to be unwavering in our own pursuits. We are ourselves. We can’t be anyone else. In that, we all have the responsibility to bring our unique talents, wisdom, and heart to the table — even when we’re seated across from people who may not like us.

Sometimes Only You Can Do It

Writing about yourself may always be challenging for you, but who better to do so than who knows you best? If you work through the process in every situation and give yourself some patience, there’s no question that you can’t craft something amazing. You may also be interested in this article about how to write family stories .

Your written words mean more than you think. This becomes a part of your legacy when you're gone, and it's one of the ways you'll be remembered. While many families choose custom urns from Foreverence or even to craft memorial diamonds from Eterneva , your words are something that live after you're gone.

While it might not seem natural at first, learning to write about yourself, your perspective, and your experiences carries a lot of significance. Who knows who might read these words when you're gone?

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people at conference talking to each other

“So, tell me about yourself…”

Is there a more dreaded question out there?

Other than your grandparents repeatedly asking if you’ve met anyone nice, that is!

It can be really hard to talk about yourself without accidentally sounding pretentious or arrogant, but you also don’t want to do yourself down.

Whether you’re in a job interview, on a first date, or meeting new people at a party, we’ve got some tips on how to master the ‘humble brag’…

1. Keep it short and snappy.

Interesting as you probably are, nobody expects an essay as a response.

While people are genuinely keen to find out more about you, they want to know the concise version of your personality… to start with, at least.

In an interview, for example, your answers should be snappy and to the point – most potential employers want to know that you can condense information down to the most important bits.

If you’re meeting new people, conversations tend to follow a certain pattern. Although there is so much more going on in your life, people generally want to know what your job is within three seconds of meeting you.

We know, we know – our jobs don’t define us, but they do help others make snap judgements, and that’s what a lot of introductory conversations are about.

By responding relatively speedily in this kind of situation, you’ll be able to identify a potential bond early on.

You can ask questions too, of course, meaning you’ve got a fast-track ticket to finding out a lot about each other in a short space of time.

After a few minutes of back-and-forth, you’ll both know if you want to carry on the conversation and get into more detail.

Think of it like speed-dating – you give lots of short, punchy titbits early on to interest and engage each other, and then decide whether to get a second drink and divulge more information.

Example – on a first date, mention where you live, what your job is, and one of your hobbies. These three punchy statements will probably answer the next few questions the other person had, and you’ll be on the way to establishing some common ground.

2. Be honest – you’ll appreciate this later, trust us!

There is no point lying or embellishing your interests or achievements.

Take our word for it.

From personal experience, there is nothing more excruciatingly painful than having your brand new boss ask about something you pretended to be really interested it…

…the results of last night’s game? Not a clue, but they’ll assume you know as you were so passionate about it in your interview.

Equally, saying that you can speak a foreign language when you can’t may look impressive on a CV, but will look pretty silly in a meeting when you struggle to remember your GCSE Spanish. Not a great move!

Remember that episode of Friends where Joey says he can speak French and tap dance? Didn’t work out so well. If you can down a gallon of milk in under a minute, though, go for it…

This works with friendships and relationships, too. It might feel good to agree with someone on a certain hobby or job role, but, by pretending, you’re putting yourself in a dangerous situation.

You’ll become so worried about slipping up and revealing that you told a white lie that you’ll stop enjoying any interactions with that person.

Try to remember that you’re great as you are and that you can be honest about what you do, as well as what you don’t do.

There’s nothing wrong with not agreeing with someone, and not every hobby is going to be shared. If you’re not interested in the same initial thing, keep going and find a different, common ground. There’ll be one in there somewhere!

Example – reveal a secret, interesting fact about yourself or just go for something genuine, like being able to speak a foreign language or touch-type. It might not seem thrilling to you, but it might just spark a great conversation.

3. Engage and respond (appropriately!)

If someone has mentioned that they enjoy something you also enjoy, this is a really easy way to talk about yourself without bragging.

It will help you engage the person you’re speaking with, they’ll be able to relate to you more, and the conversation will feel much more natural.

On a first date, for example, finding common ground can be a huge relief compared to those stretches of awkward silence.

By sharing your passion for something, you’ll appear way more ‘human’ and are likely to have a genuine connection.

If you’re in an interview, it’s always great for the employer to feel like they’d actually get on with you on a day-to-day basis.

We’re all capable of being professional when we need to, so the human touch is really important and shows that you’re an authentic, interesting person that they’ll actually talk to.

By responding and interacting more, you open yourself up as a person and come across as genuine, which can only ever be a good thing.

Make sure you’re appropriate in an interview, of course. Going out and drinking every weekend may be a hobby of yours, and of theirs(!), but you don’t need to bring that up.

Focus on your love of the French language, passion for rock-climbing, or weekly trip to the local library. Much safer.

Example – tell them that you also love going to farmers’ markets at the weekend and start a conversation about one you’ve been to locally. Who knows, you might even end up going to one together some day…

4. Be confident – or pretend to be!

You know yourself better than anyone, and you’re in a great position to present yourself in the best possible light.

Whether it’s an interview or a date, you’re starting with a blank slate, which means that all anyone will know about you is what you tell them and how you tell it.

Being confident is a challenge for a lot of people. Try to remind yourself that whoever you’re talking to doesn’t know you, so they won’t know that you’re actually shy and hate speaking to strangers.

If you pretend to be confident, they’ll just assume that you are. We know it’s not quite that easy, which is why we’d suggest that practice makes perfect.

Your loved ones will always be there to offer support, so why not run through a few mock interviews with them? The more you become used to talking about yourself in this way, the more genuine confidence will build up. It feels quite silly at first, but it’ll really pay off.

This whole article is about helping you feel comfortable and confident in talking about yourself. The fact that we’ve written it shows just how much of an issue it can be for a lot of us, so try to take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone.

Like we said – fake it till you make it. You’ll be surprised by how quickly you’ll settle into your new role as an outgoing individual and while it may not become second nature, you’ll be able to pull it off when required.

Example – don’t hold back, be bold with what you’re saying. Your loved ones are interested when you talk because they know you – those who don’t are interested because they want to know you, so try to remember that.

5. Accept potential judgement.

We’d love to tell you that nobody is judging you, but it may not be true. What we will tell you, however, is that it doesn’t matter.

Sure, people will make snap judgements , but there is no point in worrying what they might be. You just need to accept that this will happen and remind yourself that it’s not always a negative thing.

A snap judgement could be, “Wow, firm handshake!” or, “Oh okay, I love playing tennis as well, that’s great” – it doesn’t always need to be what the voice in your head is suggesting.

If you focus too much on what people may or may not be thinking, you’ll completely lose yourself and you’ll forget how to just be you .

Remember that whoever you’re talking to wants to find out more about you, whether it’s for a job or as a new friend. If they judge and they don’t like you , it’s just not the right match.

Remember that whatever happens, you’ll be fine – if you don’t get a job offer from that boss you felt was judging you, it’s for the best. Would you really want to work for someone who you felt was constantly looking down on you?

The guy you had a date with might have thought your hobbies were lame, so you’ve had a lucky escape by avoiding a second date. Things would never really work out if you have such differing opinions on things that matter so much to you.

If you try to start new interactions with this mindset, you’ll worry so much less about the outcome and be able to focus on just being your wonderful self. Odds are, everything will work out much better in the end anyway.

Example – say what you want and ignore your own anxiety around what others might think .

6. Prepare something in advance.

If you’re feeling nervous about any new interactions, planning is one of the best ways to eradicate those anxieties.

Write down a list of things of things you do at the moment – run through your daily routine and your weekend activities over the past few months. Think about the things you do and the things that you enjoy, and remember that these can be very different!

If you’re struggling, ask your loved ones what they think of when they think of you. This might help trigger some memories of what you’ve been up to. It can be really hard to remember our hobbies when we’re put on the spot, and recalling what we had for breakfast is hard enough some days!

Make another list of things you’d like to be doing with your life. This is probably quite different to what most of us actually do.

Talking about yourself doesn’t just need to be arbitrary facts about your everyday life. Someone’s future plans and interests can be really engaging, and it’s always nice to hear about the direction people are trying to steer their lives in.

Mentioning that you want to up and travel the world isn’t the best thing to say in a job interview, but it’ll spark off a great conversation with a date or new friend.

Talk about your wishes to join a dance club or start swimming again. These kinds of things might not be that interesting to you because you’re not actually doing them yet, but they’ll help give people more of an impression of your personality.

Someone who introduces themselves as a banker might not seem instantly fascinating, but their future goal to skydive across Australia? Pretty cool and definitely conversation-worthy.

By preparing yourself for this type of question, you’ll go into social situations feeling much more confident.

Example – mention what you did a few weekends ago – they don’t need to know that you’ve been planning your answer since then! You can talk about future plans, too, and run through a list you’ve already made of your life goals.

You may also like (article continues below):

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13 Reasons Why People Don’t Listen To You

7. Reverse the question.

If you feel like you need a few minutes to regroup after this kind of question, give a little bit of information and then put the question back to them.

It won’t come across as ‘weak’ and they won’t know that you’re partially doing it to deflect attention. You’ll come across as invested and genuinely interested in whatever the situation is.

If you’re on a date or meeting someone new, the other person will feel flattered that you’re paying them attention and seem to really care. You’ll also find out some new information about that person, which is always exciting.

In an interview, you’re allowed to ask questions! Just because you’re the one in the hot seat, doesn’t mean you can’t reverse the system and ask a few questions.

Make sure they’re relevant and appropriate (don’t ask about the salary!), but try to feel comfortable exploring a bit more. You’re more than entitled to ask more about the role, or about whoever your departmental manager will be.

Show that you’ve done your research by asking what the interviewer’s reaction to X or Y was – they’ll be impressed that you’re aware of what’s going on in their work-world and will appreciate the opportunity to bond.

It also shows that you’re interesting, switched on and want to be engaged in the business.

Example – ask them what they’re expecting from you as an employee or how they find working in the team.

8. Don’t be scared of talking yourself up…

There’s nothing wrong with being proud of yourself and your achievements.

Be careful with how you’re wording this kind of thing (we’ll go into that next!), but don’t feel as though you can’t celebrate yourself and your achievements.

In an interview, it’s good to talk about positive impacts you’ve had on businesses in the past. You’ll probably have written your achievements on your CV anyway; this is just giving you the opportunity to go into more detail and add a personality to the words.

If you’re meeting a new friend or potential date, it’s always good to be confident. Don’t be arrogant, of course, but feel free to talk positively about yourself. Stories are always so much more interesting when the person telling them is genuinely interested in what they’re saying!

Talk about the things you enjoy with passion – it will say a lot about you. Speak with pride about the things you’ve accomplished, as this shows that you have respect for yourself and understand your worth.

That’s such an important quality in many ways. People who shy away from celebrating their own successes may appear very insecure or unsure – this is obviously fine, but it may not be an accurate representation of your personality.

Try to work on speaking openly about the things you’re good at – you can practice on your loved ones as you know that they’ll be supportive of you and join in with talking you up!

Example – don’t hold back from opening up about some interesting and exciting things you’ve done. Interviews are a space for you to talk about your accomplishments so don’t shy away from talking about your successful moments!

9. …But don’t talk yourself up too much!

Making yourself sound like a great person (which you obviously are!) is absolutely fine. Going overboard and coming across as a bit brash? Not so great.

There’s a fine line between pride and arrogance, and we’ve got some tips on how to stay on the right side of that line.

If you’re in an interview, talking about your accomplishments is key. It’s really important to talk about times you’ve worked and performed really well, but make sure you’re telling the full story.

One of your biggest achievements may have been when you were working as part of a team. Don’t discredit this as an example just because it doesn’t reference you doing something alone! Doing things incredibly well while working alongside others is still doing things incredibly well.

Reference your co-workers where needed – taking solo credit for a group effort could very easily blow up in your face later on if it’s discovered that the work you did involved other people.

Being able to recognize your own efforts as well as your ability to work with others is great and employers really like hearing that people are versatile.

This may actually make you feel more comfortable in talking about yourself as well – you can reference your contributions within a team, so there’s less pressure to just talk solidly about yourself.

If you’re on a date or meeting new people, staying a little bit humble is probably a good idea, at least to start with.

Imagine how you’d feel if you met someone new and all they spoke about was how brilliant they are, how good at their job they are, and the expensive car they just bought themselves.

By all means, as we’ve suggested, be confident when sharing things about yourself, but remember that conversations go both ways.

Keep the other person involved by inviting opinion and asking questions back, not just talking yourself up the whole time!

You’ll find this kind of thing much easier the more you talk to new people, don’t worry – it’s not as tricky as it sounds.

Example – mention the team you’ve been working within when talking about work successes. This shows that you’re not selfish when it comes to taking credit for hard work, but that you also have self-respect and understand the importance of your contributions.

10. Keep it casual.

Even if you’ve planned out what you’re going to say to the nth degree, try to act casual.

It’s great that you’re prepared, but people may find it a bit strange if you seem to be reading from a mental script.

Going over what you want to say is great, as we’ve mentioned, but try to keep things loose and casual when you speak.

By the time your interaction (interview, date, party etc.) comes up, you’ll have been over your ideas so many times that they’ll feel like second nature. This means that you’ll know your ‘topic’ inside and out and the words will just flow.

Trust that this will happen and try to relax. If you’re already a naturally nervous person , this can be really tricky. Remind yourself that you’ve rehearsed, as it were, and you’re now ready to ad-lib based on your knowledge.

People will understand if you take a few moments to respond to a question, especially a big meaty one like this!

Interviewers will actually be expecting you to take a pause here. They’ll want you to be prepared but they won’t want it to feel thoroughly choreographed. Take it slowly, breathe and try and be as natural as you can.

Example – write yourself a script if you need to, then convert it to flashcards. That way, you’ll learn the key points rather than the order of words in a sentence. This will help you talk naturally and you’ll remember the prompts rather than reciting what you planned word for word!

11. Back yourself up.

If you’re going to an interview, some props can really work in your favor. Portfolios can be fantastic for a lot of jobs and statistics are a great way to back up what you’re saying about yourself.

If you’re talking about the clients you converted to sponsors, or the extra sales you achieved by working with another company, bring the figures to explain it.

Talking about yourself in this kind of sense can be quite tricky – no matter how convincing you are, a lot of people want to see some evidence to back it up. Saying that you’ve done things is a good start, but being able to prove it on paper (or laptop!) really packs a punch.

Make sure you’re fully prepared going into this kind of thing. You don’t want to give a presentation, but you do want to ensure you’ve got the right documents with you and that you’re on the right track.

Think of the best way to present your data and tailor that to the company you’re interviewing with. If you’re applying for a creative role, reflect that aspect of the job in your documents. If it’s more of a straight-laced company, go old-fashioned and show off a pie chart or graph.

Go over things with someone you trust before you go into the interview. They’ll be able to sense-check what you’re doing and point out any glaring errors you’re making.

They’ll give you a confidence boost and help you figure out the order you should present things in. The rest is down to you.

Example – your involvement in a company’s marketing campaign increased sales by X%, so show that off with a pie chart or, if it’s appropriate, creative infographic.

12. Be consistent.

This mainly applies to job interviews – keep what you’re saying relevant to your CV.

If you randomly remember something in your interview that you didn’t put on your CV, bringing it up is fine! But try to stick to what you’ve already submitted.

The interviewer was impressed enough with your CV to take you to interview, so they’ll want to hear more about what they’ve read there.

Run through your CV again a few times before any interview. This will remind you of the things that are on there and can help you remember why you included them.

Recalling dates can be tricky at times, especially when you’re feeling stressed or nervous. Being inconsistent with this type of thing will really stand out, however, and the panic you’ll then feel will be horrible.

If someone questions something on your CV, try to stay calm and run back through your mental notes. If you’re really stuck, try to make a joke about it or ask a question in return, like “Sorry, what do you mean by that?” or something to buy you time and help you clarify what it is you should be saying!

This really links in to everything we’ve been saying above and ties it all together. Be honest and you’ll be able to stick to the same story – because it’s true!

By planning beforehand, you’ll know exactly what you want to talk about and you’ll be talking the interviewer through your CV, essentially.

If the interaction is more casual, with a date or new friend, this still applies…

…you’ll instantly appear trustworthy if you’re consistent. People who are all over the place can come across as flaky or slightly suspicious.

We’re not saying that you have to stick to just one topic of conversation, however. Talk about yourself and the various things you’ve done with your life, but stay consistent to yourself.

Example – if you’ve written that you worked at your last job from 2013 – 2017, make sure this is what you’re saying. As soon as you deviate from something you previously wrote/ said, you give the interviewer a chance to doubt you.

So, now that we’ve run through these easy ways to talk about yourself, there’s just one thing left to do – practice!

You can read about it as much as humanly possible, but the steps aren’t going to make real sense unless you start putting them into motion.

Talking about yourself can feel very intimidating at first, even though you know yourself better than anyone else. The more you’re exposed to these types of interactions, the sooner you’ll find a way that works best for you so that can feel truly comfortable and confident.

About The Author

Lucy is a travel and wellness writer currently based in Gili Air, a tiny Indonesian island. After over a year of traveling, she’s settled in paradise and spends her days wandering around barefoot, practicing yoga and exploring new ways to work on her wellbeing.

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How to Talk About Yourself

Last Updated: February 15, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Annie Lin, MBA . Annie Lin is the founder of New York Life Coaching, a life and career coaching service based in Manhattan. Her holistic approach, combining elements from both Eastern and Western wisdom traditions, has made her a highly sought-after personal coach. Annie’s work has been featured in Elle Magazine, NBC News, New York Magazine, and BBC World News. She holds an MBA degree from Oxford Brookes University. Annie is also the founder of the New York Life Coaching Institute which offers a comprehensive life coach certification program. Learn more: https://newyorklifecoaching.com This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 194,866 times.

Whether you want to learn to open up to people appropriately or prepare for interview questions, it's important to know how to talk about yourself. When talking to other people, be open and talk about things you love. Provide some personal information to build trust and friendship. When talking about yourself during an interview, focus largely on your professional experiences. Talk about your strengths and accomplishments and paint yourself in a positive light.

Speaking Interpersonally

Talk about the things you find most interesting about yourself. Maybe you love being a parent, driving motorcycles, or playing music.
Approach a friend or loved one if you feel like you don't know what these are. Ask them what they consider most interesting about you. Often, people don't share because they don't think they have anything of interest to say.

Don't go on and on about one subject, however. Gauge the interest level and decide how long to talk about your passions.
Look for signs that a person is paying attention. They'll often show this in body language – things like mirroring your posture, turning the body towards you, not fidgeting – as well as asking you questions and offering feedback.

For example, say, “I work as a teacher and really enjoy it. Educating children is a passion of mine.”

When asked to talk about yourself, tailor your response to the situation and audience, highlighting your most relevant qualities and accomplishments that allow your personality to shine. Share personal details and interests concisely while allowing others to reciprocate interest in your life and learn about them. Conversations should have balance — express confidence without self-absorption.

Things that make people feel closer to you might include talking about your family, preferences, and hardships.
In being vulnerable, don't be an “over-sharer.” if you have major problems and need to talk about them, see a therapist.

Talking During an Interview

To do this well, you'll need first to do some research about the job and its duties. Re-read the advertisement closely and then brainstorm about your previous work experiences. Try to think of how your job history and accomplishments fit the job for which you're applying – having concrete examples of this is always good, too.
You can also talk about how the prospective job will help you meet your goals. For example, say, “I'm qualified for this position and am excited about learning more from the people here.”

Step 2 Describe your skills and strengths.

Think back on job evaluations you've had in the past and any positive feedback you got from supervisors. Identify these as your strengths and, again, try to customize them to the position at hand.
For example, say, “My strength lies in my ability to communicate, and this is why I'm great at marketing.”

If you're feeling bashful, just remember that you've accomplished some goals and you should be proud of your accomplishments. You don't have to brag, just state what you've done.
Consider mentioning what you learned in pursuing these accomplishments – what the experience taught you. That way, you can appear to be humble.

Step 4 Say what's different about yourself.

For example, if you have a gap in your resume, be positive about explaining it. Say what experiences you gained from it.

Steer clear of controversial personal topics, though. You may want to avoid talking about your political or religious views, for example.

Annie Lin, MBA

Create a connection with the person you're talking to. During a conversation, focus on being present and listening to the person you're having a conversation with. Even during an interview, try to take the opportunity to form a genuine human connection, rather than strategizing about how to make yourself look good. When you do that, you'll naturally understand what's important in the moment, and you can choose your answers accordingly.

Remaining Friendly and Approachable

Keep your body uncrossed by keeping your arms by your sides and feet flat on the floor.

If you notice yourself rambling, take a break. Say, “Okay, that's enough about me. Tell me about you.”

If someone else describes an accomplishment, be happy for them without having to top it or bring attention to yourself. Celebrate their success without feeling threatened in your own.
Be sure to recognize the achievements of others in the conversation, as well, to avoid the appearance that you're making it all about you.

Some people tend to excessively talk when they feel nervous. If you feel nervous, don't overtalk. Deal with your anxiety instead by taking some deep breaths.
If there are several people in the discussion, try to be inclusive by rotating your questions or requests for input. Try to wait 3 seconds after others finish a sentence before starting to talk, too, to avoid interrupting or talking over them.

Expert Q&A

About This Article

To talk about yourself, try talking about the things you’re passionate about in life, like volunteering, hiking, or playing in a band, since this will probably be most interesting for other people. While you’re talking, look for signs that they’re still interested, such as nodding, facing you, and asking you questions, since you don't want to bore them. If you’re asked to talk about yourself in an interview, start by talking about your work experience, since this is what employers will be most interested in. However, you should also talk about what makes you different, like specific achievements and your accomplishments, to make you stand out from the crowd. For more tips from our co-author, including how to avoid bragging when talking about yourself, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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150+ Deep Writing Prompts About Life to REALLY Reflect

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Last Updated on August 17, 2023

Life can feel like a crazy roller coaster of ups and downs and endless twists and turns! From hitting huge life milestones, to self reflecting on who you truly are, to finding your purpose in life…there’s so much to process.

Everyone has a story, and so do you! But how often do you truly zoom out and assess your life as a bigger picture? If you haven’t done much exploring with the depths of your life, these deep writing prompts about life are your invitation to do so!

From untangling your thoughts and feelings, to discovering your outlook on life, to finding ways to live life more mindfully…these deep journal prompts have it ALL!

And these are not just your everyday, average journal prompts! These are meant to dive DEEP into the inner-workings of your mind. If you want to walk away with a deeper sense of self-awareness and clarity when it comes to finding yourself, you’re in the right place.

Table of Contents

150+ Deep Writing Prompts About Life

Don’t forget about these deep writing prompts about life! Pin ’em to come back later!

What Are Some Deep Writing Topics?

Ready to learn about yourself on a truly deep level? These deep journal prompts for adults cover thought-provoking topics like challenging your inner critic, mindfulness, your outlook on life, self-reflection, love…pretty much every deep writing prompt about your life!

Deep Journal Prompts For Adults

What can contribute to your sense of feeling empowered?
Have you ever experienced a strong flow state (where you’re completely absorbed in an activity you’re doing)? What set-up needs to be in place to get you there?
Reflect on the hardest thing you’ve had to forgive someone for. How difficult was this, and how did it impact your relationship?
Think about your relationship with time and time-management skills. Do you often feel rushed or late to things? Do you take on more tasks than you should? Explain.
Has your confidence increased or decreased with time/age? How so?
Do you have a special book, movie, song, etc. that has made a meaningful impact on you? Describe this.
Where are you at with spirituality? Is this something you think about often, or hardly ever? Describe your journey with it. ( these journal prompts for spiritual growth can help you better-connect to your spirituality!)
Have you ever dealt with a significant loss in your life? How did you make it through?
Reflect on a personal strength that you take for granted or overlook. How can you validate this strength and use it to overcome challenges?
How satisfied are you with your social life? What challenges have you had with growing and maintaining an active social life in adulthood?
Is there a recurring pattern in your life that you wish you could break? What makes you fall into this pattern time and time again?
What steps can you take to break unhelpful patterns or behaviors in your life?
Reflect on your relationship with productivity and “hustle culture.” Do you find society’s obsession with productivity to be harmful? How do you balance this yourself?
Think back to a difficult conversation you had. How did you handle it, and what did you think afterward?
Do you avoid confrontation or struggle to initiate it? Why or why not?

Thought-Provoking Topics To Write About

Introversion vs. extroversion – where do you stand on the spectrum?
Being a leader vs. a follower – in which position do you feel most comfortable?
Working for yourself vs. working for a boss – which do you thrive better with and why?
Your personal mental health struggles and the journey you’ve been on with them
Your opinions on marriage and weddings
Having children vs. not having children – where do you stand and why?
How your self care habits have evolved from the first time you learned about self care compared to now.
Something you never expected would be part of your personality and/or interests, but you’ve fallen in love with.
A traumatic experience you’ve endured and how you’ve processed it (try these trauma healing journal prompts for support on this!)
Your first job vs. your current job and how far you’ve come
Fixed mindset vs. growth mindset – which do you have? Can you think of people in your life that are perfect examples of each?
Independent vs. dependent – do you consider yourself more of an independent or dependent person?
Your red flags or deal breakers in a relationship
Something significant you’ve changed your mind about over time, when you didn’t think you would.
Your relationship with exercise and how it impacts your sense of capability.
Your relationship with food and body image. (These body image affirmations are here to help you with this!)
Your attachment style and how you believe it came to be
Your pain tolerance and what you believe has influenced it (often from childhood!)
Settling down young vs. taking it slow – which do you desire and why?
Traveling the world vs. staying in one place – is travel something you care about?
Nature vs. nurture – how much of our personalities do you believe stem from nature (inborn traits) or nurture (environment you’re raised in)?

Deep Writing Prompts About Yourself

Reflect on the accomplishments and personal growth you’re most proud of. How has this shaped your opinion of your self-competency?
Think of a time where you prioritized perfection over progress. How could you have approached the situation from a more practical, caring mindset? (if this is a struggle, these affirmations for perfectionists are perfect for you!)
Have you ever made a mistake that ultimately led to something happening for the better? What did you learn about this and the concept of imperfections?
Write a letter to your future self, highlighting all the things you’re currently feeling lost or confused about. How do you envision your future self gaining clarity on these?
Reflect on the past year and how you’ve grown as a person. What insights have you gained about yourself, and how are you better able to manage life?
What is a newer insecurity or fear that hasn’t popped up until this season of your life? Why did it come up and what makes it so troubling?
Reflect on a time where you felt truly alive, as if you were exactly where you were supposed to be in that moment. What were you doing, and how can you use this to further understand your values?
Do you find yourself being more conventional or unconventional about your life path and where you see yourself going?
Do you feel the pressure to conform to society, or do you feel confident moving with your own flow?
What hobbies have you done over the course of your life? Do any of them differ from what you enjoy now?
How have hobbies contributed to your sense of self and well-being? (if you haven’t picked up a hobby in a while, you’ll love these fun hobby ideas for women in their 20s !)
Do you hold any regrets? What lessons can you learn from the regret and how can it shape your life moving forward?
Elaborate on your 3 biggest strengths and 3 biggest weaknesses.
How have those strengths and weaknesses impacted your relationships, professional life, and personal life?
Is there anything you have a hard time forgiving yourself for? What holds you back?
How would you describe your sense of passion right now? Are you feeling passionate about any goal or activity in your life? If not, why not?
Describe your idea of the “perfect day” from morning to night. How do the activities you choose add value to your life?
Is there anything that’s weighing heavily on your mind right now? Release it in your journal.
Describe someone in your life who you deeply admire. What makes them so inspirational to you? How can you pick up some of their qualities?
What is something about your past self that you’re not exactly proud of? How can you work toward accepting this part of yourself, while acknowledging your growth?
When you’re overwhelmed, what do you do to cope with it?
Are you happy with the way you cope and respond to stress? If not, what goals would you like to set in this area?

Improve your coping skills and create a self care plan that works for YOU with this journal!

Life too hectic for self care? Not with The Busy Woman’s Self Care Journal !

Made by a busy woman, for busy women, the goal of this journal is simple: to make an effective self care plan that works for your unique needs. No matter how crazy life gets!

Get step-by-step guidance to create your personalized self care plan by…

Journal Prompts for Your Inner Critic

What was your most recent experience with your inner critic causing you to doubt yourself?
Describe the voice of your inner critic. What tone of voice does it speak in, and how does it feel?
What are the most common things your inner critic tells you?
Describe any experiences that come to mind from childhood that may have developed your inner critic.
How has society or your culture influenced your inner critic?
Describe a period in your life where you felt the most self-doubt. Why did this happen, and what helped you recover?
Name a few limiting beliefs your inner critic has manipulated you to believe about yourself and your abilities. (Then, use these journal prompts for limiting beliefs to work through them!)
Name the top three qualities you compare yourself to others about. How does this impact your self-worth?
Of those three qualities, reframe the inner-criticisms regarding them into something more rational or positive.
Reflect on a time where you felt inadequate recently. How did your inner critic affect your emotions and behaviors during this time?
1-Day Challenge: keep a journal or digital note on your phone for a day, taking note of every negative thought you experience. At the end of the day, what did you observe?
Of all the negative thoughts you had that day, choose one to challenge. What evidence do you have that contradicts your inner critic?
How does your inner critic impact the way you view and think of your inner child? (start the healing process for your inner child with these journal prompts .)
How can you distinguish constructive criticism vs. toxic criticism from your inner critic?
We all tend to hold ourselves to a higher standard than we do our friends, family, and loved ones. Why do you think this is true for you?
Think back to a big, stressful decision you had to make. What did your inner critic tell you along the way during your decision process?
Have you ever “given in” to your inner critic, resulting in making a choice you were unhappy with? Explain.
How do you think your decision-making habits would be without the influence of your inner critic? Do you think it would be easier to arrive at decisions? Why?
Pinpoint one positive affirmation you can use that directly counters something your inner critic always tells you. How much do you believe in this affirmation? If you don’t believe in it, what can help you get there?
Visualize your inner critic as a real human being sitting next to you. What conversation would you have to address its concerns and work toward healthier self-talk?
Write a letter to yourself as if it came from a best friend offering you words of encouragement. What would you tell yourself?
After this letter, reflect on why you struggle to speak in this kind, compassionate way toward yourself.
How has your inner critic evolved over time? Has it gotten more or less critical, and in what areas of your life?
Take 5 minutes to self-reflect and observe your thoughts about yourself without judgment. How can you continue to view yourself more neutrally, without the need for self-judgment?

Journal Prompts for Your Outlook on Life

What is your overall, general perspective on life right now?
What do you really believe gives life meaning and fulfillment?
What do you think about the concept of finding your purpose? Where are you at with finding your purpose? (if you’re stuck, these journal prompts will help you find your purpose!)
Who is someone you know who has a refreshingly positive outlook on life? What do you think enables them to see life in this way?
Have you ever faced periods of depression that dampened your outlook on life? What contributed to this?
How has your outlook on life changed overtime?
What do you think is our true purpose, as humans, in life?
Write a letter to your future self. Express the questions you hope to get answers to and about the person you wish to become.
Have you ever been in a debate or had strong feelings on a topic that shifted dramatically later on? Discuss.
How do you react to change and uncertainty? Do you feel a level of emotional instability when faced with change, or are you able to adapt easily?
Write about the hardest life change you’ve ever had to go through. What made it so difficult?
How do you think self care has contributed to your mindset and outlook on life?
How have your long-term goals and aspirations shifted as you’ve grown up?
Which goal of yours are you dying to achieve as soon as possible? Do you feel rushed to complete it for one reason or another? Explore that.
How did your experiences in school shape your outlook on life?
How did your experiences in the workforce shape your outlook on life?
What do you think about work-life balance, or the concept of having to work in general?
At what point in your life did you have the darkest outlook on life? What about the most positive?
What childhood experiences impacted your outlook on life or affected your behavior as an adult?

Journal Prompts for Mindfulness

What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to living in the present?
What do you struggle with more: dwelling on the past or worrying about the future?
Has there ever been a moment where you can recall feeling fully present and immersed in the moment? What was it like?
Think about a daily activity you tend to do on auto-pilot. How could you approach this activity more mindfully, and how would that add to the experience?
Think about the last time you were in nature. What do you remember observing and how did you feel as you were in nature?
Take a moment to close your eyes and take five slow, deep breaths. How does this small act affect your mental and physical state?
Think about the sensory experience of your favorite food. What flavors, smells, textures, and feelings do you notice with each bite?
Brain dump a list of all the things that come to your mind in this moment that you are grateful for.
How did you feel when you moved into your current home for the first time? How did the experience differ compared to now, where you are used to your home?
Do you struggle with active listening? (Being fully present when in a conversation with someone) Or do you focus more on forming your response than listening?
Do a body scan, where you slowly focus attention on different parts of your body, starting from your head and making your way down to your toes. What sensations do you notice?
How can mindfulness be applied to your daily morning or night routine? Do you think it could make these routines more meaningful?
Do you have a go-to mantra or positive affirmation that helps you center or ground yourself? How does this impact your headspace? (you’ll love these affirmations for mindfulness !)
Think of the last time you went for a walk. What sights, sounds, and experiences did you notice on the walk?
Do you struggle with your focus or your mind wandering when you don’t want it to? How can you practice more acceptance and gently bring yourself back to the moment, rather than judging yourself?
What can you do to be more mindful and intentional with the current month or season?

Journal Prompts For Self Reflection

What do you think about the concept of “happiness” vs. “being content”? Do you value one over the other?
What was your most recent setback? How did you cope with it, and what did you learn from it?
Have you ever stepped outside of your comfort zone and it turned out to be worth it? What happened?
What has been your experience so far when it comes to setting and sticking to goals?
What is something you seem to have greater difficulty coping with than others?
What is something that doesn’t seem to bother you as much as others?
Have you ever felt “different” or “outcast” at any point in your life? How so?
Write a letter to your teenage self. Give them reassurance about what you know now to ease their insecurities or fears. (You can also work on healing your inner teenager if your teen years were rough!)
What personality trait do you feel has hindered your personal growth?
What personality trait do you feel has helped your personal growth?
How do you react when you make mistakes? Where does your reaction stem from?
Who, in your life, has made an especially significant impact? In what ways?
How do you handle anxiety when you’re faced with a trigger?
Think about a habit or behavior that you’d like to change. How can you take steps to work on this? What has held you back so far?
Have you been giving as much time to self care as you’d like lately? (this 7-day self care challenge is perfect for working self care back into your routine!)
Do you notice any changes in your mood, energy, and mental health when you haven’t stayed on top of self care?
Is there a tough decision you’re struggling with right now? What holds you back from making the decision?
Has there ever been a time where you felt self-doubt or imposter syndrome, and it got better with time? What changed?
Consider your strongest values and core beliefs. Do your current habits, choices, and behaviors align with those?
Write about all the realizations you’ve made in the last few years that have furthered your understanding of yourself.

Deep Writing Prompts About Love

Think of a time where you felt truly loved and cherished. What was the context of this, and how did it shape your feelings about love?
How have your platonic relationships influenced your outlook on love?
How have your romantic relationships influenced your outlook on love?
How have your familial relationships influenced your outlook on love?
How has your self-love influenced your outlook on love? ( these self-love journal prompts will help you dive deeper!)
Do you believe unconditional love is really possible?
What makes it hard for you to be vulnerable in relationships?
Is there anything you tend to hold back or hide about yourself in relationships? Why?
How do you think your self-love plays a role in the success of your relationships with others?
What do you think about the phrase, “you have to love yourself before you can love someone else.”?
How has your perspective on love changed over time?
What has been your biggest learning lesson when it comes to love?
Reflect on a time where you lost someone you loved (a break-up, ending a friendship, losing a parent). What challenges did this experience bring to your opinion on love and attachment? ( these break-up journal prompts will soothe you when you need it most.)
Did the societal norms surrounding love and relationships influence you to do things that weren’t in alignment with your true self?
What was the most challenging relationship you’ve ever had (could be romantic, platonic, etc.) and what made it so difficult?
Do you believe in soulmates or the concept of finding “the one”? Why or why not?
What are your expectations in a relationship when it comes to open and honest communication?
Have you ever had to sacrifice something for someone you loved? Do you believe it was the right choice?
Have you ever been in or considered a long-distance relationship? If so, what did you learn? If not, what do you think about them?
Has a relationship ever affected your feelings of self-worth? What was that like?

RELATED: 70 Journal Prompts for All Your Relationships

How Do You Write Deep About Yourself?

You may have journaled before, but if you want to really explore with these deep writing prompts about life, you’ll want to tap into your introspective skills. These steps can help you navigate your journal prompts in a more meaningful, effective way:

Get in the zone – first of all, you want to create a peaceful environment for yourself where you feel comfortable, calm, and free of distractions. Whether it’s your bed, a cozy corner, or your closet–whatever works! Choose a time of day where you won’t feel rushed, too.
Write unfiltered – as you respond to each writing prompt, just follow your stream of consciousness. Don’t think too hard about flow or sentence structure. Just go wherever your mind insists on taking you!
Immerse yourself in memories – reflect on memories that may have shaped you or impacted your childhood development. Don’t just provide surface-level details. Think back to the emotions, reactions, and thoughts you had during the experience.
Evaluate your beliefs and core values – these are so important! Your beliefs and core values make up who you are and only become more solidified with time. What morals guide your decisions? How did you arrive at your values and beliefs? How do they influence the way you navigate your life?
Be vulnerable – your journal is your safe space. No one has to read it! This is your space to express yourself completely and authentically. The more vulnerable you are, the better the learning process as you journal.
Assess your personal growth – take note of how far you’ve come in different areas of your life, whether that be your professional life, emotion regulation, relationships, or anything you’ve struggled with.
Future dreams and aspirations – think about your dreams, goals, and anything you’d like to work toward. Envision your future self by asking, “what would my ideal life look like?”
Share your insights – write about the epiphanies or life-changing realizations you’ve had about yourself or the world around you. What pieces of information have you picked up that have shaped your perspective?

Benefits of Journaling

Journaling can impact your life and your mental health in more ways than one! Whether you use deep writing prompts for life like these, or even just reflecting on your day-to-day thoughts and emotions, you unlock invaluable self-awareness.

This self-awareness has been known to support psychological well-being, so it sounds pretty worth it, right?

You might find amazing benefits like…

Improved mental health
Increased self-confidence
Cultivation of gratitude
Better communication skills and ability to articulate your thoughts
Reduced stress
An outlet to release anxious feelings and worries
Greater emotional intelligence

Best Journals to Buy

I mean who doesn’t love getting a cute new journal when embarking on a new self-discovery era, am I right?! A fresh new journal can help you begin your journaling habit with a clean slate. Here are my favorite recommendations!

1. Erin Condren Notebooks

These are heavy-duty and built to last! I have loved Erin Condren products ever since I was in high school, so we go waaaayyy back, and I can say they are just fabulous! This journal even lets you customize your name on the front–how perfect!

2. Rifle Paper Co. Embroidered Journal

Wow, it doesn’t get any more beautiful than this! This embroidered journal from Rifle Paper Co. makes for the perfect keepsake journal with 400 pages (you’ll basically never run out at that point!). If this is an era of your life you truly want to treasure and look back on, this journal is a great match.

3. Threshold “Never Stop Growing” Journal from Target

You can’t go wrong with a classic, simple (yet super cute!) journal. The cover on this is so wholesome, and the quote of “Never Stop Growing” is the encouragement you need to continue on your journey of personal growth. You’ll find this beauty at Target !

4. 3-Pack Spiral Notebooks from Amazon

Want to compartmentalize your journaling practice? A 3-pack of journals is the way to go! You could dedicate one journal to self-reflection, one journal to goal setting, and one journal to therapy session notes. Or whatever categories make sense for your life!

I hope these deep writing prompts about life got you digging deeper, reflecting harder, and ultimately learning more about yourself and where you’re at in life. You’ll be so glad you documented all of this!

And the awesome part is: you only have room to grow from here.

Psst…make self care quick and easy by downloading my (free!) printable daily self care check in! Grab it to start adding a little self reflection into your morning + night routines.

You will receive your daily self care check in shortly.

More Journal Prompts You’ll Love

110+ Juicy, Fascinating Journal Prompts to Get to Know Yourself

80 Motivating Self Improvement Journal Prompts

80 Journal Prompts for Women to Embrace Your True Self

70+ Easy and Fun Journal Prompts for Beginners

LIKE THESE DEEP WRITING PROMPTS ABOUT LIFE? PIN THEM FOR LATER!

Founder & Content Strategist

Hey there! I'm Alexa, and I'm a self-care enthusiast and mental health advocate. At Ambitiously Alexa, I'm here to support women like you who are on a mission to achieve allll the things they're passionate about and make time for self care. I make this balance possible through journal prompts, positive affirmations, and self care ideas you'll love! Here's more about me, including my B.A in Psychology...

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Writing Prompts About Yourself: 27 Ideas to Spark Your Creativity

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on August 3, 2023

Categories Writing , Journaling

Are you struggling to find inspiration for your writing? Look no further than yourself! Writing prompts about yourself can be a great way to explore personal identity, relive memories, examine relationships, and express gratitude. Whether you are journaling for self-reflection or working on a creative writing project, writing prompts about yourself can help you grow as a writer and as a person.

Exploring personal identity through writing prompts about yourself can help you gain a deeper understanding of who you are and what makes you unique. Reliving memories through writing can be a powerful exercise in self-reflection, allowing you to examine past experiences and learn from them. Examining relationships through writing prompts can help you understand the people in your life and how they have shaped you.

Writing prompts about yourself can also be a great way to set goals and explore your future aspirations. Whether you are focusing on personal growth or career development, writing about your goals and dreams can help you clarify your vision and take action towards achieving them. So why not give it a try? You might be surprised at what you discover about yourself.

Key Takeaways

Writing prompts about yourself can help you explore personal identity, relive memories, examine relationships, and express gratitude.
Writing about your goals and aspirations can help you clarify your vision and take action towards achieving them.
Whether you are journaling for self-reflection or working on a creative writing project, writing prompts about yourself can help you grow as a writer and as a person.

27 Writing Prompts About Yourself

Here are 27 writing prompt ideas to help you write about yourself:

1. Describe your personality in 3 words. Explain why you chose those words.

2. Write about your biggest accomplishment so far in life. What did you do and why was it meaningful?

3. Describe a time you failed at something. What did you learn from that experience?

4. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Provide examples.

5. Who has had the biggest influence on your life so far? Describe how they have impacted you.

6. What are your goals and ambitions in life? Why are they important to you?

7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Why?

8. What is your favorite childhood memory? Describe it in detail and why it stands out.

9. Write about a time you felt truly happy. What made you feel that way?

10. Describe your ideal future. What does your life look like 10 years from now?

11. What is your biggest fear? Where does this fear come from and how has it impacted you?

12. What is your best and worst habit? How have they shaped your personality?

13. Describe your family background and how it has influenced you.

14. What is your most valued possession and why? What memories does it hold?

15. What is your favorite book, movie, or song? Explain why it resonates with you.

16. Who is your role model or hero? Why do they inspire you?

17. If you could live anywhere, where would you choose to live? Why?

18. What is one skill you would like to get better at? Why is this important to you?

19. Write about a time you felt courageous. What gave you courage in that situation?

20. Describe one of your quirks or eccentricities. How does this contribute to your personality?

21. What is your biggest regret so far in life? If you could, what would you do differently?

22. What are you most passionate about? How does this passion influence your life?

23. Describe your ideal day. Consider what you would do, who you would see, and how you would feel.

24. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

25. What is one misconception others often have about you? What is the truth?

26. Describe a challenge you have overcome. How did you manage to do it?

27. What is a lesson you had to learn the hard way? What happened and what did you learn?

Understanding Self-Reflection

Self-reflection is a process of introspection that allows you to connect with yourself, gain clarity, and develop a deeper understanding of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It is a powerful tool that can help you improve your self-awareness, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence.

Importance of Self-Reflection

Self-reflection is important because it helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and understand how your experiences have shaped you. By reflecting on your thoughts and emotions, you can gain a deeper understanding of your values, beliefs, and goals, and make more informed decisions.

Self-reflection can also help you develop a more positive outlook on life. By focusing on your strengths and accomplishments, you can build self-confidence and self-esteem, and feel more optimistic about your future.

Self-Reflection Through Writing

One of the most effective ways to engage in self-reflection is through writing. Writing allows you to capture your stream of consciousness and express your thoughts and emotions in a safe and private space.

To engage in self-reflection through writing, you can use writing prompts that encourage you to explore your thoughts and emotions. For example, you can write about a challenging experience you had and how it affected you, or reflect on your values and how they guide your decisions.

Writing prompts can also help you connect with yourself on a deeper level. By asking open-ended questions, prompts encourage you to explore your inner world and gain insight into your thoughts and emotions.

Overall, self-reflection is an important tool for personal growth and development. By engaging in self-reflection through writing, you can connect with yourself, gain clarity, and develop a deeper understanding of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Exploring Personal Identity

When it comes to writing prompts about yourself, exploring your personal identity can be a great starting point. Personal identity refers to the characteristics, traits, and beliefs that make you who you are. By reflecting on these aspects of yourself, you can gain a deeper understanding of your own identity and values.

Traits and Personality

Your traits and personality are a fundamental part of your personal identity. Take some time to reflect on your character traits, such as whether you are an introvert or extrovert, and what values and beliefs guide your actions. Think about your strengths and weaknesses and how they contribute to your personality. You can use prompts like “What are your top five strengths, and how do they contribute to your identity?” or “What is a character trait that you admire in others, and why?”

Appearance and Style

Your appearance and personal style can also be a reflection of your personal identity. Consider the clothes you wear, the way you style your hair, and any accessories you use. Think about how your appearance and style contribute to your sense of self. You can use prompts like “What is your favorite outfit, and why?” or “What is a physical feature that you love about yourself?”

Personal Beliefs and Values

Your personal beliefs and values can shape your identity and guide your actions. Think about what you believe in, whether it’s a religious or spiritual belief, a political ideology, or a personal philosophy. Consider how your beliefs and values impact your decisions and interactions with others. You can use prompts like “What is a personal belief that you hold dear, and why?” or “What is a value that you try to live by, and how does it impact your life?”

Reflecting on these aspects of your personal identity can be a powerful tool for self-discovery and personal growth. By gaining a deeper understanding of who you are, you can become more confident and knowledgeable about yourself.

Reliving Memories

Reliving memories is a great way to get to know yourself better and explore your past experiences. Writing about your memories can be a powerful tool for self-discovery, and it can help you gain insight into your personality, values, and beliefs. In this section, we will explore some writing prompts that can help you relive your memories.

Childhood Recollections

Childhood memories are some of the most vivid and powerful memories we have. They can shape our personality and our beliefs, and they can influence the way we see the world. Writing about your childhood memories can help you understand how your past experiences have influenced your present self.

Here are a few writing prompts to help you relive your childhood memories:

What was your hometown like? Describe the sights, sounds, and smells that you remember.
Who were your grandparents? What memories do you have of them?
What was your favorite childhood memory? Why was it so special to you?

Memorable Life Events

Memorable life events are those events that stand out in our lives. They can be positive or negative, but they are always significant. Writing about these events can help you gain insight into your personality, values, and beliefs.

Here are a few writing prompts to help you relive your memorable life events:

What was the most significant event in your life? How did it change you?
What was the happiest moment of your life? Why was it so special to you?
What was the most difficult moment of your life? How did you overcome it?

By exploring your childhood memories and memorable life events, you can gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your past experiences. Use these writing prompts as a starting point to explore your memories and gain insight into your personality, values, and beliefs.

Examining Relationships

When it comes to writing prompts about yourself, examining your relationships with others can be a powerful exercise. Relationships play a significant role in shaping our lives, and reflecting on them can help us gain a better understanding of ourselves.

Family Dynamics

Your family is often your first introduction to relationships, and the dynamics within your family can have a lasting impact on your life. Consider the following prompts to explore your family relationships:

What is your birth order, and how has that affected your relationships with your siblings?
How has your relationship with your parents evolved over time?
What are some of the values and beliefs that your family holds, and how have those influenced you?

Friendships and Social Connections

Friendships and social connections are also essential relationships that shape our lives. Consider the following prompts to reflect on your friendships:

Who are the people in your life that you consider to be your closest friends, and what makes those relationships special?
How has your social circle changed over time, and what has influenced those changes?
What role do you play in your friendships, and how does that impact your relationships with others?

Love and Romance

Love and romance can be some of the most complex relationships we experience. Consider the following prompts to explore your romantic relationships:

What are some of the qualities you look for in a romantic partner, and how have those evolved over time?
How have your past relationships influenced your current views on love and romance?
What role does communication play in your romantic relationships, and how do you navigate conflicts?

By taking the time to reflect on your relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners, you can gain a better understanding of yourself and the role that relationships play in your life.

Personal Growth and Future Aspirations

As you reflect on your life and personal growth, it’s important to consider your future aspirations. This can help you set goals and work towards achieving them, as well as give you a sense of purpose and direction. In this section, we’ll explore some writing prompts that can help you delve into your future plans and aspirations.

Overcoming Challenges

Challenges are a natural part of life, and they can help us grow and develop resilience. Think about a time when you faced a challenge and overcame it. What did you learn from that experience? How did it shape you as a person? Write about how you can use that experience to overcome future challenges and achieve your goals.

Setting and Achieving Goals

Setting goals is an important part of personal growth and achieving success. Think about some short-term and long-term goals that you have. What steps can you take to achieve those goals? Write about the progress you’ve made towards achieving your goals, and any obstacles you’ve encountered along the way. Reflect on how you can adjust your approach to overcome those obstacles and stay on track towards achieving your goals.

Dreams and Aspirations

Dreams and aspirations are a powerful motivator for personal growth and success. Think about your dreams and aspirations for the future. What steps can you take to make those dreams a reality? Write about the skills and knowledge you need to acquire to achieve your dreams, and how you can work towards acquiring those skills. Reflect on the impact achieving your dreams would have on your life and how it would make you feel.

By reflecting on your personal growth and future aspirations, you can gain clarity and direction in your life. Writing about your challenges, goals, dreams, and aspirations can help you stay focused and motivated, and give you a sense of purpose and meaning. Keep writing and exploring these topics to continue growing and achieving success in your life.

Expressing Gratitude and Acknowledging Accomplishments

Recognizing your strengths and accomplishments is an important part of building self-awareness and self-confidence. One way to do this is by expressing gratitude and acknowledging your successes. Here are some tips on how to do it:

Recognizing Strengths

Take some time to reflect on your strengths and what makes you unique. This can be challenging, as we often focus on our weaknesses rather than our strengths. However, recognizing your strengths can help you build confidence and feel more positive about yourself.

Here are some tips for recognizing your strengths:

Make a list of your strengths and read it regularly.
Ask friends or family members to describe your strengths.
Think about times when you felt confident and successful. What strengths did you use to achieve that success?

Appreciating Successes

Acknowledging your accomplishments is another important aspect of building self-confidence. Celebrating your successes, no matter how small they may seem, can help you feel more positive about yourself and your abilities.

Here are some tips for appreciating your successes:

Keep a journal of your accomplishments, no matter how small.
Celebrate your successes with friends or family members.
Take time to reflect on how you achieved your success and what you learned from it.

Expressing gratitude is another way to appreciate your successes. Gratitude can help you feel more positive and optimistic about your life, and it can also help you build stronger relationships with others.

Here are some tips for expressing gratitude:

Write a thank-you note to someone who has helped you or inspired you.
Take some time to reflect on the things you are grateful for in your life.
Practice gratitude daily by keeping a gratitude journal or sharing what you are grateful for with a friend or family member.

By recognizing your strengths, appreciating your successes, and expressing gratitude, you can build self-confidence and feel more positive about yourself and your life.

Exploring Interests and Passions

When it comes to writing about yourself, exploring your interests and passions can be a great starting point. By focusing on what you love, you can tap into your creativity and imagination, and come up with unique and engaging writing prompts that reflect who you are.

Hobbies and Talents

Think about your hobbies and talents. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Do you have any special skills or talents? Perhaps you love playing an instrument, painting, or cooking. Maybe you’re an avid reader or a sports enthusiast.

Consider how you can incorporate your hobbies and talents into your writing prompts. For example, if you love cooking, you could write a story about a chef who discovers a new ingredient that changes the culinary world. If you’re a musician, you could write a novel about a struggling artist who finds success through their music.

Travel and Exploration

Travel and exploration can also be great sources of inspiration for writing prompts. Think about the places you’ve been, the cultures you’ve experienced, and the people you’ve met. Have you ever had a life-changing travel experience?

You could write a memoir about your travels, or create a fictional story set in a place you’ve visited. Alternatively, you could write a blog post about your favorite travel destinations, or create a guidebook for travelers.

Art and Creativity

Art and creativity can also be great sources of inspiration for writing prompts. Whether you’re a visual artist, a writer, or a musician, there are many ways to incorporate your creativity into your writing.

For example, you could write a short story inspired by a painting or a piece of music. You could also write a blog post about the creative process, or share tips and tricks for other artists and writers.

By exploring your interests and passions, you can come up with writing prompts that are unique, engaging, and reflective of who you are. So take some time to think about what makes you tick, and start writing!

Health and Wellness

Taking care of your health and wellness is essential for leading a happy and fulfilling life. Writing about your health and wellness can help you keep track of your progress, identify areas that need improvement, and celebrate your successes. Here are some writing prompts to help you reflect on your physical health, mental health, and self-care practices.

Physical Health

Your physical health is an important aspect of your overall well-being. Writing about your physical health can help you identify patterns, track progress, and make necessary changes. Here are some physical health journal prompts to get you started:

What did you eat today? Did you make healthy choices?
How much water did you drink today? Did you stay hydrated?
Did you get enough sleep last night? How did you feel when you woke up?
Did you exercise today? What kind of exercise did you do?
How do you feel physically today? Do you have any aches or pains?

Mental Health

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Writing about your mental health can help you identify triggers, track progress, and develop coping mechanisms. Here are some mental health journal prompts to get you started:

How are you feeling emotionally today? Are you feeling happy, sad, anxious, or stressed?
What is causing you stress right now? How can you manage that stress?
What are you grateful for today? What positive things happened to you?
What are your goals for the day/week/month? How can you achieve those goals?
What self-care practices can you incorporate into your day to improve your mental health?

Self-Care Practices

Self-care is essential for maintaining your health and well-being. Writing about your self-care practices can help you identify what works for you and what doesn’t, and develop a self-care routine that is tailored to your needs. Here are some self-care journal prompts to get you started:

What self-care practices do you enjoy? How often do you do them?
What self-care practices have you been neglecting? Why?
What self-care practices can you incorporate into your day/week to improve your overall well-being?
Write a letter of gratitude to yourself for looking after your own well-being.
What helps you slow down and feel more present? Can you incorporate that into your daily routine?

Remember, taking care of your health and wellness is a journey, not a destination. Use these writing prompts to help you reflect on your progress, identify areas that need improvement, and celebrate your successes.

Engaging the Senses

When it comes to writing about yourself, engaging your senses can be a powerful tool to help you connect with your experiences and emotions. By focusing on the sights, sounds, tastes, and textures of your memories, you can bring your writing to life and create a more immersive experience for your readers. Here are some prompts to help you engage your senses and bring your writing to life.

Sight and Sound

When writing about yourself, describing the sights and sounds of your experiences can help your readers feel like they are right there with you. Think about the colors, shapes, and movements that you remember from your experiences, and try to capture them in your writing. You can also describe the sounds that you heard, including the tone of voices, background noise, and music. Here are some prompts to help you get started:

Describe a place that you love using vivid colors and shapes.
Write about a memory that is associated with a particular sound.
Describe a time when you felt overwhelmed by the sights and sounds around you.

Taste and Touch

Our sense of taste and touch can be powerful triggers for memories and emotions. When writing about yourself, think about the tastes and textures that you remember from your experiences, and try to describe them in detail. You can also describe the physical sensations that you felt, such as the warmth of the sun on your skin or the softness of a blanket. Here are some prompts to help you engage your sense of taste and touch:

Write about a food that is associated with a particular memory or emotion.
Describe the feeling of a particular texture, such as sand or silk.
Write about a time when you felt a physical sensation that was particularly memorable.

By engaging your senses in your writing, you can create a more immersive experience for your readers and connect with your experiences on a deeper level. Use these prompts to get started, and experiment with different sensory details to find what works best for you.

Random Prompts and Ideas

Looking for some writing prompts to help you explore yourself? Here are some random prompts that can get your creative juices flowing.

Fun and Light-hearted

Describe your favorite season and what you love about it.
Write about your favorite food and why it’s your favorite.
Who is your very best friend? What makes them special to you?
If you could have any pet animal in the world, what would it be and why?
What is your favorite holiday and why?
What’s the story behind your name? Is there a special meaning or reason why you were named that?
Do you believe in astrology? What’s your astrological sign and do you think it fits your personality?
If you could take any course or class, what would it be and why?

Deep and Thought-Provoking

Write about a time when you had to confront a fear or challenge. How did you overcome it?
What is your biggest regret in life? What have you learned from it?
What is something that you are currently struggling with? How are you working to overcome it?
Describe a moment when you felt truly happy. What made you feel that way?
Write about a time when you had to make a difficult decision. How did you make your choice?
What is something that you are really passionate about? Why is it important to you?
Describe a moment when you felt truly grateful. What were you grateful for?

These prompts are just a starting point. Use them to delve deeper into yourself and your experiences. Remember, writing about yourself can be a powerful tool for self-discovery and personal growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some unique experiences that have shaped who you are today.

Your unique experiences are what make you who you are today. They may include things like traveling to new places, meeting new people, overcoming challenges, or experiencing loss. Reflecting on these experiences can help you understand how they have shaped your perspective, values, and beliefs.

How do you envision your future self?

Envisioning your future self can help you set goals and work towards achieving them. Think about where you want to be in five, ten, or twenty years from now. What kind of person do you want to be? What kind of life do you want to have? Visualize yourself achieving your goals and living the life you want.

What are some of your proudest accomplishments and why?

Your proudest accomplishments may be big or small, but they are all important. They may include things like graduating from school, getting a job, completing a project, or overcoming a personal challenge. Reflect on why these accomplishments are important to you and what you learned from them.

What are some challenges you have faced and how have you overcome them?

Challenges are a natural part of life, and overcoming them can help you grow and develop as a person. Think about some of the challenges you have faced in your life, whether they are big or small. Reflect on how you overcame them and what you learned from the experience.

What are some important values or beliefs that guide your life?

Your values and beliefs are the principles that guide your decisions and actions. They may include things like honesty, respect, kindness, or justice. Reflect on what values and beliefs are important to you and how they influence your life.

What are some things you are passionate about and why?

Passions are the things that bring you joy and fulfillment in life. They may include things like hobbies, interests, or causes that you care about. Reflect on what you are passionate about and why these things are important to you. Pursuing your passions can help you live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

The English Room

Topics for writing about yourself in english.

At the very least, every student should be able to write about themselves and their immediate environment. The way I do this is write the topic heading ALL ABOUT ME in the middle of the whiteboard, and then ask the students to brainstorm different sub-headings. For each of these, they then had to write about 100 words.

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Pick up your pen!

Image with illustration of a person wearing a hat

Writing about yourself can be a very fruitful exercise to help you learn more about yourself. Although it can be difficult sometimes to turn the lens on yourself, it gives us the skill to understand our feelings and reasons.

Self-reflection helps us really know what we want, why we want it, and hold our choices firmly because we did the work in building solid ground for them.

Benefits of writing about yourself

Self-awareness: When we write about ourselves, we explore our thoughts outside of the chatter in our minds. It makes them more organized and easier to analyze. It also helps us discover more aspects of our personality.
Stress relief: Being honest about how you feel and your opinions without the fear of judgment from others gives you the space to let loose. Often, I have scribbled my racing thoughts and uncomfortable feelings on paper to then feel more centered and capable.
Clarity: By putting your thoughts into words, you can gain insights, identify patterns, and make connections that might otherwise remain hidden. This clarity can be invaluable when making important decisions or navigating through complex situations.
Choosing your goals: Writing about yourself is also super helpful in finding and cementing what you want. If you keep seeing that there are patterns in your wants in life, it becomes quite certain what you need.
Room for creativity: When you write freely about yourself, it gives you the space to explore ideas and think outside of the box.
Memories of your life: Lastly, I find it really beautiful that I have journal entries written by a younger me that I can read anytime. It helps me reconnect to my childhood and also see how much I have grown. It truly is beautiful.

Tips for writing about yourself

Make sure that you create a safe, no-judgment space within and outside yourself. When you write, don't judge yourself for your thoughts, feelings, and words, you can ponder on them later. Don't hold back because it doesn't really change your thoughts but only leaves an uncomfortable feeling.
Forget about grammar, punctuation, beautiful handwriting, and anything else that creates hindrances in your free expression.
Try to find a time in your routine when you know you'll be able to write and keep up with it. I write at the end of my day when I'm in bed and it's really been helpful to dedicate that time to it.
Focus on your feelings, and express everything that goes within you. Be honest and try to go deep into your emotions.
Use prompts to make it easier, that's already sorted with this post!
Be kind to yourself and have patience. Some days it won't be so easy and wonderfully reflective, and it's okay, it's life.

Prompts to write about yourself

What is something you're really good at doing?
If you could pick one color to paint the world, which color would you choose?
Is there a cool story behind your name? How did your parents decide on it?
Imagine going on a dream vacation! Which country would you love to explore and what's so exciting about it?
What's your favorite movie or TV show? What do you like about it?
When you grow up, what do you want to be?
Which is your favorite season? Why do you love it? Is it the weather, the holidays, or the activities you get to do?
If you could invent something amazing, what would it be?
When you were little, where did you dream of going on vacation? What made that place so magical in your imagination?
What's your favorite book or story? How did it capture your heart and imagination?
Imagine meeting someone famous from the past. Who would you choose and what questions or conversations would you have with them?
What's your favorite thing to do for fun? How does it make you feel and why do you enjoy it so much?
If you could solve any big problem in the world, what would it be? Why is it important to you?
Share one of your favorite family traditions or rituals and explain why it's so special to you.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
What is something you love to do in your free time that always brings a smile to your face?
If you could have any animal as a pet, which one would you choose?
Imagine you have a magic wand that can make one wish come true. What would you wish for?
What is your absolute favorite meal or snack?
Write about someone you admire and why they inspire you.
If you could have a special talent that you don't currently possess, what would it be? How would it make your life more exciting or interesting?
Imagine you could live inside a video game for a day. Which game would you choose and what adventures would you embark on?
Write about a comfort object or item that brings you joy. Describe it and why it holds a special place in your heart.
Picture yourself as a character in a movie. What kind of movie would it be, and what role would you play?
If you could have a magical treehouse, what would it look like? Describe your dream treehouse and all the amazing features it would have.
Think about your best friend or a close friend. What makes them an incredible friend, and why are they so special to you?
If you could spend a day with a fictional character from a book, who would you choose and why?
Imagine you could create a brand new holiday. What would it be called, and how would you celebrate it? Share the fun and unique traditions!
Picture your dream vacation destination. What makes it so appealing? Describe the sights, sounds, and experiences you would have there.
We all have a favorite quote or saying that inspires us. What is yours, and why does it resonate with you?
Imagine you have a time machine. Which era or time period would you travel to, and what would you do there?
If you could be a character in a fairy tale, who would you be and why? Would you be a hero, a princess, or a mischievous trickster?
What is your current favorite song, and why does it hold a special place in your heart?
Imagine you had a magical ability to talk to animals. Which animal would you choose to have conversations with, and what would you ask them?
We all have dreams for the future. What is one big dream or goal you have, and what steps can you take to make it a reality?
What is your all-time favorite dish or meal? Describe it in delicious detail, from its tantalizing aroma to the flavors that make your taste buds dance.
What is something you're scared of, and why does it make you feel uneasy or anxious?
Describe your very best friend. What makes them special to you and why do you cherish your friendship?
What is the color scheme of your favorite room? Paint a picture with words as you describe the objects and decorations that make it unique and cozy.
Write about your beloved pet animal. Describe their appearance, personality, and the special bond you share with them.
Think of a memorable day in your life and describe it in detail.
What is your favorite dress or outfit? Describe it in detail, from the colors and patterns to how it makes you feel when you wear it.
Reflect on your achievements and what sets them apart. Share the successes you're proud of and explain why they are meaningful to you.
If you could change one habit about yourself, what would it be? Describe the habit and explain why you would like to change it and how it would benefit you.
Describe a time when you didn't do something you really wanted to do. Reflect on whether it was the right or wrong choice and the impact it had on you.
Write about a moment when you felt truly loved by someone else. Describe the circumstances, the emotions you experienced, and the significance of that love.
Reflect on the greatest struggle you've faced in your relationships. Describe the challenges and conflicts you've encountered and how you navigate them.
Describe a time when you learned something profound about yourself. Explain the circumstances that led to this self-discovery and how it has shaped your perspective.
Share a memorable experience of trying something new or stepping out of your comfort zone.
Write about a personal quality or trait that you like about yourself and why it brings you joy or makes you proud.
Describe an activity or hobby that you thoroughly enjoy doing in your free time. What makes it special and why does it bring you happiness?
Reflect on a strong life value or principle that you live by. Explain why it is important to you and how it shapes your decisions and actions.
Share the story behind a prized possession that you cherish. Describe its significance to you and the memories or emotions attached to it.
Recall a time when you helped someone out, big or small, and describe how it made you feel. Reflect on the impact of your actions and the satisfaction it brought.
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Discuss your preference and what you enjoy about that particular time of day.
Recall a specific moment when you felt proud of yourself. Describe the achievements or accomplishments that led to that pride and why it mattered to you.
Reflect on a life lesson or piece of wisdom that has stuck with you. Explain its significance and how it has influenced your actions or decisions.
Write about a life-changing experience that had a profound impact on you. Describe the event, the emotions involved, and how it transformed your perspective or outlook.
Share three things that help you stay clean and fresh, whether they are personal hygiene products, rituals, or habits.
Describe a favorite childhood memory that still brings a smile to your face. Paint a vivid picture of the sights, sounds, and emotions associated with that moment.
Reflect on a time when you overcame a fear or faced a challenge. Describe the experience and how it taught you resilience and strength.
Write about a place in nature that holds a special meaning for you.
Share a piece of advice that has guided you through difficult times. Explain its importance and how it has helped you navigate challenges.
Describe a memorable encounter with a stranger that left a lasting impact on you. Reflect on the connection, the lessons learned, or the perspective gained.
Write about a small act of kindness or a random act of generosity that you witnessed or experienced. Describe the impact it had on you and how it inspired you to pay it forward.
Reflect on a time when you learned a valuable lesson from a mistake or failure. Describe the experience and the wisdom gained from it.

And, that's all! I hope you have a lot of writing about yourself and get closer to the person you are.

If you found the prompts interesting, do share them with your friends and family. Take care!

Continue Reading: 100+ Self-Care Journal Prompts for Healing and Reflection

Aarushi Tewari

The writer and affirmations speaker at Gratitude, Aarushi believes that one of the most effective ways of feeling inner peace is by being grateful and having a loving self-relationship.

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Essay on My Self for Students and Children

500+ words essay on my self.

Seven billion people are on this Earth, and everybody is different from the rest of others. There is nothing without purpose in this world. Everything has some purpose. Humans are the best creation, and each person is exclusive. Thus, writing about myself, I’m here to express myself that what I see, what I experience and what I plan for my life. I try myself to be modest, passionate, devoted, hardworking and honest.

My Family and My Childhood

I’m from a middle-class family of Bihar, I am Naresh Shukla. Nobody comes in this world, without the support of family and friends. Actually, whatever you will be, it is just because of your family. My father is a respectable businessman in our community.

My mother is a doctor. They both love their occupation. That’s I have learned from my parents the value of time, honesty, hard work and commitment to the purpose.

We are three brothers and sisters. Being the eldest I am the most liable from my brothers and sisters. I am wanted to guide and take care of my other siblings. We all are in the same school. Reading is my passion.

I am a keen reader of novels and history books as I have a strong interest in Indian History and classical architecture. I love to read books that refer to the rich history and civilization of ancient India. At my pre-childhood, I used to listen to stories from my grandmother, and this has a long-lasting effect on me.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

My Education

I am studying at the best school in my city. I am presently in class 10th. I feel happy to be a part of this great school with the good friends, helpful and loving teacher and sound school administration. I have extraordinary skills in some subjects whereas I am very weak in the few.

My Strengths

In compare to studies, I am good at sports. so I am the captain of my class football team. I am the best football player at my school. Besides this, I am a fast runner also and I love athletics. I am in expert swimming.

The advice of my parents had a keen effect on my habits. I believe to speak the truth and try my best not to lie. My parents always advised me that if I commit a mistake, I should admit it. I try my best to do so. I know how to remain happy in every condition. Because I believe that: “Happiness is not out there; it’s in you.”

I am a very adventurous person too and like to take the risk. I like to do a creative thing besides doing old stuff again and again. Learning new things is one thing which I always enjoy. I always update myself with the news.

Along with this, I fond of reading a few children magazines in which different motivational stories are there. They taught me a high moral lesson. I am a very confident person and know how to talk. I always try to speak to every person according to his requirement so I understand people.

My Weaknesses

As every man have weaknesses, so have also. I am a little bit lazy at some places which I do not like. While playing time, I pass my lot of time there which is not a good habi t, but I try my best to overcome my weaknesses.

My Ambitions in Life

Everybody has an ambition in life . Aim or ambition is the inner aspiration of man. No man can do anything in the world without aim. So, all of us should be very determined about our aim in life.

Without good career planning, right from the start, one can’t be on the right track. One has to set the goals in accordance with his or her broad career goals.

I have studied biology and I will seat for the competitive entrance exam for admission to reputed medical college. I shall try to be a good and honest student. Then I shall be a qualified doctor. I will do all that to be a good doctor and will be sincere to it.

These are all the things which express me. Though nobody can be described in a few sets of sentences. One needs to have yet command of oneself before going to write something about his life. Life is meant to be lived avidly and with visualization to do good for your fellow beings. Keeping this aim in mind, I have always desired to serve my people in whatever capacity I can.

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Are You a Micromanager?

Julia Milner

For new leaders, it’s a trap that’s easy to fall into.

New managers who are still building confidence and exploring the best way to lead can unintentionally develop controlling behaviors, hoping to live up to the expectations of their roles. Unfortunately, these behaviors usually have opposite effect by negatively impacting employee morale and performance. To avoid micromanagement behaviors, check in with yourself by asking these three questions:

Are you always giving your team “advice”? While there’s nothing wrong with giving your team members advice in situations that truly require it — high-stakes projects, urgent issues, or new processes that require more hands-on guidance — your goal should be to help people develop solutions on their own.
Do you need to approve every decision your team members make? If you’re on every email thread and in every Slack channel just to give your nod of approval, you likely need a better process. Try figuring out which stage you need to weigh in, instead of weighing in at every stage.
Do you consider feedback a one-way street? Feedback should be a two-way conversation. Recognize people’s strengths, treat mistakes like learning opportunities, and seek out opinions from your team to show them you value their perspectives.

Nobody wants to be a micromanager, but when you’re new to leading a team, it’s a trap that’s easy to fall into. The pressure to prove yourself to your direct reports while simultaneously delivering strong outcomes to the organization can sometimes result in an overly hands-on leadership style.

Julia Milner is a professor of leadership at EDHEC Business School in Nice, France and has been named in the World’s Top 40 Business Professors under 40. She has extensive experience as a management consultant and coach working internationally with executives and organizations on how to create empowering leadership and organizational cultures. Julia is host of a YouTube channel on leadership and careers, and has given two Tedx talks on how to be a great leader and how to turn regrets into change . Connect with Julia on LinkedIn.

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Lab, telescope specialist details Harvard eclipse-viewing party, offers safety tips

Those who miss this one could need to wait 20 years to get another chance.

A total solar eclipse will cross Mexico, the U.S., and Canada on April 8, bringing millions of North Americans a striking celestial spectacle. The next total solar eclipse to cross the continental U.S. will be in 2044.

Allyson Bieryla , astronomy lab and telescope manager at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), tells us what to expect, and how to view this natural wonder safely.

What should local eclipse-viewers expect?

Cambridge is not in the path of totality, but locally people will experience close to a 93 percent partial eclipse, which will start at 2:16 p.m. and end at 4:39 p.m., with maximum coverage occurring at 3:29 p.m.

During maximum, you will see just a sliver of the sun remaining. It won’t get completely dark like it would in a total eclipse, but it will still be a spectacular sight.

Over the course of the event, you will see a “bite” of the sun being eclipsed by the moon that will grow to cover most, but not all, of the sun. And then it will wane away.

And what is actually happening?

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of the sun, casting a shadow on the Earth. The shadow only falls on a small portion of the Earth, so you are very lucky if it happens to fall where you live.

The “total” part is when the sun is completely blocked by the moon. For those that are able, whether it is this one or a future eclipse, traveling to the path of totality is worth every effort it takes. It is the most unnatural natural experience.

What opportunities for scientific discovery does a total solar eclipse offer?

A total solar eclipse allows people to view the corona, or the sun’s outermost atmosphere. Because the sun’s surface is so bright, we don’t normally get to see the corona because it is so much dimmer. There is still a lot that astronomers would like to learn about the corona.

What activities is the CfA hosting for local eclipse-viewing?

There will be a public event taking place in the Science Center Plaza from 2-5 p.m. There will be solar telescopes, free eclipse glasses, and a bunch of activities, including pinhole cameras, cyanotype prints of the sun, and a live feed of the totality.

We will also have LightSound devices converting the brightness of the sun into sound as the light dims, providing a nonvisual way for people to experience the eclipse.

Rules for safe eclipse-viewing?

Observing the sun is safe if you have the correct equipment. It is never safe to look directly at the sun without proper eclipse glasses or filters, unless you are in the path of totality and in the brief moments of totality. Then, and only then, can you safely look at the sun without protection.

Cambridge is not in the path of totality, so it will never be safe to look at the sun without your eclipse glasses. It is also not okay to point a telescope, binoculars, or a camera at the sun without proper filters.

We will have all the proper equipment and experts on site at the Science Center to guide you safely looking at the sun during the eclipse. Trust me, it is worth it!

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Solar flares reported during total eclipse as sun nears solar maximum. What are they?

Earthlings have reported spotting solar flares during Monday's total eclipse .

The sun on Monday was expected to be at the height of its activity during its 11 year solar cycle also known as its "solar maximum." During this moment, the sun emits more solar flares and coronal mass ejections, massive bubbles of plasma threaded by rejected magnetic field lines.

Weather photographer John White shared photos that he said showed two solar flares right as the eclipse approached totality.

A solar flare on New Year's Eve, rated as an X-5, was the largest detected since the 2017 eclipse, when a X8.2 flare X8.2 flare occurred, according to NOAA.

Solar flares are only expected to become more common by 2025 as the sun continues to reach its solar maximum.

What are solar flares?

Considered our solar system's largest explosive events , solar flares occur when magnetic energy associated with sunspots is released, creating intense bursts of radiation.

Solar flares can last mere minutes, or can drag on for hours, depending on their intensity. NASA classifies solar flares based on their strength, with B-class being the smallest and X-class – which is what was detected last New Year's Eve – being the largest.

Weaker solar flares won't be noticeable here on Earth, but those with enough energy output to rank as an X-class have the potential to disrupt radio communications, electric power grids and navigation signals. In extreme cases, such powerful flares even pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts, according to NASA.

How big are solar flares

Solar flares are giant explosions of electromagnetic radiation that emit light, energy and high-speed particles.

They are measured by their strength from the smallest B-class, followed by C, M and the largest X class. Each class represents a ten-fold increase in energy output making is M 10 times a C and 100 times a B.

The largest solar flare ever recorded occurred on Monday, April 2, 2001 at 4:41 p.m. EDT, according to NASA. The flare, detected by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite, surpassed the power of the one on March 6, 1989, which played a role in disrupting power grids in Canada.

How long do solar flares last

Solar flares can last a few minutes to several hours.

The outburst of electromagnetic energy travels are the meeting of light, according to the NOAA, making the event occurring at the same time the event is observed.

Monday's total eclipse began in Mexico at about 11:07 a.m. PDT, before reaching Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT and ending in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT.

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8 Examples of How to Answer "Tell Me About Yourself"
Here is an example of how to begin your answer to "tell me about yourself" as a very experienced candidate: "I first started managing people twelve years ago, when I was promoted from Customer Service Associate to Customer Service Supervisor. Since then, I've…". 2. Highlight Impressive Experience and Accomplishments.
87 Prompts To Write About Yourself
58. Write about what you wish more people knew about your chosen job/career. 59. Write about an external struggle that's been wearing on you lately. 60. Write about an internal struggle that's been distracting you and wearing you down. 61. Describe something you love — or don't love — about the people in your country.
Talk about yourself
Think about the types of topics and questions you may be asked before the exam. School, family, free time, daily routines and future plans are common topics. Practise answering simple questions about yourself. Work with a friend to practise or record yourself and listen to the recording. Listen carefully to the questions.
Answering "Tell Me About Yourself" in an Interview in 2023
2. Tailor your answer. "When an interviewer asks that, they really mean tell me about yourself as it's relevant to the position you're applying for and this company. I think they're giving you an opportunity to articulate succinctly why you have the right qualifications," says Muse career coach Tina Wascovich.
"Tell Me About Yourself" 20+ Sample Answers + How-to
What you'll learn: Here's how to best answer "tell me about yourself": Introduce yourself, tell them who you are and what you do. Then, talk about your past work experience, key responsibilities, and skills. Mention your relevant achievements. Finally, explain how your strengths can contribute to the company.
Things to Write About Yourself: 100 Writing Prompts for Self-Discovery
Write a note apologizing to a part of your body for insulting it in the past. Write a note thanking a part of your body for doing such a good job. Tell your story about when you had a delightful guest in your home. Tell your story about when you had an unwelcome visitor in your home.
26 Free Writing Prompts About Yourself » JournalBuddies.com
26 Writing Prompts About Yourself. Here is a luscious list of writing prompts for people of all ages that are fun and all about yourself. Yes: you! Use this list of things to write about yourself to write a story of your life, a personal essay, or just some random journal entries. However you choose, just get to it and use these writing about ...
Confidently Answer Tell Me About Yourself
I review and respond to responses to the Tell Me About Yourself topic regularly. I respond to as many posts as I can. ... I wanted to share my "tell about yourself": Over the past 8 years, I´ve worked as an electronic engineer in 2 main sectors, telecommunications and electrical. In both, I had the opportunity to introduce myself to data ...
Tell Me About Yourself—Guide & 5+ Sample Answers
Be truthful and talk only about the things you have experienced. If the recruiter or the hiring manager notices you're being dishonest—and they can easily check it by asking sub-questions—you'll probably have to kiss the job goodbye. Tip #5. Show Why You're Passionate About the Job.
How to Write About Yourself in a College Essay
Focus on a specific moment, and describe the scene using your five senses. Mention objects that have special significance to you. Instead of following a common story arc, include a surprising twist or insight. Your unique voice can shed new perspective on a common human experience while also revealing your personality.
How to Write a Short Essay About Yourself: Step-By-Step
Even if you aren't a fan of journaling, writing about yourself is far easier if you take the time to reflect, if only mentally. If you know you have a deadline to write about yourself in the near future, you may want to physically or mentally jot down a few real-life examples or experiences that come to mind.
How To Talk About Yourself (+ 12 Good Things To Say)
3. Engage and respond (appropriately!) If someone has mentioned that they enjoy something you also enjoy, this is a really easy way to talk about yourself without bragging. It will help you engage the person you're speaking with, they'll be able to relate to you more, and the conversation will feel much more natural.
How to Talk About Yourself: 13 Steps (with Pictures)
1. Talk about your work experience. Briefly, begin by talking about your relevant education and experience. Say your qualifications and how you're prepared for the job. While you may want to talk about your personal experiences, start your response by talking about your career experiences.
150+ Deep Writing Prompts About Life to REALLY Reflect
Write unfiltered - as you respond to each writing prompt, just follow your stream of consciousness. Don't think too hard about flow or sentence structure. Just go wherever your mind insists on taking you! Immerse yourself in memories - reflect on memories that may have shaped you or impacted your childhood development.
Writing Prompts About Yourself: 27 Ideas to Spark Your Creativity
Writing prompts about yourself can help you explore personal identity, relive memories, examine relationships, and express gratitude. Writing about your goals and aspirations can help you clarify your vision and take action towards achieving them. Whether you are journaling for self-reflection or working on a creative writing project, writing ...
Topics for Writing about Yourself
Topics for Writing about Yourself in English. At the very least, every student should be able to write about themselves and their immediate environment. The way I do this is write the topic heading ALL ABOUT ME in the middle of the whiteboard, and then ask the students to brainstorm different sub-headings. For each of these, they then had to write about 100 words.
60+ Writing Prompts to Write About Yourself
Benefits of writing about yourself. Self-awareness: When we write about ourselves, we explore our thoughts outside of the chatter in our minds. It makes them more organized and easier to analyze. It also helps us discover more aspects of our personality. Stress relief: Being honest about how you feel and your opinions without the fear of ...
Essay on My Self for Students and Children
500+ Words Essay on My Self. Seven billion people are on this Earth, and everybody is different from the rest of others. There is nothing without purpose in this world. Everything has some purpose. Humans are the best creation, and each person is exclusive. Thus, writing about myself, I'm here to express myself that what I see, what I ...
Essay on about Myself
Long Essay on About MySelf 600 Words in English. Essay on About MySelf is helpful to the students of classes 7,8,9 and 10. You are the only one who knows yourself best. Everyone around you has different things to tell about you, but only you know your true self. There are billions of people on this planet, and every person has a different purpose.
How To Write About Yourself (With Example and 5 Tips)
Use a casual and friendly tone. 1. Develop a strong introduction. A concise, informative self-introduction can immediately interest the reader and make them more likely to continue reading the rest of your document. Write a short statement that accurately describes your skills and qualifications.
31 "About Me" Examples To Help You Create Your Own
31 "about me" examples. Review these 31 examples of statements from people in different roles to help you create your own effective "about me" statement: 1. Content writer. I'm an award-winning content writer who has eight years of experience creating compelling articles and short stories.
How To Write About Yourself (With Tips and Examples)
2. Mention your relevant professional experience. The middle portion of your personal document should detail your relevant professional experience. Tailor this to your purpose. If you are writing a cover letter, review the job description and company website to select the most relevant experience.
about myself topic 8
A topic is the general theme, message or idea expressed in a speech or written work. Effective writing requires people to remain on topic, without adding in a lot of extraneous information.... Some monologue topics are employment, education, health and the environment. Using monologue topics that are general enough to have plenty to talk about is important, especially if given the task of ...
Are You a Micromanager?
Are You a Micromanager? Summary. New managers who are still building confidence and exploring the best way to lead can unintentionally develop controlling behaviors, hoping to live up to the ...
How to make your own DIY solar eclipse viewer
Cut a piece of aluminum foil that is a bit larger than the opening of the tube. Poke a small hole in the center of the aluminum foil. Tape the aluminum foil over the other opening of the tube. How ...
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Might Face Interest-Rate Spike
JPMorgan Chase JPM 0.92%. Chief Executive Jamie Dimon warned that U.S. interest rates could soar to 8% or more in coming years, reflecting the risk that record-high deficit spending and ...
WWE Monday Night Raw results: Highlights from Raw After WrestleMania
The weekend is behind us but left a huge mark. WWE Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania will give us plenty to talk about. Here are results from the show.
How to safely watch the eclipse? Tips from a Harvard astronomer
Lab, telescope specialist details Harvard eclipse-viewing party, offers safety tips. Those who miss this one could need to wait 20 years to get another chance. A total solar eclipse will cross Mexico, the U.S., and Canada on April 8, bringing millions of North Americans a striking celestial spectacle. The next total solar eclipse to cross the ...
Solar flares during a solar eclipse are expected. Here's what to know
Solar flares are giant explosions of electromagnetic radiation that emit light, energy and high-speed particles. They are measured by their strength from the smallest B-class, followed by C, M and ...
South Carolina Completes Perfect Season by Knocking Off Caitlin Clark's
The 38-0 Gamecocks beat the Hawkeyes, 87-75, to win the NCAA women's basketball title, despite 30 points from Clark. By. Jared Diamond. April 7, 2024 5:14 pm ET. Share. Resize. South Carolina ...

Interview Questions

8 Examples of How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself”

Why Do Interviewers Ask “Tell Me About Yourself”

Watch: How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself?”

How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview:

2. Highlight Impressive Experience and Accomplishments

3. Conclude by Explaining Your Current Situation

4. Keep Your Answer Work-Related

5. Be Concise When Answering (2 Minutes or Less!)

“Tell Me About Yourself” Example Answers:

Example Answer for Experienced Candidates:

Example Answer With No Experience:

Stand Out by “Tailoring” Your Answer to the Company

Shorter Method for How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” (For Experienced Candidates Only)

Example answer if you’re job searching while employed:

Example answer template if unemployed:

Which Method Should You Use for Your Answer?

“Tell Me About Yourself” Example Answers For Different Industries:

Service Industry:

Practice Your Answer Before the Interview

15 Most Common Pharmacist Interview Questions and Answers

87 Self-Reflective Prompts To Help You Write About Yourself

What Is a Unique Way to Write about Yourself?

Things to Write about Yourself: 87 Writing Prompts

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Tell Me About Yourself—Guide & 5+ Sample Answers

Key Takeaways

How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question

What The Interviewer Is Asking

Our Formula For Answering “Tell Me About Yourself”

Correct Example

8 Tips For Answering Tell Me About Yourself

Tip #1. Practice Your Answer

Tip #2. Customize Your Answer Based on the Audience

Tip #3. Don’t Overwhelm the Interviewer With Details

Tip #4. Be Honest

Tip #5. Show Why You’re Passionate About the Job

Tip #6. Avoid Rushing Too Much Into the Future

Tip #7. Don’t Talk Too Much About Your Hobbies

Tip #8. Tailor Your Answer to the Company You Want To Work At

“Tell Me About Yourself” Sample Answers

#1. Sample Answer—Student, Intern, or Fresh Graduate

#2. Sample Answer—Mid-Level Professional

#3. Sample Answer—Management

#4. Sample answer—Career Change

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How to Write About Yourself in a College Essay | Examples

Table of contents

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Be vulnerable

Don’t overshare

Share what you have learned

Brag indirectly

Use stories to prove your qualities

Cite this Scribbr article

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How to Write a Short Essay About Yourself: Step-By-Step

Yvonne Bertovich

Jump ahead to these sections:

Step 1: Determine your purpose

Step 2: Ask yourself some questions

Step 3: Organize your answers

Step 4: Write a draft