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7 Oct 2026
By RecruitFinds
You walk into an interview, greet the panel, take your seat and wait for the first question. Then someone looks at you and says, “Tell us about yourself.”
It sounds easy. After all, you know yourself better than anyone in the room.
Yet this question can make even qualified candidates lose their direction. Some start explaining where they were born. Others repeat everything written on their CV. Some give such short answers that the panel has to pull information out of them. Others speak for five minutes without explaining why their experience matters to the position.
“Tell me about yourself” is usually an opportunity to introduce your professional background, communication ability and relevance to the position. Interview guidance from Harvard’s career services also recommends keeping the response focused, structured and generally within one to two minutes.
For Kenyan job seekers, the best answer will depend on the type of interview, the sector and your level of experience.
The biggest mistake is interpreting “tell me about yourself” literally.
The interview panel is generally not asking you to explain your childhood, family background, secondary school experience or everything you have done since leaving university.
Think of the question as:
“Give us a short professional introduction that helps us understand why you are relevant to this position.”
That means your answer should normally contain three things:
What you do professionally
The experience or skills that make you suitable
Why the opportunity interests you
You can think of your response as a short professional story rather than a biography.
For example, instead of saying:
“My name is Brian. I come from Kisumu. I went to primary school in Kisumu and later joined a secondary school there. After that I went to university…”
A stronger opening would be:
“I am a finance professional with three years of experience supporting accounting operations, reconciliations and financial reporting. In my current role, I handle monthly reconciliations and assist with budget monitoring, and I am now looking to bring that experience into a larger finance team where I can take on greater responsibility.”
The second answer gives the panel something useful to work with immediately.
A Kenyan boardroom interview can feel different from a casual conversation with one recruiter.
You may have several people sitting across the table: an HR representative, department manager, technical specialist and possibly a senior executive.
Do not make the mistake of directing your entire answer to the person who asked the question.
Start by acknowledging the panel naturally and then speak confidently while making reasonable eye contact across the room.
For example:
“Thank you for the opportunity. I am a procurement professional with five years of experience working across purchasing, supplier coordination and inventory management…”
You do not need to sound excessively formal. The goal is to sound prepared without sounding like you memorised a speech.
A panel is also likely to pick up on the information you choose to mention. If you say you have experience managing suppliers, they may ask about supplier disputes. If you mention inventory controls, expect questions about stock losses, reconciliations or reporting.
That means you should only mention strengths that you can defend with real examples.
There is no single perfect response that every job seeker should memorise.
A person applying for an accounting position should not introduce themselves in exactly the same way as someone applying for an engineering, nursing, sales or IT position.
The opening should quickly bring the relevant part of your background into focus.
Suppose you are interviewing for an accountant position.
A suitable response could be:
“I am an accounting professional with experience supporting financial reporting, reconciliations, budgeting and day-to-day finance operations. In my previous roles, I have worked with financial records and helped ensure transactions are properly recorded and reconciled. I am particularly interested in this opportunity because it would allow me to apply my accounting experience while taking on greater responsibility within the finance function.”
Notice that the answer does not list every accounting task you have ever performed. It selects the areas most relevant to the position.
Technical candidates often make another mistake: they turn the introduction into a list of software, machines, programming languages or engineering tools.
Instead, connect technical knowledge to actual work.
For example:
“I am a civil engineering professional with experience supporting construction projects, site coordination and technical documentation. My work has involved following project specifications, working with contractors and monitoring activities against required standards. I enjoy solving practical engineering problems, and I am interested in this position because it offers an opportunity to contribute to larger projects while continuing to develop my technical experience.”
The technical questions will come later. Your opening simply establishes your professional identity.
For an IT or software role, avoid throwing ten technologies at the panel within the first 30 seconds.
A better introduction might be:
“I am an IT professional focused on application support and systems administration, with experience troubleshooting technical issues, supporting users and maintaining business systems. In my recent work, I have handled day-to-day technical incidents while also assisting with system improvements. I am now looking for a role where I can use that experience in a more demanding technical environment.”
This gives the interviewer several areas to explore.
Sales candidates should demonstrate that they understand results matter.
For example:
“I am a sales professional with experience in customer acquisition, relationship management and business development. My previous work has involved identifying potential customers, following up on leads and maintaining client relationships. I enjoy working in target-driven environments, and I am interested in this position because it combines customer engagement with the opportunity to grow business.”
If you have measurable achievements, you can add one.
For example:
“In my previous role, I consistently worked against monthly sales targets and developed a strong follow-up process for potential clients.”
Only give specific figures when they are accurate.
Healthcare interviews require a more professional and patient-focused introduction.
A nurse might say:
“I am a registered nurse with experience in patient care, monitoring, treatment support and maintaining accurate clinical records. My experience has taught me the importance of careful observation, communication with patients and teamwork with other healthcare professionals. I am interested in this position because I believe my clinical experience and commitment to patient care fit well with the role.”
The same principle applies to clinical officers, laboratory professionals, pharmacists and other healthcare workers: identify your professional area, relevant experience and the value you bring.
You do not need five years of experience to answer this question properly.
For a graduate, the focus can shift from employment history to education, internship experience, projects, practical skills and readiness to learn.
For example:
“I am a recent graduate in business management with practical exposure gained through my internship, where I supported administrative tasks, customer communication and record keeping. That experience helped me understand how business operations work in a professional environment. I am now looking for an entry-level opportunity where I can apply what I learned, build stronger practical skills and contribute to the organisation.”
Do not apologise for being a graduate.
Instead of saying, “Unfortunately, I don't have experience,” explain what you have actually done and what you are prepared to learn.
Career changers need to create a connection between their previous experience and the new position.
Imagine someone moving from customer service into sales.
A useful response could be:
“I have several years of experience in customer service, where I developed strong communication, problem-solving and relationship-management skills. Through working directly with customers, I became increasingly interested in the commercial side of the business, particularly understanding customer needs and identifying opportunities to provide suitable solutions. I am now looking to move into sales, where I can apply those existing strengths while developing professionally in business development.”
The goal is to make the career change sound intentional rather than random.
You do not need to turn your introduction into an explanation of your employment gap.
Focus first on your professional value.
For example:
“I am an administrative professional with experience in office coordination, customer communication and records management. During my previous roles, I developed strong organisational skills and became comfortable handling multiple priorities. Since leaving my last position, I have continued developing my skills and actively looking for an opportunity where I can return to a professional environment and contribute immediately.”
If the panel wants more information about the gap, they can ask.
The interviewers already have your CV.
Do not say:
“From 2019 to 2021 I worked at Company A, then from 2021 to 2023 I worked at Company B…”
Summarise the career story instead.
Your answer does not normally need details about your parents, siblings, marital status, village or childhood.
Keep the opening professional unless the interviewer specifically asks for personal information.
A good introduction should be concise enough to leave room for the interview.
A response of roughly one to two minutes is generally a useful target.
If the panel wants more detail, they will ask follow-up questions.
Before attending your next interview, write down four things:
Your professional identity
Your strongest relevant experience
One achievement, responsibility or skill you can defend
Why the position interests you
Then turn those points into a natural conversation.
For example:
“I am a procurement professional with four years of experience in purchasing and supplier coordination. In my current role, I support procurement activities, monitor supplier deliveries and maintain purchasing records. One of my strengths is keeping procurement activities organised while following company procedures. I am interested in this position because it would allow me to bring that experience into a role with greater responsibility.”
That is much more useful than memorising a complicated script.
Your introduction is also a preparation exercise for the rest of the interview.
If you mention that you reduced costs, prepare to explain how.
If you say you managed a team, know the size of the team and the challenges you faced.
If you say you have experience with a particular system, expect technical questions about it.
If you mention a major project, be prepared to explain your exact contribution.
In other words, do not put impressive-sounding information into your introduction simply because it sounds good. Everything you mention can become the next interview question.
Practising your answer is important, but memorising every word can make you sound unnatural.
Instead, memorise the key points.
Know how you will introduce yourself, which experience you want to highlight and why the position interests you. Then allow yourself to speak naturally.
You should also practise saying the answer aloud rather than only reading it silently. This helps you notice sentences that are too long, unnecessary information and areas where you hesitate.
Most importantly, remember that the purpose of the answer is not to tell the interviewer everything about you.
It is to give them a clear reason to continue the conversation.
When a Kenyan employer says, “Tell me about yourself,” treat it as your opportunity to establish your professional identity, highlight your most relevant value and guide the interview toward the areas where you are strongest.
The strongest response is therefore not necessarily the longest one. It is the one that makes the panel quickly understand who you are, what you can do and why you belong in that particular interview.
