When faced with the open-ended question, “Do you want to tell us anything else about you?” in a job interview, it’s crucial to make a lasting impression. We’ve gathered 16 valuable insights from CEOs, founders, HR directors, and other professionals on how to respond effectively.
1. Reveal Any Volunteer Work
Candidates should share information about their volunteer work. This shows that you care about the community and want to give back. Employers will be impressed if they see that you have volunteered to help people in need. They will see that you are a compassionate person with a kind heart. Volunteering also shows that you are flexible and can adapt to different situations. You can work with a variety of people, solve problems, and handle stressful situations. It also highlights your communication skills and ability to work as part of a team.
Matthew Ramirez, CEO, Paraphrase Tool
2. Show Enthusiasm for the Position
One thing that undoubtedly increases your chances of bagging the role is expressing what excites you about the new job or organization. It definitely leaves a lasting impression on the interviewer. For example, candidates could say, “I’m really excited about the opportunity to take on more leadership responsibilities in this role. In my previous job, I had a lot of success leading projects and teams, and I feel like this position would allow me to continue building on those skills.” Or even show appreciation for the company’s culture and values, and how they look forward to being a part of it. These are clear indicators that a candidate isn’t only interested in the job, but also in the company.
Larissa Pickens, Founder, Everfumed
3. Highlight Your Passion
Being asked to tell something more about yourself during an interview is an excellent opportunity to further emphasize your strengths and your suitability for the position. A great way to do that is by talking about your passion. Ideally, pick something that you not only love, but that has helped you to advance in your career. If your hobby is music, you could mention how learning to play an instrument has taught you focus, discipline, and patience — skills that are transferable to the workplace. Highlighting that you are passionate about something shows your future employer that you are driven and proactive and suggests that you have an outlet that can help you maintain greater job satisfaction in the long run. You can conclude your answer by telling the interviewer how your passion has helped you succeed professionally and made you a happier and more fulfilled person.
Maja Kowalska, Community Manager, Zety
4. Ask Relevant Questions
It’s okay to ask the hiring manager a question during this time as well. This is your opportunity to ask about the next steps in the application process or what the team culture is like. This shows that you’re interested in the role, which the hiring manager will appreciate. Close the interview by thanking them for their time and expressing that you look forward to the next steps.
Stephanie Venn-Watson, Co-founder, fatty15
5. Structure a Professional Response
Many times, candidates think the employer wants to know about their personal life when they are asked this question. Candidates should answer the question step by step. First, a candidate should tell their complete name, and talk about their educational qualifications and academic achievements. Now highlight the skills relevant to the position you are applying for. Start talking about your most recent experiences and then move backward. If the employer wants to know about your experiences, they will not stop you. In the end, you should not miss out on the opportunity to talk about why you need this job. Again, talk about professional needs more than personal ones. So that the employer can understand, you don’t want this job only for salary but to climb the ladder of success. For this, research the job offer effectively, so that you relate your skills to the company’s requirements.
Saikat Ghosh, Associate Director of HR & Business, Technource
6. Share Relevant Experiences
When asked if there is anything else to be said about me in a job interview, I may offer one more insight. For instance, mention that the last few years of experience have taught me how to manage multi-faceted projects effectively and prioritize tasks skillfully. This tells potential employers that my work history shows an aptitude for juggling workloads efficiently and responsibly, which can be a valuable asset in many organizations. My example serves to show that candidates should provide evidence of existing capabilities rather than mere promises when answering an interview question.
Michael Alexis, CEO, Virtual Team Building
7. Demonstrate Cultural Fit
You’ve reviewed your resume, you’ve expressed your interest in the position, and shared why you believe yourself to be a great fit for the job. But you’re not done. Take your candidacy one step further by having researched the company’s core values and then share how you believe you’ll fit into the current team and be a like-minded team member who aligns with the priorities of the organization. Companies want both a great worker and a great team player.
Erin Banta, Co-founder & CEO, Pepper Home
8. Provide Unique Insights
When answering this question, avoid generic answers. Remember that the interviewer is looking for more details about your character and qualifications. It’s not enough to reiterate what you said at the beginning of the interview. Instead, draw attention back to any topics that were already discussed during your conversation. For example, if you have previously discussed particular skills or accomplishments related to the role — such as an impressive project or accomplishment — mention this again while highlighting how it might benefit your future employer. You could mention any additional relevant skills or projects quickly so they know all how you stand out from other applicants. This is a chance to discuss how excited and motivated you are for this opportunity. Highlight specific aspects and features of both yourself and/or your experience, which make joining their team truly worth your while!
Maria Harutyunyan, Co-founder, Loopex Digital
9. Connect Personal and Professional Goals
Candidates should not be afraid to talk about their personal goals, what they want to achieve in the future, and how these goals tie into their professional goals. By doing so, you can show the employer that you are passionate about what you do and that you are interested in continuing to grow and develop as a professional. This can also help to create a more personal connection between you and the employer, which can be important in a job interview. In addition, a candidate could also highlight any relevant skills or experiences that they may not have mentioned earlier in the interview. This could include projects they have worked on, certifications they have earned, or any other achievements that show their abilities and potential as an employee.
Luciano Colos, Founder & CEO, PitchGrade
10. Keep it Short and Discuss Career Progression
This is a great opportunity to outline where you as the candidate want to be in the next five years and relate that progression to the role itself to show that you’ve clearly given progression within the company some thought. Keep the response short and open to further questions from the hiring manager/interviewer.
Tracey Beveridge, HR Director, Personnel Checks
11. Convey Your Eagerness to Contribute to Success
People don’t just want to be a part of a winning team. They want to be an active contributor and be a reason the team is winning. You should convey how enthusiastic you are about taking on a new role and a new challenge and explain what you bring to the table. Make them understand how important it is to you to be a part of a winning organization. It’s important for them to know that you don’t want to be on the sidelines. You want to be a major contributor. Make the interviewer understand that.
Marcus Hutsen, Business Development Manager, Patriot Coolers
12. Highlight Standout Achievements
This is your chance to become more than a suit and some facts on a piece of paper. The way you answer this question will tell the interviewer a lot about you. You can, for example, tell them about some work accomplishment that you didn’t have time to highlight that really shows you in a positive light. You can tell them about some development courses you’re doing for your future career prospects. Volunteer activities that might make you stand out. It doesn’t matter what it is, just something that goes off-script and makes your name and face stand out from the pack.
Dragos Badea, CEO, Yarooms
13. Explain Your Motivation
When I ask potential candidates about themselves, I always appreciate it when the interviewee focuses the answer on their “why.” The answer should revolve around what passion or motivation pushed the candidate to apply for the position. This is your chance to let the interviewer know how your goals, passions, and strengths align with the company. This is always an appropriate answer to the “tell me about yourself” interview question because it gives the interviewer a glimpse into your personal interests and aspirations and connects you to the company and illustrates why you might be a good fit.
Janelle Owens, HR Director, Guide2Fluency
14. Showcase a Pragmatic Approach
One thing a candidate should relate to an interviewer is how pragmatic they are — optimistic, but not oblivious to reality. They should explain that their approach to every assignment is to identify potential challenges and set up countermeasures to make sure that results are delivered on time and meet all the requirements. A pragmatic candidate is forward-thinking and resourceful, making them trustworthy and productive employees.
Sasha Ramani, Associate Director of Corporate Strategy, MPOWER Financing
15. Emphasize the Added Value You Bring
As an interviewer, I always look for answers that add further value to the interviewee’s overall candidate profile. This question is a kind of nudge to allow them to mention anything they’ve missed that would help me figure out if they’re the best fit for the role. For instance, suppose you have a rare but tertiary skill for the role, which could be useful in the future for the company. Or maybe you have an unusual passion for the work described and a few anecdotes that allow you to prove how seriously you would take your duties. Basically, if you have anything that might set you apart from other candidates with the same qualifications, mention that. Otherwise, saying “I think I’ve covered everything about my proficiency in XYZ skills and how my years of experience have helped me prepare for positions like this one. I’m just excited to be working here” is perfectly fine, too.
Anjela Mangrum, President, Mangrum Career Solutions
16. Express Interest and Offer References
It’s important to reiterate your interest in the opportunity and showcase your enthusiasm for the role. Offering to share your references who can vouch for your skills, experience, and work ethic can show your confidence and help build trust with the interviewer. This can be a great way to leave a positive impression and increase your chances of being considered for the position.
Joe Kevens, Founder & Director of Demand Gen, B2B SaaS Reviews
How JobsInTheUS Can Help
Our network of state-specific job sites help job seekers find real, local, quality jobs where they want to work — including full‑time, part‑time, remote and seasonal positions. Search for local jobs by keywords, location radius, company, or industry from any of our state sites, including JobsInME, JobsInNH, JobsInVT, JobsInMA, JobsInRI, JobsInCT, and more.
Many of our verified local employers also search our resume database to find potential candidates before posting positions. Log in and update your resume now and save it to your JobsInTheUS account to stand out from other job seekers.
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish