This question often arrives first because it lets the interviewer decide where to go next. A strong answer gives them a useful frame. It is not a chronological list of every job, and it is not a speech you have memorised word for word.
Long enough to create a clear thread. Short enough that the interviewer has room to ask the next question.
1. Start with the professional thread
Name the area of work you are in and the kind of problems you have been trusted to solve. Choose the thread that matters to this role, not the title that sounds most impressive.
2. Choose one or two proof points
The work you do and the problems you understand.
A project, decision or outcome you can defend.
Connect your experience to the work in front of you.
Use specific facts. If you mention a result, expect a question about how it happened and what your own role was.
3. End with why you are here
Finish by connecting your experience to the role, team or problem you want to work on. Avoid generic claims about being passionate. Name the relevant challenge that makes this opportunity a fit.
4. What to leave out
- Your full personal history unless it directly helps the interviewer understand your path.
- Every responsibility from your CV.
- A detailed explanation of why you left a previous role.
- A long list of skills with no evidence behind them.
5. Practise three versions
Prepare a 30-second version, a 60-second version and a two-minute version. They should contain the same truth, just with different detail. That prevents you from sounding trapped by one fixed paragraph.
Build an introduction that leads somewhere.
Use the job description to choose the experience, proof points and questions that matter most for this interview.
Start my interview prep for freeFrequently asked questions
Should I talk about my personal life?
Only if it is genuinely relevant and you are comfortable sharing it. Most answers are stronger when they centre on your professional direction and evidence.
What if I am changing careers?
Name the transferable pattern: the problems you solve, the skills you built and why the new direction is a deliberate next step.