something unique about myself essay

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Tips for crafting a compelling and authentic personal essay.

Writing an essay about yourself can be a daunting task, but when done right, it can be a powerful tool to showcase who you are and what makes you unique. Whether you’re applying for college, a scholarship, or a job, a well-crafted essay can help you stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

When writing a personal essay, it’s important to strike a balance between being informative and engaging. You want to provide the reader with insight into your background, experiences, and goals, while also keeping them interested and invested in your story. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of writing a compelling essay about yourself, from brainstorming ideas to polishing your final draft.

Essential Tips for Crafting

When crafting a compelling essay about yourself, it is important to think about your audience and what message you want to convey. Here are some essential tips to help you create an engaging and authentic essay:

A Powerful Personal Essay

Writing a powerful personal essay is a way to express your unique voice and share your personal experiences with the world. By weaving together your thoughts, emotions, and reflections, you can create a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience. To craft a powerful personal essay, start by reflecting on your own experiences and exploring the themes that matter to you. Pay attention to the details and emotions that make your story come alive. Be honest and vulnerable in your writing, as authenticity is key to connecting with your readers. Additionally, consider the structure of your essay and how you can effectively organize your thoughts to engage your audience from beginning to end. By following these tips and staying true to your voice, you can create a powerful personal essay that leaves a lasting impact on your readers.

Choose a Unique Aspect

When writing an essay about yourself, it’s important to focus on a unique aspect of your personality or experiences that sets you apart from others. This could be a specific skill, talent, or life experience that has had a significant impact on your life. By choosing a unique aspect to highlight, you can make your essay more compelling and memorable to the reader. It’s important to showcase what makes you different and showcase your individuality in a way that will capture the reader’s attention.

of Your Personality

When writing about your personality, it’s important to showcase your unique traits and qualities. Describe what sets you apart from others, whether it’s your creativity, resilience, sense of humor, or compassion. Use specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate these characteristics and provide insight into who you are as a person.

Highlight your strengths and acknowledge your weaknesses – this shows self-awareness and honesty. Discuss how your personality has evolved over time and mention any experiences that have had a significant impact on shaping who you are today. Remember to be authentic and genuine in your portrayal of yourself as this will make your essay more compelling and engaging to the reader.

Reflect Deeply on

When writing an essay about yourself, it is crucial to take the time to reflect deeply on your life experiences, values, beliefs, and goals. Consider the events that have shaped you into the person you are today, both positive and negative. Think about your strengths and weaknesses, your passions and interests, and how they have influenced your decisions and actions. Reflecting on your personal journey will help you uncover meaningful insights that can make your essay more compelling and authentic.

Your Life Experiences

When it comes to writing an essay about yourself, one of the most compelling aspects to focus on is your life experiences. These experiences shape who you are and provide unique insights into your character. Reflect on significant moments, challenges you’ve overcome, or memorable events that have had a lasting impact on your life.

• Consider discussing pivotal moments that have influenced your beliefs and values.
• Share personal anecdotes that highlight your strengths and resilience.
• Explore how your life experiences have shaped your goals, aspirations, and ambitions.

By sharing your life experiences in your essay, you can showcase your individuality and demonstrate what sets you apart from others. Be genuine, reflective, and honest in recounting the events that have shaped your journey and contributed to the person you are today.

Create a Compelling

When crafting an essay about yourself, it is essential to create a compelling narrative that captures the attention of the reader from the very beginning. Start by brainstorming unique and engaging personal experiences or qualities that you want to highlight in your essay. Consider including vivid anecdotes, insightful reflections, and impactful moments that showcase your character and achievements. Remember to be authentic and sincere in your writing, as this will resonate with your audience and make your essay more relatable. By creating a compelling narrative, you can effectively communicate your story and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Narrative Structure

The narrative structure is crucial when writing an essay about yourself. It helps to create a compelling and engaging story that showcases your unique qualities and experiences. Start by introducing the main theme or message you want to convey in your essay. Then, build a coherent storyline that highlights significant events or moments in your life. Use descriptive language and vivid details to bring your story to life and make it more relatable to the readers. Include a clear beginning, middle, and end to ensure that your essay follows a logical progression and captivates the audience throughout.

Emphasize the lessons you’ve learned from your experiences and how they have shaped your character and outlook on life. Connect these insights to your personal growth and development, demonstrating your resilience, determination, and self-awareness. End your essay on a reflective note, highlighting the impact of your journey on who you are today and what you aspire to achieve in the future. By following a strong narrative structure, you can craft a captivating essay that showcases your authenticity and leaves a lasting impression on the readers.

Highlight Your

When writing an essay about yourself, it is essential to highlight your unique qualities and experiences that set you apart from others. Consider including personal anecdotes, achievements, strengths, and challenges that have shaped your identity. Focus on showcasing your authenticity and individuality to make your essay compelling and engaging.

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17+ Great Ideas for an Essay About Yourself

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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An essay about yourself should present you in a positive light, but also leave your reader with a greater understanding of what it is that makes you tick. What’s your inspiration and motivation?

In this article, I’ll give you a range of ideas to include in your essay about yourself. These ideas will show you how to tell a compelling story about who you are.

Pick one or more of these ideas and use it in your essay to improve its quality.

1. Come up with One Word about Yourself and Put it in your Title

Your essay heading sets the tone for the rest of the essay.

One way to get yourself started on the right track for your essay describing yourself is to ensure you have the one key word that describes you in the title.

How would you describe yourself in one word?

Here’s a few ways I’d describe myself:

• Introverted

Now, if you need to write your essay in a way that presents you in the best way possible, then of course you’d select the one that does that!

So for me, that’d be ‘optimistic’.

I could then set my title to something like: “An Essay About Chris, the Eternal Optimist.”

Here, your reader has been introduced to the central trait I want to reinforce in the essay right away. You’ve set the tone now.

Now that you’ve used that key term at the start, make sure you follow-up by using that same term a few more times throughout the piece so that you keep it as a clear motif throughout. I’d recommend at least using it in the introduction, body and conclusion.

2. Make it Personal using Anecdotes

The difference between a good and great essay about yourself is the use of personal anecdotes.

You want your essay to stand out because it’s thoughtful and unique.

Anyone can tell a story of who they are. Anyone can say: “Here’s who I am and here’s what’s good about me.”

Not everyone can tell a detailed, thoughtful and personal story that’ll show (and not tell) people who you are.

Personal anecdotes might include:

• A discussion about your ancestry;
• A story about how your ancestors came to your country;
• A story about how your parents came up with your childhood nickname;
• An important story from your childhood;
• A personal challenge that you currently face;
• A personal challenge from the past that you’ve overcome

Or anything else that shows your personality! So, let’s zoom in and take a look at how you could write about each of the points from above.

3. Describe your Ancestry

Dig deep – way back. Who are your ancestors?

Two of the best questions you can ask to tell a really good story about yourself are these:

Who are your ancestors?

How did your ancestors shape who you are.

What is your connection to them?

Let’s take them one at a time.

Your ancestors might be Greek, or Scottish, or Irish, or Italian. Maybe you have some Native American ancestors or maybe they were Pioneers heading to America?

You can start this essay by explaining your ancestry to really start shaping a quality story about yourself. One example is to tell a story about how your ancestors came to your country.

For me, I’d talk about how my Ancestors were a loose collection of quirky characters who came to Australia for a better life. Some were “10 Pound Poms” – British people seeking a better life. The paid 10 pounds to get on a boat and head to a new world. And others were convicts, sent out for stealing sheep.

Is there an interesting hook about your ancestry to start your essay?

Your ancestors should mean a lot to you. They should show you the path to a better life. What sacrifices did they make for you to be who you are today?

I could talk about how they had a tough life to come from working-class backgrounds. They worked the land and battled hardship to give me what I’ve got.

Now, I’m a happy, free, relatively wealthy person because of their hard world.

Who you are is because of your ancestors.

For me, they are the reason I value hard work. I also know my grandfather fought hard for a good wage for people on the railways. So, I have a sense of solidarity with hard-working working-class people because of him.

I also believe strongly in the importance of living a free and happy life because my ancestors are Australians. We’re Aussies! We work hard and have fun. That’s something my ancestors gave me, and I’ll carry all those values forward for my children one day, too.

Can you see that telling a story of your ancestors can really reveal a lot about what’s deep inside you? They show you your values and they’re your guiding star.

4. Tell the story of how you got your Childhood Nickname

Here’s another interesting story idea that can get your essay started on the right track.

How about telling the story of how you got your childhood nickname?

Here’s an example: My sister’s nickname was Boo Boo.

(She’d be made at me if she knew I told you that!)

She was called Boo Boo because she was always hurting herself! She was always having “boo boos”, which was our slang for “mistakes”.

Here, her nickname tells a story about herself. It tells a story about how she can sometimes be a little bit clumsy. This could be a good personal story to use to introduce herself to the reader.

Do you have a unique nickname story?

5. Tell an Important Story from your Childhood

Do you have any childhood stories that really reflect who you are?

This story might be:

• Tell the story of a childhood family holiday: Your story of your family holiday might highlight how important family is to your sense of who you are. Did the family holiday show you how much family is important to you?
• Tell the story of a time you realized something: I remember seeing a kid at school being bullied once and feeling really uncomfortable about it. I ended up sitting with him during the lunch period because he was upset. That was the day I really realized that something deep inside me is a sense that kindness is one of the most important things in the world.

Have a think. Are there any stories from your childhood that you can tell that reveal something about who you are and what your values are?

6. Start with “When I’m old I will look back and reflect on…”

Here’s a strategy that works really well.

When you start from the perspective of someone looking back, you often reflect on the things that are most important.

Have you ever seen an older person telling a story? It’s often a story told from the perspective of wisdom . We might call this 20/20 hindsight.

So, start your story by discussing what you’ll look back on about your life: what will you be proud of? What parts of your personality would you want to reflect on with pride?

It might be:

• “When I’m old I will look back and reflect on the things I did to help other people. For example, one time I … [did this]”
• “When I’m old I will look back and reflect on the quality time I spent with my family. My family is the most important thing in my life. One of these quality times is when …”
• Any other ideas you have?

7. Or, Start with “In ten years I will be…”

We can flip Step 6 on its head, and talk about where you want to be in 10 years. This will force you to reflect upon what’s most important to your future.

When talking about your goals and how those goals are linked to your values.

Here’s some examples:

• “In ten years time I will be just returning from an amazing trip around the world. I have a strong sense of adventure and I want to spend the next 10 years fulfilling my dream of adventure.”
• “In ten years time I want to be busy working in a not-for-profit doing something for people less fortunate than me. This vision drives my decisions that I make today. It drives my desire to … [study a course?]”
• What will you say if you start with “In ten years time…”?

8. Describe your Interests

No matter how you start your essay, you need to make sure that your story shows what you are interested in.

Your interests are what you do in your spare time

You might, for example, be interested in a particular topic. This will show how you’re set apart from others. We all have different interests.

Here’s a few examples of people’s interests:

• Dinosaurs: Ross Gellar from the TV show Friends would write in his story that one of his biggest interests is dinosaurs!
• Sports: Many people put sports at the center of their interests and motivations. Are you passionate about a sport that you watch or play? This could be included in your essay about yourself.
• Reading: Many young people love to read. You can talk about this as something you love, and then discuss how reading helps you think more deeply about issues in this world.

What are your interests? Could you use these as the basis of your essay about yourself?

9. Describe what Motivates You

Right at the core of your essay about yourself should be a message about your motivations. What is it that you dream about? What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning?

A motivation is different to an interest. Your interest is what you do in your part-time. Your motivations are your long-term goals that will give you fulfillmen t.

People want to see what makes you tick.

Your motivations don’t have to be for money or a career. A lot of people are deeply motivated by their passions like:

• Getting fit, or pursuing fitness goals;
• Being a part of a community;
• Helping others out, especially the less fortunate;
• Making their family proud;
• Seeing amazing, remarkable things;
• Inventing or discovering something that improves the world

For me, my biggest motivation is my blog. I take pride in it and how it helps people out. So maybe I’d tell the story of my blog, and how it reflects my intrinsic desire to help people learn new things.

So, what motivates you?

10. Identify your Current Personal Challenges

Teachers like to see that you are taking a proactive role to address or overcome personal challenges. So, you can base your essay about yourself on a current personal challenge.

The important thing for an essay on a current personal challenge is this:

• Identify what your challenge is; and
• Explain how you are working hard to address it.

Your challenge might be a personal disability, a setback you’ve recently had, or a goal that you’re working towards achieving.

• Wanting to join the military: You could talk about your major challenge being a career goal like getting accepted into the military. Then, you’d need to show something about how you are addressing this by, for example, following a rigorous exercise regime.
• Living with a disability: Maybe you have a disability or medical problem that you need to address. You could talk about how it hasn’t stopped you from believing in your ability to achieve. While it might make life harder, show how you’re a determined person who won’t let adversity get in your way.

By revealing how you are overcoming your challenges, you’re revealing something about yourself. You are showing your marker that you’re a hard, diligent worker. That you have resilience and drive. And that you’re someone who strives to achieve.

11. Identify the Biggest Challenge you’ve Overcome

If there’s challenges in your rear-view mirror that you have already overcome, you can also talk about that.

Pause for a moment and think about the biggest achievement of your life. Was it getting that score you wanted in a science test? Was it making it into the football team after a lot of training and practice?

By telling the story of a personal challenge that you have already overcome, you’re showing how you’re a competent, capable and resilient person.

Here’s some examples of overcoming challenges:

• Winning a team sport: Talk about all the work you did as a team in the lead-up to the win. Did you take advice from the coach and use it to become better? Did you learn that you had to work as a group to succeed?
• Getting an award: Were you awarded once for your skills? What did you need to do to win the award? Was it hard work that paid off?

12. Be Humble

It’s important to strike the appropriate tone for your essay about yourself.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they too hard to sell themselves. This usually makes you sound arrogant and self-absorbed.

One of the best ways to sound humble is to express gratitude. When discussing who you are, what you achieved and what your strengths are, remember to mention who it was who helped you get there.

People you might be grateful for include: parents, teachers, siblings, friends, your country and mentors. Talk about how they were instrumental in your success. Maybe they were patient with you, presented opportunities for you, or forgave your mistakes.

It’s also good to make sure you don’t compare yourself to others. It’s not a good idea to say “I achieved better than anyone else.” Focussing on how you worked hard for your achievements is enough: there’s no need to talk about how you’re better or the best. Focus on the effort you put in, not the fact that you’re better than anyone.

To learn more about tricks on being humble, I recommend this good summary of ways to be humble from Forbes.

13. Describe your Personality Type

Here’s another interesting way of approaching the essay.

If you’re struggling to explain yourself, you can take a quiz that tells you what your personality type is. Something really nice about these quizzes is they not only give you words to explain what your personality type is, but they also give you some ideas to talk about.

Here’s a few good personality type quizzes:

• 16 Personalities : This quiz decides which personality you are from 16 types, such as debater, entrepreneur, adventurer and entertainer. I got the ‘Advocate’ meaning I am driven by “idealism and morality” and am mainly an introvert. What are you? Share in the comments below!
• Learning Styles : This quiz finds out how you learn. Are you the sort of person who learns in solitude or with others? Are you an introvert or extrovert? Another alternative is the VARK quiz which sees which sort of category of learner you are: Visual, Auditory (sound), Read/Write, or Kinesthetic (using your body).
• Career Quiz : This quiz asks you a range of personality questions to give you ideas about what you want to talk about. Then, it’ll suggest the ideal career for you based on your personality!

14. Include Details you’d put on a CV

You want your essay to tell a story about yourself.

But you also need to include hard, solid details.

So once you’ve told your story of yourself, go through your CV (or ‘resume’) and see what else you can include. Can you include details about your strengths that you have listed on your CV?

Maybe you can also include points about your previous jobs or education achievements that you have listed on your CV.

This will help back up your story with hard evidence.

You might also find out that there are a lot of details on your CV that will give you story ideas. You might not think you’ve achieved remarkable things until you look at your CV and reflect on the hard work you put into each of the jobs or achievements you have listed there.

15. Describe your Physical Attributes

Another thing you can weave into your story is an outline of what you look like!

It’s one of the first things you read about someone in any story.

Here’s how Mr. and Mrs. Dursley in Harry Potter is introduced:

“Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours.”

How would you describe your physical attributes? Remember not to be negative about yourself, but you could describe yourself as tall, short, stocky, or lanky. How about your hair? Is it frizzy or straight, long or short?

16. Explain who is your Biggest influence and Why

The person who is your biggest influence would reveal a lot about who you are. Are you influenced by someone because of their power and strength, or wisdom and insight? Are you influenced by people for their nobility and patriotism, or their sense of adventure?

This will show your reader what makes you tick.

One of my big influences is Alex Honnold. He is a famous rock climber. What does that reveal about me? Well, it shows that I admire adventurous people and people who follow unconventional careers.

Who is your biggest influence? What does this reveal about you? Can you weave this into your essay about yourself?

17. Conclude by Returning to your Opening Hook

In this article I’ve shared with you a ton of ideas that you can use for your essay about yourself.

No matter which idea you select, I recommend including this last tip.

You should start your essay with an interesting ‘hook’ or anecdote about yourself.

I recommend concluding your essay by returning to this opening hook. We call this the ‘closing the loop’ method. You can start it something like this:

“I began this essay by telling the story of how I’m inspired by my father. I want to return to this point, as it’s the most important point in this essay. All of the points in this essay about myself have highlighted how I’m driven and motivated to live up to his amazing example. I have discussed…”

…And then you’d sum up what you discussed!

I outline the exact process of how to conclude an essay using this ‘closing the loop’ method in this post on how to write great conclusions .

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 20 Montessori Toddler Bedrooms (Design Inspiration)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 21 Montessori Homeschool Setups
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples

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Essays About Myself: Top 5 Essay Examples Plus Prompts

We are all unique individuals, each with traits, skills, and qualities we should be proud of. Here are examples and prompts on essays about myself .

It is good to reflect on ourselves from time to time. When applying for university or a new job, you may be asked to write about yourself to give the institution a better picture of yourself. Self-understanding and reflection are essential if you want to make a compelling argument for yourself.

Reflect on your life: look back on the people you’ve met, the places you’ve been, and the experiences you’ve had, and think about how they have shaped you into the person you have become today. Think of the bigger picture and be sure to consider who you are based on what others think and say about you, not just who you think you are. 

If you are tasked with the prompt, “essays about myself,” keep reading to see some essay examples.

1. It’s My Life by Ann Smith

2. how i see myself by leticia woods, 3. the truth about myself by madeline dyer, 4. what we see in others is a reflection of ourselves by sandra brossman, 5. a letter to myself by gladys mclaughlin, 1. introducing yourself, 2. describing your strengths and weaknesses, 3. what sets you apart from others, 4. your beliefs and values, 5. an experience that has defined you as a person, 6. what family means to you, 7. your favorite pasttime.

“Sure, I’ve had bad experiences in my life too, but this is exactly what made me the way I am now: grateful, full of love, with a desire to study well because it will help me become a successful person in future and have a high quality of life. I believe that it is manifesting day by day and I feel even more responsibility for what I do and where I go. With all I already have, I know that I’m on the right path and I will do my best to inspire others to live the way they feel like living as well.”

In her essay, Smith describes her interests, habits, and qualities. She writes that she is sociable, enthusiastic about studying, and friendly. She also touches on others’ opinions of her- that she is funny. One of Smith’s hobbies is photography, which allowed her to meet her best friend. She aims to study hard so she can be successful on whatever path she may follow, and inspire others to live their best life. 

“It is this drive that will carry me through my degree program and allow me to absorb the education that I receive and develop solid practical applications from this knowledge. I feel that I will eventually become highly successful in my chosen field because my past has clearly shown my commitment to excellence in every endeavor that I have chosen. Because I remain incredibly focused and committed for future success, I know that my future will be as rewarding as my past.”

Woods discusses how her identity helps her achieve her career goals. First, her commitment to her education is a great asset. Second, prior education and her service in the US Air Force allowed her to learn much about life, the world, and herself, and she was able to learn about different cultures. She believes that experience, devotion, and knowledge will allow her to achieve her dreams. 

“I’m getting better as I recover from the brain inflammation which caused my OCD, but I want to have a day like that. A day where I can relax and enjoy life fully again. A day where I haven’t a care in the world. And for that, I need to be kind to myself. I need to relax and remove any pressure I place on myself.”

Dyer reflects on an important part of herself- her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Brain inflammation has made her a perfectionist, and she cannot relax. She is constantly compelled by an inner voice to do things she “should” be doing. She wants to be happy, and will try to shut off this voice by practicing self-affirmation. You might also be interested in these essays about discovering yourself .

“Believe it or not, forgiving YOURSELF is the most effective way to disengage from negative interactions with people.  We can only love and accept others to the degree that we love and accept ourselves.  When you make it a habit to learn from your relationships, eventually you will discover that you can observe negative traits within others without judgment and without getting hooked into someone else’s drama.”

In her essay, Brossman writes how we see what we desire for ourselves in others. Our relationships help us understand ourselves better; we see people’s bad qualities and criticize them, professing that we will not be like them. On the other hand, we see qualities we like and try to imitate them. To become a better version of yourself, you should learn from your relationships and emulate desirable qualities. 

“I never tell anyone that I am tired of work or study. Success will come to those who get up and go far. This is my life motto which always reminds me of how vital it is to be hard-working and resilient towards failures. I learn that no matter what others say (even mother and father) if their

thoughts contradict my goals, I don’t have to listen to them. Nobody will live your life, and nobody should tell you who you are and what you are.”

Mclaughlin writes a letter to her future self, explaining what she envisions for herself in the coming years. She writes about who she is now and describes her vision for how much better she will be in the future. She believes that she will have great encounters that will teach her about life, a loving, kind family, and an independent spirit that will triumph over all her struggles

Writing Prompts For Essays About Myself

Write a basic description of yourself; describe where you live, your school or job, and your family and friends. You should also give readers a glimpse of your personality- are you outgoing, shy, or sporty? If you want to write more, you can also briefly explain your hobbies, interests, and skills. 

Each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses. Reflect on what you are good at and what you can improve on and select 1-2 from each to write about. Discuss what you can do to work on your weaknesses and improve yourself. 

An essential part of yourself is your uniqueness; for a strong essay about “myself,” think about beliefs, qualities, or values that set you apart from others. Write about one or more, but be sure to explain your choices clearly. You can write about what separates you in the context of your family, friend group, culture, or even society as a whole. 

Your beliefs and values are at the core of your being, as they guide the decisions you make every day. Discuss some of your basic beliefs and values and explain why they are important to you. For a stronger essay, be sure to explain how you use these in day-to-day life; give concrete examples of situations in which these beliefs and values are used. 

We are all shaped by our past experiences. Reflect on an experience, whether that be an achievement, setback, or just a fun memory, and explain its significance to you. Retell the story in detail and describe how it has impacted you and helped make you the person you are today. 

More often than not, family plays a big role in forming us. To give readers a better idea of your identity, describe your idea of family. Discuss its significance, impact, and role in your life. You may also choose to write about how your family has helped shape you into who you are. This should be based on personal experience; refrain from using external sources to inspire you.

Our likes and dislikes are an important part of who we are as well; in your essay, discuss a hobby of yours, preferably one you have been interested in for a long period of time, and explain why you enjoy it so much. You should also write about how it has helped you become yourself and made you a better person.  

Grammarly is one of our top grammar checkers. Find out why in this Grammarly review . If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our round-up of essay topics about education .

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, tell us about yourself essay examples.

I'm applying to some scholarships, and some of them have a 'tell us about yourself' essay prompt. I'm a little unsure of where to start and how to structure this essay. Can anyone share some examples or tips on how I can write an engaging, effective essay without sounding cliché or braggy?

Sure, I can provide some guidance on structuring a "tell us about yourself" essay and provide tips on making it engaging and effective without sounding cliché or braggy.

1. Start with an attention-grabbing hook: Open your essay with a brief anecdote, piece of dialogue, or thought-provoking statement that reveals something interesting about you.

Example: "As I stood on the roof of my family's house in [hometown], peering through my homemade telescope, I was struck by the vastness of the night sky."

2. Focus on a specific aspect of yourself: Rather than trying to cover every aspect of your life, pick a theme or personal characteristic that plays a major role in your interests, experiences, and goals.

Example: "My curiosity about the universe and the natural world led me to volunteer at a local science center, where I conducted hands-on experiments with visitors of all ages."

3. Provide a brief background: Give some context to the topic you're discussing, such as your upbringing, community, or family background, if it's relevant to the theme.

Example: "Growing up in a small, rural town, I didn't have the same access to resources and educational opportunities as kids in larger cities, but my determination to learn about the world around me never waned."

4. Showcase your growth and accomplishments: Talk about specific experiences, achievements, or events that shaped your development, values, or interests. Be humble but honest about your achievements, and focus on how they've impacted your growth rather than dwelling on the awards themselves.

Example: "Despite the challenges, I pursued my passion for astronomy and managed to secure a coveted summer internship at a renowned observatory, where I worked alongside professionals and contributed to a research project."

5. Connect your past experiences to your future goals: Explain how the things you've learned and accomplished thus far have motivated and prepared you for your future academic and career aspirations.

Example: "My experiences have confirmed my passion for science and astronomy, leading me to pursue a degree in astrophysics and dedicate myself to researching the mysteries of our universe."

6. Close with a memorable statement: Finish your essay by leaving a lasting impression on the reader, perhaps by tying back to your opening hook or sharing an inspiring thought.

Example: "As I continue to explore the cosmos, both academically and personally, I'll never forget those nights spent stargazing in my hometown and the curiosity that propelled me forward."

Remember, a well-rounded and engaging "tell us about yourself" essay will focus on a specific aspect or theme, be genuine and personal, and effectively showcase your growth and future aspirations. Good luck with your scholarship applications!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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15 Tips for Writing a College Essay About Yourself

What’s covered:.

• What is the Purpose of the College Essay?
• How to Stand Out Without Showing Off
• 15 Tips for Writing an Essay About Yourself
• Where to Get Free Feedback on Your Essay

Most students who apply to top-tier colleges have exceptional grades, standardized test scores, and extracurricular activities. How do admissions officers decide which applicants to choose among all these stellar students? One way is on the strength of their college essay .

This personal statement, along with other qualitative factors like teacher recommendations, helps the admissions committee see who you really are—the person behind the transcript. So, it’s obviously important to write a great one.

What Is the Purpose of the College Essay? 

Your college essay helps you stand out in a pool of qualified candidates. If effective, it will also show the admissions committee more of your personality and allow them to get a sense of how you’ll fit in with and contribute to the student body and institution. Additionally, it will show the school that you can express yourself persuasively and clearly in writing, which is an important part of most careers, no matter where you end up. 

Typically, students must submit a personal statement (usually the Common App essay ) along with school-specific supplements. Some students are surprised to learn that essays typically count for around 25% of your entire application at the top 250 schools. That’s an enormous chunk, especially considering that, unlike your transcript and extracurriculars, it isn’t an assessment of your entire high school career.  

The purpose of the college essay is to paint a complete picture of yourself, showing admissions committees the person behind the grades and test scores. A strong college essay shows your unique experiences, personality, perspective, interests, and values—ultimately, what makes you unique. After all, people attend college, not their grades or test scores. The college essay also provides students with a considerable amount of agency in their application, empowering them to share their own stories.

How to Stand Out Without Showing Off 

It’s important to strike a balance between exploring your achievements and demonstrating humility. Your aim should be to focus on the meaning behind the experience and how it changed your outlook, not the accomplishment itself. 

Confidence without cockiness is the key here. Don’t simply catalog your achievements, there are other areas on your application to share them. Rather, mention your achievements when they’re critical to the story you’re telling. It’s helpful to think of achievements as compliments, not highlights, of your college essay.  

Take this essay excerpt , for example:

My parents’ separation allowed me the space to explore my own strengths and interests as each of them became individually busier. As early as middle school, I was riding the light rail train by myself, reading maps to get myself home, and applying to special academic programs without urging from my parents. Even as I took more initiatives on my own, my parents both continued to see me as somewhat immature. All of that changed three years ago, when I applied and was accepted to the SNYI-L summer exchange program in Morocco. I would be studying Arabic and learning my way around the city of Marrakesh. Although I think my parents were a little surprised when I told them my news, the addition of a fully-funded scholarship convinced them to let me go. 

Instead of saying “ I received this scholarship and participated in this prestigious program, ” the author tells a story, demonstrating their growth and initiative through specific actions (riding the train alone, applying academic programs on her own, etc.)—effectively showing rather than telling.

15 Tips for Writing an Essay About Yourself 

1. start early .

Leave yourself plenty of time to write your college essay—it’s stressful enough to compose a compelling essay without putting yourself under a deadline. Starting early on your essay also leaves you time to edit and refine your work, have others read your work (for example, your parents or a teacher), and carefully proofread.

2. Choose a topic that’s meaningful to you 

The foundation of a great essay is selecting a topic that has real meaning for you. If you’re passionate about the subject, the reader will feel it. Alternatively, choosing a topic you think the admissions committee is looking for, but isn’t all that important to you, won’t make for a compelling essay; it will be obvious that you’re not very invested in it.

3. Show your personality 

One of the main points of your college essay is to convey your personality. Admissions officers will see your transcript and read about the awards you’ve won, but the essay will help them get to know you as a person. Make sure your personality is evident in each part—if you are a jokester, incorporate some humor. Your friends should be able to pick your essay from an anonymous pile, read it, and recognize it as yours. In that same vein, someone who doesn’t know you at all should feel like they understand your personality after reading your essay. 

4. Write in your own voice 

In order to bring authenticity to your essay, you’ll need to write in your own voice. Don’t be overly formal (but don’t be too casual, either). Remember: you want the reader to get to know the real you, not a version of you that comes across as overly stiff or stilted. You should feel free to use contractions, incorporate dialogue, and employ vocabulary that comes naturally to you. 

5. Use specific examples 

Real, concrete stories and examples will help your essay come to life. They’ll add color to your narrative and make it more compelling for the reader. The goal, after all, is to engage your audience—the admissions committee. 

For example, instead of stating that you care about animals, you should tell us a story about how you took care of an injured stray cat. 

Consider this side-by-side comparison:

Example 1: I care deeply about animals and even once rescued a stray cat. The cat had an injured leg, and I helped nurse it back to health.

Example 2: I lost many nights of sleep trying to nurse the stray cat back to health. Its leg infection was extremely painful, and it meowed in distress up until the wee hours of the morning. I didn’t mind it though; what mattered was that the cat regained its strength. So, I stayed awake to administer its medicine and soothe it with loving ear rubs.

The second example helps us visualize this situation and is more illustrative of the writer’s personality. Because she stayed awake to care for the cat, we can infer that she is a compassionate person who cares about animals. We don’t get the same depth with the first example. 

6. Don’t be afraid to show off… 

You should always put your best foot forward—the whole point of your essay is to market yourself to colleges. This isn’t the time to be shy about your accomplishments, skills, or qualities. 

7. …While also maintaining humility 

But don’t brag. Demonstrate humility when discussing your achievements. In the example above, for instance, the author discusses her accomplishments while noting that her parents thought of her as immature. This is a great way to show humility while still highlighting that she was able to prove her parents wrong.

8. Be vulnerable 

Vulnerability goes hand in hand with humility and authenticity. Don’t shy away from exploring how your experience affected you and the feelings you experienced. This, too, will help your story come to life. 

Here’s an excerpt from a Common App essay that demonstrates vulnerability and allows us to connect with the writer:  

“You ruined my life!” After months of quiet anger, my brother finally confronted me. To my shame, I had been appallingly ignorant of his pain. 

Despite being twins, Max and I are profoundly different. Having intellectual interests from a young age that, well, interested very few of my peers, I often felt out of step in comparison with my highly-social brother. Everything appeared to come effortlessly for Max and, while we share an extremely tight bond, his frequent time away with friends left me feeling more and more alone as we grew older.

In this essay, the writer isn’t afraid to share his insecurities and feelings with us. He states that he had been “ appallingly ignorant ” of his brother’s pain, that he “ often felt out of step ” compared to his brother, and that he had felt “ more and more alone ” over time. These are all emotions that you may not necessarily share with someone you just met, but it’s exactly this vulnerability that makes the essay more raw and relatable. 

9. Don’t lie or hyperbolize 

This essay is about the authentic you. Lying or hyperbolizing to make yourself sound better will not only make your essay—and entire application—less genuine, but it will also weaken it. More than likely, it will be obvious that you’re exaggerating. Plus, if colleges later find out that you haven’t been truthful in any part of your application, it’s grounds for revoking your acceptance or even expulsion if you’ve already matriculated. 

10. Avoid cliches 

How the COVID-19 pandemic changed your life. A sports victory as a metaphor for your journey. How a pet death altered your entire outlook. Admissions officers have seen more essays on these topics than they can possibly count. Unless you have a truly unique angle, then it’s in your best interest to avoid them. Learn which topics are cliche and how to fix them . 

11. Proofread 

This is a critical step. Even a small error can break your essay, however amazing it is otherwise. Make sure you read it over carefully, and get another set of eyes (or two or three other sets of eyes), just in case.

12. Abstain from using AI

There are a handful of good reasons to avoid using artificial intelligence (AI) to write your college essay. Most importantly, it’s dishonest and likely to be not very good; AI-generated essays are generally formulaic, generic, and boring—everything you’re trying to avoid being.   The purpose of the college essay is to share what makes you unique and highlight your personal experiences and perspectives, something that AI can’t capture.

13. Use parents as advisors, not editors

The voice of an adult is different from that of a high schooler and admissions committees are experts at spotting the writing of parents. Parents can play a valuable role in creating your college essay—advising, proofreading, and providing encouragement during those stressful moments. However, they should not write or edit your college essay with their words.

14. Have a hook

Admissions committees have a lot of essays to read and getting their attention is essential for standing out among a crowded field of applicants. A great hook captures your reader’s imagination and encourages them to keep reading your essay. Start strong, first impressions are everything!

15. Give them something to remember

The ending of your college essay is just as important as the beginning. Give your reader something to remember by composing an engaging and punchy paragraph or line—called a kicker in journalism—that ties everything you’ve written above together.

Where to Get Free Feedback on Your College Essay 

Before you send off your application, make sure you get feedback from a trusted source on your essay. CollegeVine’s free peer essay review will give you the support you need to ensure you’ve effectively presented your personality and accomplishments. Our expert essay review pairs you with an advisor to help you refine your writing, submit your best work, and boost your chances of getting into your dream school. Find the right advisor for you and get started on honing a winning essay.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Frequently asked questions

How do i write about myself in a college essay.

Most importantly, your essay should be about you , not another person or thing. An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability.

Your essay shouldn’t be a résumé of your experiences but instead should tell a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

Frequently asked questions: College admissions essays

When writing your Common App essay , choose a prompt that sparks your interest and that you can connect to a unique personal story.

No matter which prompt you choose, admissions officers are more interested in your ability to demonstrate personal development , insight, or motivation for a certain area of study.

The Common App essay is your primary writing sample within the Common Application, a college application portal accepted by more than 900 schools. All your prospective schools that accept the Common App will read this essay to understand your character, background, and value as a potential student.

Since this essay is read by many colleges, avoid mentioning any college names or programs; instead, save tailored answers for the supplementary school-specific essays within the Common App.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding your message and content. Then, check for flow, tone, style , and clarity. Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors .

If your college essay goes over the word count limit , cut any sentences with tangents or irrelevant details. Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

If you’ve got to write your college essay fast , don’t panic. First, set yourself deadlines: you should spend about 10% of your remaining time on brainstorming, 10% on outlining, 40% writing, 30% revising, and 10% taking breaks in between stages.

Second, brainstorm stories and values based on your essay prompt.

Third, outline your essay based on the montage or narrative essay structure .

Fourth, write specific, personal, and unique stories that would be hard for other students to replicate.

Fifth, revise your essay and make sure it’s clearly written.

Last, if possible, get feedback from an essay coach . Scribbr essay editors can help you revise your essay in 12 hours or less.

Avoid swearing in a college essay , since admissions officers’ opinions of profanity will vary. In some cases, it might be okay to use a vulgar word, such as in dialogue or quotes that make an important point in your essay. However, it’s safest to try to make the same point without swearing.

If you have bad grades on your transcript, you may want to use your college admissions essay to explain the challenging circumstances that led to them. Make sure to avoid dwelling on the negative aspects and highlight how you overcame the situation or learned an important lesson.

However, some college applications offer an additional information section where you can explain your bad grades, allowing you to choose another meaningful topic for your college essay.

Here’s a brief list of college essay topics that may be considered cliché:

• Extracurriculars, especially sports
• Role models
• Dealing with a personal tragedy or death in the family
• Struggling with new life situations (immigrant stories, moving homes, parents’ divorce)
• Becoming a better person after community service, traveling, or summer camp
• Overcoming a difficult class
• Using a common object as an extended metaphor

It’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic. However, it’s possible to make a common topic compelling with interesting story arcs, uncommon connections, and an advanced writing style.

Yes. The college application essay is less formal than other academic writing —though of course it’s not mandatory to use contractions in your essay.

In a college essay , you can be creative with your language . When writing about the past, you can use the present tense to make the reader feel as if they were there in the moment with you. But make sure to maintain consistency and when in doubt, default to the correct verb tense according to the time you’re writing about.

The college admissions essay gives admissions officers a different perspective on you beyond your academic achievements, test scores, and extracurriculars. It’s your chance to stand out from other applicants with similar academic profiles by telling a unique, personal, and specific story.

Use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Arial to avoid distracting the reader from your college essay’s content.

A college application essay is less formal than most academic writing . Instead of citing sources formally with in-text citations and a reference list, you can cite them informally in your text.

For example, “In her research paper on genetics, Quinn Roberts explores …”

There is no set number of paragraphs in a college admissions essay . College admissions essays can diverge from the traditional five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in English class. Just make sure to stay under the specified word count .

Most topics are acceptable for college essays if you can use them to demonstrate personal growth or a lesson learned. However, there are a few difficult topics for college essays that should be avoided. Avoid topics that are:

• Overly personal (e.g. graphic details of illness or injury, romantic or sexual relationships)
• Not personal enough (e.g. broad solutions to world problems, inspiring people or things)
• Too negative (e.g. an in-depth look at your flaws, put-downs of others, criticizing the need for a college essay)
• Too boring (e.g. a resume of your academic achievements and extracurriculars)
• Inappropriate for a college essay (e.g. illegal activities, offensive humor, false accounts of yourself, bragging about privilege)

To write an effective diversity essay , include vulnerable, authentic stories about your unique identity, background, or perspective. Provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your outlook, activities, and goals. If relevant, you should also mention how your background has led you to apply for this university and why you’re a good fit.

Many universities believe a student body composed of different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community, which is why they assign a diversity essay .

In addition to your main college essay , some schools and scholarships may ask for a supplementary essay focused on an aspect of your identity or background. This is sometimes called a diversity essay .

You can use humor in a college essay , but carefully consider its purpose and use it wisely. An effective use of humor involves unexpected, keen observations of the everyday, or speaks to a deeper theme. Humor shouldn’t be the main focus of the essay, but rather a tool to improve your storytelling.

Get a second opinion from a teacher, counselor, or essay coach on whether your essay’s humor is appropriate.

Though admissions officers are interested in hearing your story, they’re also interested in how you tell it. An exceptionally written essay will differentiate you from other applicants, meaning that admissions officers will spend more time reading it.

You can use literary devices to catch your reader’s attention and enrich your storytelling; however, focus on using just a few devices well, rather than trying to use as many as possible.

To decide on a good college essay topic , spend time thoughtfully answering brainstorming questions. If you still have trouble identifying topics, try the following two strategies:

• Identify your qualities → Brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities
• Identify memorable stories → Connect your qualities to these stories

You can also ask family, friends, or mentors to help you brainstorm topics, give feedback on your potential essay topics, or recall key stories that showcase your qualities.

Yes—admissions officers don’t expect everyone to have a totally unique college essay topic . But you must differentiate your essay from others by having a surprising story arc, an interesting insight, and/or an advanced writing style .

There are no foolproof college essay topics —whatever your topic, the key is to write about it effectively. However, a good topic

• Is meaningful, specific, and personal to you
• Focuses on you and your experiences
• Reveals something beyond your test scores, grades, and extracurriculars
• Is creative and original

Unlike a five-paragraph essay, your admissions essay should not end by summarizing the points you’ve already made. It’s better to be creative and aim for a strong final impression.

You should also avoid stating the obvious (for example, saying that you hope to be accepted).

There are a few strategies you can use for a memorable ending to your college essay :

• Return to the beginning with a “full circle” structure
• Reveal the main point or insight in your story
• Look to the future
• End on an action

The best technique will depend on your topic choice, essay outline, and writing style. You can write several endings using different techniques to see which works best.

College deadlines vary depending on the schools you’re applying to and your application plan:

• For early action applications and the first round of early decision applications, the deadline is on November 1 or 15. Decisions are released by mid-December.
• For the second round of early decision applications, the deadline is January 1 or 15. Decisions are released in January or February.
• Regular decision deadlines usually fall between late November and mid-March, and decisions are released in March or April.
• Rolling admission deadlines run from July to April, and decisions are released around four to eight weeks after submission.

Depending on your prospective schools’ requirements, you may need to submit scores for the SAT or ACT as part of your college application .

Some schools now no longer require students to submit test scores; however, you should still take the SAT or ACT and aim to get a high score to strengthen your application package.

Aim to take the SAT or ACT in the spring of your junior year to give yourself enough time to retake it in the fall of your senior year if necessary.

Apply early for federal student aid and application fee waivers. You can also look for scholarships from schools, corporations, and charitable foundations.

To maximize your options, you should aim to apply to about eight schools:

• Two reach schools that might be difficult to get into
• Four match schools that you have a good chance of getting into
• Two safety schools that you feel confident you’ll get into

The college admissions essay accounts for roughly 25% of the weight of your application .

At highly selective schools, there are four qualified candidates for every spot. While your academic achievements are important, your college admissions essay can help you stand out from other applicants with similar profiles.

In general, for your college application you will need to submit all of the following:

• Your personal information
• List of extracurriculars and awards
• College application essays
• Transcripts
• Standardized test scores
• Recommendation letters.

Different colleges may have specific requirements, so make sure you check exactly what’s expected in the application guidance.

You should start thinking about your college applications the summer before your junior year to give you sufficient time for college visits, taking standardized tests, applying for financial aid , writing essays, and collecting application material.

Yes, but make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, respects the word count , and demonstrates the organization’s values.

If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one scholarship essay for multiple prompts with similar questions. In a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, you can group or color-code overlapping essay prompts; then, write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can even reuse or adapt your main college essay .

You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year. Continue applying throughout your senior year.

Invest time in applying for various scholarships , especially local ones with small dollar amounts, which are likely easier to win and more reflective of your background and interests. It will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.

You can find scholarships through your school counselor, community network, or an internet search.

A scholarship essay requires you to demonstrate your values and qualities while answering the prompt’s specific question.

After researching the scholarship organization, identify a personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies how you will be a successful student.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

While timelines will differ depending on the student, plan on spending at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing the first draft of your college admissions essay , and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Don’t forget to save enough time for breaks between each writing and editing stage.

You should already begin thinking about your essay the summer before your senior year so that you have plenty of time to try out different topics and get feedback on what works.

Your college essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s weight. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re accepted, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurricular track records.

In most cases, quoting other people isn’t a good way to start your college essay . Admissions officers want to hear your thoughts about yourself, and quotes often don’t achieve that. Unless a quote truly adds something important to your essay that it otherwise wouldn’t have, you probably shouldn’t include it.

Cliché openers in a college essay introduction are usually general and applicable to many students and situations. Most successful introductions are specific: they only work for the unique essay that follows.

The key to a strong college essay introduction is not to give too much away. Try to start with a surprising statement or image that raises questions and compels the reader to find out more.

The introduction of your college essay is the first thing admissions officers will read and therefore your most important opportunity to stand out. An excellent introduction will keep admissions officers reading, allowing you to tell them what you want them to know.

You can speed up this process by shortening and smoothing your writing with a paraphrasing tool . After that, you can use the summarizer to shorten it even more.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

In your application essay , admissions officers are looking for particular features : they want to see context on your background, positive traits that you could bring to campus, and examples of you demonstrating those qualities.

Colleges want to be able to differentiate students who seem similar on paper. In the college application essay , they’re looking for a way to understand each applicant’s unique personality and experiences.

You don’t need a title for your college admissions essay , but you can include one if you think it adds something important.

Your college essay’s format should be as simple as possible:

• Use a standard, readable font
• Use 1.5 or double spacing
• If attaching a file, save it as a PDF
• Stick to the word count
• Avoid unusual formatting and unnecessary decorative touches

There are no set rules for how to structure a college application essay , but these are two common structures that work:

• A montage structure, a series of vignettes with a common theme.
• A narrative structure, a single story that shows your personal growth or how you overcame a challenge.

Avoid the five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in high school.

Campus visits are always helpful, but if you can’t make it in person, the college website will have plenty of information for you to explore. You should look through the course catalog and even reach out to current faculty with any questions about the school.

Colleges set a “Why this college?” essay because they want to see that you’ve done your research. You must prove that you know what makes the school unique and can connect that to your own personal goals and academic interests.

Depending on your writing, you may go through several rounds of revision . Make sure to put aside your essay for a little while after each editing stage to return with a fresh perspective.

Teachers and guidance counselors can help you check your language, tone, and content . Ask for their help at least one to two months before the submission deadline, as many other students will also want their help.

Friends and family are a good resource to check for authenticity. It’s best to seek help from family members with a strong writing or English educational background, or from older siblings and cousins who have been through the college admissions process.

If possible, get help from an essay coach or editor ; they’ll have specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and be able to give objective expert feedback.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding message, flow, tone, style , and clarity. Then, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

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

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.

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

• 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 you most proud of? Ashamed of?

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.

In a college application essay , you can occasionally bend grammatical rules if doing so adds value to the storytelling process and the essay maintains clarity.

However, use standard language rules if your stylistic choices would otherwise distract the reader from your overall narrative or could be easily interpreted as unintentional errors.

Write concisely and use the active voice to maintain a quick pace throughout your essay and make sure it’s the right length . Avoid adding definitions unless they provide necessary explanation.

Use first-person “I” statements to speak from your perspective . Use appropriate word choices that show off your vocabulary but don’t sound like you used a thesaurus. Avoid using idioms or cliché expressions by rewriting them in a creative, original way.

If you’re an international student applying to a US college and you’re comfortable using American idioms or cultural references , you can. But instead of potentially using them incorrectly, don’t be afraid to write in detail about yourself within your own culture.

Provide context for any words, customs, or places that an American admissions officer might be unfamiliar with.

College application essays are less formal than other kinds of academic writing . Use a conversational yet respectful tone , as if speaking with a teacher or mentor. Be vulnerable about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences to connect with the reader.

Aim to write in your authentic voice , with a style that sounds natural and genuine. You can be creative with your word choice, but don’t use elaborate vocabulary to impress admissions officers.

Admissions officers use college admissions essays to evaluate your character, writing skills , and ability to self-reflect . The essay is your chance to show what you will add to the academic community.

The college essay may be the deciding factor in your application , especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

Some colleges also require supplemental essays about specific topics, such as why you chose that specific college . Scholarship essays are often required to obtain financial aid .

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• School Education /

Essay on Myself: 100 Words, 250 Words and 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Mar 12, 2024

We are all different from each other and it is important to self-analyze and know about yourself. Only you can know everything about yourself. But, when it comes to describing yourself in front of others many students fail to do so. This happens due to the confusion generated by a student’s mind regarding what things to include in their description. This confusion never arises when someone is told to give any opinion about others. This blog will help students and children resolve the confusion and it also includes an essay on myself. 

While writing an “essay on myself” you should have a unique style so that the reader would engage in your essay. It’s important to induce the urge to know about you in the reader then only you can perform well in your class. I would suggest you include your qualities, strengths, achievements, interests, and passion in your essay. Continue Reading for Essays on myself for children and students!

Quick Read: Essay on Child Labour

Table of Contents

• 1 Long and Short Essay on Myself for Students
• 2 Tips to Write Essay on Myself
• 3 100 Words Essay on Myself
• 4 250 Words Essay on Myself
• 5 10 Lines on Myself Essay for Children
• 6 300 Words Essay on Myself

Quick Read: Trees are Our Best Friend Essay

Long and Short Essay on Myself for Students

Mentioned below are essays on myself with variable word limits. You can choose the essay that you want to present in your class. These essays are drafted in simple language so that school students can easily understand. In addition, the main point to remember while writing an essay on myself is to be honest. Your honesty will help you connect with the reader.

Tell me about yourself is also one of the most important questions asked in the interview process. Therefore, this blog is very helpful for people who want to learn about how to write an essay on myself.

Tips to Write Essay on Myself

Given below are some tips to write an essay on myself:

• Prepare a basic outline of what to include in the essay about yourself.
• Stick to the structure to maintain fluency.
• Be honest to build a connection with the reader.
• Use simple language.
• Try to include a crisp and clear conclusion.

Quick Read: Speech on No Tobacco Day

100 Words Essay on Myself

I am a dedicated person with an urge to learn and grow. My name is Rakul, and I feel life is a journey that leads to self-discovery. I belong to a middle-class family, my father is a handloom businessman, and my mother is a primary school teacher .

I have learned punctuality and discipline are the two wheels that drive our life on a positive path. My mother is my role model. I am passionate about reading novels. When I was younger, my grandmother used to narrate stories about her life in the past and that has built my interest towards reading stories and novels related to history.

Overall I am an optimistic person who looks forward to life as a subject that teaches us values and ways to live for the upliftment of society.

Also Read: Speech on Discipline

250 Words Essay on Myself

My name is Ayushi Singh but my mother calls me “Ayu”. I turned 12 years old this August and I study in class 7th. I have an elder sister named Aishwarya. She is like a second mother to me. I have a group of friends at school and out of them Manvi is my best friend. She visits my house at weekends and we play outdoor games together. I believe in her and I can share anything with her.

Science and technology fascinate me so I took part in an interschool science competition in which my team of 4 girls worked on a 3-D model of the earth representing past, present, and future. It took us a week to finish off the project and we presented the model at Ghaziabad school. We were competing against 30 teams and we won the competition.

I was confident and determined about the fact that we could win because my passion helped me give my 100% input in the task. Though I have skills in certain subjects I don’t have to excel in everything, I struggle to perform well in mathematics . And to enhance my problem-solving skills I used to study maths 2 hours a day. 

I wanted to become a scientist, and being punctual and attentive are my characteristics as I never arrive late for school. Generally, I do my work on my own so that I inculcate the value of being an independent person. I always help other people when they are in difficult situations. 

Also Read: Essay on the Importance of the Internet

10 Lines on Myself Essay for Children

Here are 10 lines on myself essay for children. Feel free to add them to similar essay topics.

• My name is Ananya Rathor and I am 10 years old.
• I like painting and playing with my dog, Todo.
• Reading animal books is one of my favourite activities.
• I love drawing and colouring to express my imagination.
• I always find joy in spending time outdoors, feeling the breeze on my face.
• I love dancing to Indian classical music.
• I’m always ready for an adventure, whether it’s trying a new hobby or discovering interesting facts.
• Animals are my friends, and I enjoy spending time with pets or observing nature’s creatures.
• I am a very kind person and I respect everyone.
• All of my school teachers love me.

300 Words Essay on Myself

My name is Rakul. I believe that every individual has unique characteristics which distinguish them from others. To be unique you must have an extraordinary spark or skill. I live with my family and my family members taught me to live together, adjust, help others, and be humble. Apart from this, I am an energetic person who loves to play badminton.

I have recently joined Kathak classes because I have an inclination towards dance and music, especially folk dance and classical music. I believe that owing to the diversity of our country India, it offers us a lot of opportunities to learn and gain expertise in various sectors.

My great-grandfather was a classical singer and he also used to play several musical instruments. His achievements and stories have inspired me to learn more about Indian culture and make him proud. 

I am a punctual and studious person because I believe that education is the key to success. Academic excellence could make our careers shine bright. Recently I secured second position in my class and my teachers and family members were so proud of my achievement. 

I can manage my time because my mother taught me that time waits for no one. It is important to make correct use of time to succeed in life. If we value time, then only time will value us. My ambition in life is to become a successful gynaecologist and serve for human society.

Hence, these are the qualities that describe me the best. Though no one can present themselves in a few words still I tried to give a brief about myself through this essay. In my opinion, life is meant to be lived with utmost happiness and an aim to serve humanity. Thus, keep this in mind, I will always try to help others and be the best version of myself.

Also Read: Essay on Education System

A. Brainstorm Create a format Stick to the format Be vulnerable Be honest Figure out what things to include Incorporate your strengths, achievements, and future goals into the essay

A. In an essay, you can use words like determined, hardworking, punctual, sincere, and objective-oriented to describe yourself in words.

A. Use simple and easy language. Include things about your family, career, education, and future goals. Lastly, add a conclusion paragraph.

This was all about an essay on myself. The skill of writing an essay comes in handy when appearing for standardized language tests. Thinking of taking one soon? Leverage Live provides the best online test prep for the same. Register today and if you wish to study abroad then contact our experts at 1800572000 .

Kajal Thareja

Hi, I am Kajal, a pharmacy graduate, currently pursuing management and is an experienced content writer. I have 2-years of writing experience in Ed-tech (digital marketing) company. I am passionate towards writing blogs and am on the path of discovering true potential professionally in the field of content marketing. I am engaged in writing creative content for students which is simple yet creative and engaging and leaves an impact on the reader's mind.

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9 Tips for Writing an Essay About Yourself

You know yourself better than anyone else, but writing about yourself can still be tough! When applying for scholarships or to college, essay prompts  can feel so general (and yet so specific!) that they leave us stumped.  So we’ll show you 8 tips to write an essay about yourself, so that you can land more scholarships. (Psst – Going Merry makes applying easy .)

1. Create a List of Questions

2. brainstorm and outline, 3. be vulnerable, 4. use personal examples, 5. write in the first person, 6. don’t be afraid to show off…but stay on topic, 7. show personality , 8. know your audience, 9. proofread and edit.

Let’s start with some examples of personal essay prompts:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Describe a challenge or event that made you who you are today.
• What are your short and long-term goals, and how do you plan to achieve them?
• Write about a time you failed at something. How did it affect you?

These are just a few of many scholarship essay prompts that require you to look internally, to answer a question, solve a problem, or explain a scenario in your life.  

We get it. You might not be a big fan of bragging about yourself, or you might want to keep your personal stories to yourself. But by opening up and sharing your story, you can show scholarship providers, colleges and universities who you are, and why you’re deserving of their scholarship.

(Don’t just take our word for it – check out our scholarship winners page full of students like you who were brave enough to share their stories with us).

To get started, check out these 9 tips on how to write an essay about yourself:

After reading through the scholarship essay prompt, breathe, and make a list of smaller questions you can answer, which relate to the big essay prompt question. 

Let’s say the main essay prompt question asks you, “What were challenges or barriers you had to work to overcome?” Then the smaller questions might be something like:

• What is your background? Family, finances, school.
• What was challenging about that background?
• What’s your greatest accomplishment? How did you get there? How have previous challenges influenced your goals?

Think of these questions as mini-prompts. They explain your story and help you answer the main essay prompt with more details than if you just answered it without a plan in place.

After considering smaller questions, it’s time to brainstorm your answers.  Take out a pen and paper – or open up a document on a computer – and take your time in answering each mini-prompt. Organize your responses in order:

• Intro to main essay prompt.
• Answer about 3 mini-prompt questions.
• Conclude by rewriting the answer to the main essay prompt with a summary of your mini-prompt answers.

This organization will help you stay on topic and answer the prompt directly. (Or check out these 6 scholarship essay examples for alternative essay structures.)

Don’t be afraid to let your strengths, challenges, and personal stories shine through in your essay! Scholarship and admissions committees love to see that you’re self-aware how you can improve as a person, or how you’ve grown because of your experiences. Honest writing can help tell the best stories (in this case, YOUR story).

Since this essay is all about you , you should make your answer as specific as possible! Avoid using generalizations (e.g., “I’m really good at music). Instead, go for more personalized statements (e.g., “My fourth-grade teacher Ms. Matay really inspired me to pursue my interest in the clarinet”). Your personal examples are what will help your scholarship essay stand out among the thousands of applicants..

 You’re telling your story, so write from your perspective! You can narrate your story. You can provide an overview of what you learned from your experiences. However you choose to answer the prompt, we recommend writing in an active tone, and using “I” and “me” throughout your essay.

Most students worry about bragging in their essay, but we say go for it! This is your time to shine, so highlight your accomplishments and strengths.  Review your essay to make sure that you’re keeping the tone informative and that you’re still on topic. (Brag while answering the essay prompt; don’t just mention random, unrelated but impressive facts about yourself!)You can use this brag sheet where you can brainstorm your accomplishments. While the worksheet is geared toward requesting letters of recommendation , you can still use it to write out your hobbies, interests, college list , and strengths to help you answer your scholarship essay prompt.

Just because it’s an essay doesn’t mean it has to be dry and boring. This essay is all about you, so let your personality shine through. If you’re the class clown, you can use a bit of humor. If you wear your heart on your sleeve, don’t be afraid to show emotion. Trying your best to express who you are as a person will have a huge effect on the admissions or scholarship committee!

If you’re applying for a scholarship, research the scholarship provider. If you’re applying to college, research the school. Understanding what makes the provider/college unique and what their motivations are, will allow you to incorporate that information in your essay. For example, many scholarships are funded by private companies that sell products. You might want to reference those products in your essay. A good example of this is Emily Trader’s essay for the Life Happens organization , where she uses her personal narrative to explain the importance of insurance planning, since that is the mission of the organization (which is funded by insurance companies).

The last step in answering your essay prompt is to double-check your work! One typo can be distracting and cause scholarship providers to scratch their head while reading the essay. ( Psst, humble brag: Going Merry’s application platform includes spellcheck because we’ve got your back .) In addition to proofreading for typos and grammatical errors, also consider whether the sentence or paragraph structure makes sense. Are you breaking paragraphs in the right place? Are you using topic sentences well to signpost your main ideas? Does the essay flow? Consider these “bigger” structural questions too.  You might also want to ask a friend, family member, teacher, or guidance counselor to review your essay. They might catch something you didn’t see the first time around, and that can really help your essay! In fact, that is scholarship winner Daniel Gill ’s #1 tip. (Another tip is to apply for scholarships using Going Merry !)

Also, check out this helpful list of the 10 most common scholarship essay topics while you’re brainstorming!

Now that you know how to write an essay about yourself, it’s time to start applying for scholarships! Remember: You’ve got this. 

Sign up for your free Going Merry profile . From there, you can easily upload and submit your essay for thousands of scholarships. We make it easy so you’ll only need to enter your profile information once! And then, you can apply away. In fact, we even have some bundled scholarships so that you only enter your essay once, to apply for multiple scholarships at the same time.

Or if you’re not ready to register, simply sign up to receive an email with 20 new scholarship opportunities each week. Just enter your email address below:

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A Simple Way to Answer “What Makes You Unique?” in Your Job Search (Plus Examples!)

Imagine a hiring manager asks you in an interview: “Tell me, what makes you unique?” Does your mind immediately jump to some random fun fact about yourself—like how you can eat a whole jar of pickles in one sitting or your passion for arm-knitting blankets?

That can’t be what they’re looking for, can it? (Spoiler: It’s not.)

This doozy of an interview question can throw off any skilled candidate—don’t let that be you! Here’s everything you need to know about why this question gets asked, and how you can totally nail your answer. Plus, what to do when you encounter this question in an online application (because it happens).

Why Hiring Managers Ask “What Makes You Unique?”

Muse career coach and CareerSchooled founder Al Dea puts it plainly: “They genuinely want to know the answer.” In other words, they’re not actually trying to trip you up.

“Most times hiring managers are going to be looking at multiple candidates for a role, and generally speaking they’re probably going to...have to make some hard decisions,” he explains. “So being able to tease out what separates candidates is important.”

That means this is your prime opportunity to make yourself stand out from the pack—especially when the pack looks awfully similar on paper.

It’s also a simple test of your self-awareness and communication skills. “If a candidate can provide a very strong and compelling answer, it demonstrates to the hiring manager that the candidate…has done the thought and reflection that’s needed to understand what it would take for them to do the role and why they’re best positioned for it,” says Dea.

Basically, if you have no idea what makes you special—or you do but you can’t communicate it properly—how in the world is the hiring manager supposed to believe you’re a valuable hire?

How to Answer “What Makes You Unique?” in an Interview

You’ll need to figure out what your value proposition is and how to articulate it to the interviewer. Here’s how:

1. Consider the Company/Role/Hiring Manager

The most important thing to remember is when the hiring manager asks, “What makes you unique?” they actually want to know what makes you unique in the context of this job. So it’s important to “understand what that company, what that specific role, what that specific hiring manager is trying to optimize for,” says Dea.

The easiest place to start, he says, is the job description . What would you be doing in the role? What kind of person are they looking for? What skills or experiences do they emphasize as must-haves or would-love-to-haves?

“If you know what the company’s core values are, or the things that are true to them, you need to think about how you fit within that context,” he adds. You can easily pinpoint those by combing their website or social media or doing a quick Google search (or researching them on The Muse! ).

2. Get Outside Input

“Go out and ask five people what your strengths are, and tell them to give you a time where you exemplified that strength,” suggests Dea. You might find some answers more helpful than others, but this initial framework will help you parse together how others see you as unique or valuable.

If you don’t know if you can rely on your network, says Dea, instead ask yourself, “Why do people pick up the phone and call me?” or “What do people come to me for advice on, or help with?”

You can also look at your past performance evaluations. What kind of positive feedback do you consistently get? What are people saying about you at work? Use these as leverage as you move to the next step.

3. Reflect on Your Own

“There are different things that you bring to the job beyond your title and beyond your hard skills,” says career coach Theresa Merrill , so consider what other experiences, soft skills, or expertise you have beyond your direct work history that could make you a good fit for the role or organization.

As an example, Merrill is a career coach who comes not from an HR background but one in sales and marketing. This is what she emphasizes when talking about what makes her unique because it allows her to differentiate herself from coaches that offer similar services in interview or LinkedIn coaching.

4. Gather Proof

“Any type of data point, qualitative or quantitative,” says Dea, takes your response from just OK to great.

For example, explains Merrill, you don’t just want to say “I’m persistent, which makes me great at sales.”

“Demonstrating your persistence is much more powerful than just using that adjective,” she says. So, you’d want to explain how you’ve been persistent in your career and the outcome of that. Did it help you exceed goal? Attract a pool of great clients? Motivate the rest of your team to increase revenue?

5. Put It All Together

Take what you know about the company or role and what you know your strengths are and compare the two: Are there one to two skills that overlap? Those should be the focal points of your answer. You don’t want to just rattle off a laundry list of things that are great about yourself.

Here are a couple good sample responses to show what this looks like in practice:

“What makes me unique is that I basically taught myself animation from scratch. I was immediately drawn to it in college, and with the limited resources available to me, I decided to take matters into my own hands—and that’s the approach I take in all aspects of my work as a video editor. I don’t just wait around for things to happen, and when I can, I’m always eager to step in and take on new projects, pick up new skills, or brainstorm new ideas.”

“I actually started a career in editorial after transitioning from a role in the health and wellness industry to an internship at an online publication. Because I came in as a career changer and ‘started over’ in a more entry-level role, I have direct experience that can easily be applied to writing career advice. I know what readers want, what questions they have, and how they want that advice to be delivered because I was in their shoes, and going through that transition taught me so much about the job search and ignited my passion for helping others find a career path they love like I was able to.”

“I’m uniquely qualified for this role because I’m incredibly organized. And I’m not just saying that—I live for my planner (and my Google Calendar). In my past role as an executive assistant, I was constantly answering calls and responding to hundreds of emails a day, and thanks to my diligence, the CEO never had a missed message or mistake in their schedule.”

6. Tighten It and Practice It

Chances are you won’t nail your pitch after a minute of reading this article and pondering your thoughts. Like any interview question, answering “What makes you unique?” requires some self-reflection, brainstorming, and reiterating.

Merrill recommends “writing it down, scripting it, tightening it, saying it out loud, [and] hearing how it sounds.” The more you practice your response, she states, the more natural (and less rambly) it will seem, and the less flustered you’ll be when the question comes up. Time yourself to make sure it’s no longer than, say, 30 or 60 seconds, and run it by a friend to see what they think.

And if you need a gut check on whether or not your final answer is any good? “If anyone else could say what you’re saying, that is probably a sign that you can strengthen your answer,” says Dea.

(Looking for more interview advice? Read this article on answering other common interview questions you might face.)

How to Answer “What Makes You Unique?” in 150 Characters

You’ll sometimes see in online applications a question like, “In 150 characters or fewer, tell us what makes you unique. Try to be creative and say something that will catch our eye!” Since you’ve only got a sentence or two to make your point, you’ll want to boil your answer down to the essentials: a single strength and how it makes you perfect for this job.

So taking the examples above, here’s how you could condense them to answer the prompt effectively:

I taught myself animation from scratch in college. I don’t just wait for things to happen at work—I proactively and eagerly pursue them.

I started a career in editorial after transitioning from the health industry. Because I was in their shoes, I know what career advice readers need.

I’m incredibly organized and live for my planner—and as a result my old boss never had a missed message or mistake in their schedule.

• Applying For Scholarships

About Yourself Scholarship Essay Examples (2023)

Jennifer Finetti Sep 28, 2022

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A popular scholarship essay prompt is “Tell us about yourself.” This question is relatively open-ended, which may make it difficult to answer at first glance. What should I tell them about myself? My struggles, my goals, my passions…? These may all be fitting topics, depending on the scholarship. We’ll show you some scholarship essay examples about yourself, along with writing tips to guide you along the way.

What they want to know about you

As you prepare to write, think of the topics the scholarship committee would be interested in. These may include:

• Your current degree, as it applies to your overall career goals. You can explain why you chose your current educational path and what you want to do with that.
• Your short-term and long-term professional goals . Frame your answer as if to say “Where will you be in 5 years? Where will you be in 10 years?” Scholarship committees like to reward people with defined aspirations.
• Past experiences that sparked your passions. You could talk about an influential person in your life, but make sure most of the essay focuses on you. After all, you are talking about yourself.
• Something about you that relates to their organization. With any scholarship essay, you should try to connect yourself with the organization providing the funding. Don’t force a connection. Find one that naturally fits. Mention hobbies, experiences and goals that match what the review committee is looking for.
• Something unique that sets you apart from other applicants. This may be volunteer experience, career specialties, situational differences (growing up in an area that didn’t encourage education), etc.

Note that you do not have to throw all this information into one essay. Choose the elements that best fit the scholarship. If you were on the review board, what would you want to learn about each applicant? What would make you choose one applicant over another? Keep this in mind as you develop your thoughts.

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What they don’t want to know about you

There is plenty of information you could include in an about yourself scholarship essay. There is just as much information to avoid though. Some topics to keep out of your essay include:

• False information. Do not make up stories or fabricate goals to fit the prompt. The scholarship committee can instantly tell when someone is lying, and they will disqualify you immediately.
• Past struggles that do not pertain to the essay topic. You can briefly mention struggles from your past, as long as you mention how you’ve learned from them. Do not make your essay a long story about the hard life you’ve led. Focus on your triumphs, not your obstacles.
• Vague goals and aspirations. Scholarships are usually given to students who have a plan. If you say, “I’m not sure what I’m doing yet,” the committee will select a more motivated candidate. If you have a plan and a backup plan, that’s fine. Just make sure you mention both options and show which one you favor.
• Cliché stories that most people tell. There is something that makes you stand out as a person. Use that to your advantage. Don’t rely on generic information they’ll find with other applicants.
• Unrelated elements of your personal life. In most cases, you should not mention your significant other in the essay. You might mention a spouse if you need to reference your children or a turning point in your life, but these personal details do not fit most essays. Any information that seems frivolous or ill-placed should be removed from the essay.

Read through your essay carefully. If you stop at one point to say, “Why did I mention that?” get rid of the corresponding information. Showcase the best elements about yourself in a fluid and cohesive manner.

Short scholarship essay example: Tell us about yourself (100 Words)

With 100 words, you can only focus on one or two elements of your life. Think about your biggest selling points – the things that show you are the ideal candidate. Start by introducing yourself and your educational status. Then jump into the main topic of the essay. You may not have room to mention how the scholarship will help your education. Instead, mention how your education can help your career. The other information will be implied.

My name is Christian Wood. I am a high school senior who will be attending the University of Nevada, Reno in the fall. I want to become an online journalist. My goal is to work for the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Huffington Post, or another news outlet that has a strong online presence. Most people already get their news on the internet, and the industry will be even bigger by the time I graduate. Getting a degree in journalism with a focus on digital media will set me up for a fulfilling, fast-paced career fit for the future.

Word Count: 96

Medium scholarship essay example: Tell us about yourself (250 Words)

With a mid-length scholarship essay, you have more space to explain how your past has influenced your present and future goals. You should have rom for an intro paragraph, a few body paragraphs, and a conclusion (maybe incorporated into the last body paragraph). Think of a few main points you want to touch on, and write those down first. If you still have room, you can add more details about yourself.

My name is Sarah, and I spent most of my childhood on the wrong medication. I experienced a problem common in clinical psychology – misdiagnosis. Professionals provide inaccurate diagnoses for many reasons – f rom antiquated testing methods to limited education. I want to open my own psychological testing facility and help change that. Therefore, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology.  I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child because I had trouble focusing in school. The medication m y doctor prescribed to me only made me numb to the world around me. I couldn’t think or process emotions, or had no emotions at all. After several years my parents finally decided to get a second opinion. I saw a specialist and she concluded that I didn’t have ADHD , but a combination of dyslexia and dysgraphia (difficulties with reading and writing). She sent us to a therapist who helped me learn how to work around my conditions, and my life improved tremendously. I went from being a lifeless student with barely passing grades to an honor roll student full of joy and excitement. Unfortunately, my story is not one of a kind. There are countless children in America who are put on mind-altering medications that do not adequately address their needs. I cannot help all of those children, but I can provide a better alternative for the ones in my area. Through proper education, funded by financial aid, I can learn about psychological evaluations and provide the most accurate diagnoses possible.

Word Count: 249

Long scholarship essay example: Tell us about yourself (500 Words)

Scholarship essays that are 500 words or longer let you tell the whole story. You can discuss your past, present and future in a comprehensive manner. Avoid rambling and make sure each topic contributes to the overall essay. If one piece feels out of place, remove it and elaborate more on the existing elements. By the end of the essay, the reader should have a full understanding of who you are and what you want to accomplish.

My name is Sierra Breault, and I am a junior at Murray State University. I am double-majoring in Criminal Justice and Forensics Science, and I will graduate in 2024 with two bachelor degrees. My career goal is in social justice, so I can contribute to criminal justice reform. I want to ensure that those who commit crimes are treated fairly.  I come from a small town where excessive force and even death by cop incidents are often committed, especially against minorities. A few years ago, one of my relatives was charged for a crime although the crime scene evidence wasn’t properly obtained, catalogued and analyzed.  This experience played a big part in my wish to study criminal justice. I started exploring the career more when I decided that a desk job just wasn’t for me. Throughout high school I struggled because of the routine nature of it all. I saw the same people and attended the same classes every single day. I knew I didn’t want a job that would be that stagnant. That’s when I got the idea to work in law enforcement, because there would always be a new challenge for me to tackle. After researching the field even more, I set my sights on crime scene investigation. I have performed much better academically in college than I ever did in high school. That’s because there is no routine to the experience. Every week, I have new projects to complete, tests to study for, and activities to try. I have been involved with the campus Crime Stoppers organization all three years of college, and I was elected president for the upcoming term. This lets me work closely with law enforcement to supplement my college education and further my career.   After graduating, I will apply for work as a dispatcher in a state organization, such as the Department of Criminal Investigation. While my ultimate goal is to work as a forensic analyst or crime scene investigator, those positions usually only go to people within the organization. Dispatch is the most direct option for career entry, giving me the best chance to pursue my dream career. I am applying for this scholarship to help me finish the last two years of my degrees. As a college junior and soon-to-be senior, my scholarship opportunities are limited. Most awards are reserved for freshmen. I took advantage of those early on, and I have one recurring scholarship that covers half of my tuition. However, I need additional financial aid to cover the remainder of my academic costs. I appreciate your consideration, and I hope that you can help me pursue a profession in criminal justice. This is my passion, and I have a clear plan to turn that passion into a lifelong career.

Word Count: 463

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• Scholarship Essay

Jennifer Finetti

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable - this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl. Jennifer has coached students from around the world, as well as in-person with local students in her own community. Her areas of focus include career exploration, major selection, college search and selection, college application assistance, financial aid and scholarship consultation, essay review and feedback, and more. She works with students who are at the top of their class, as well as those who are struggling. She firmly believes that all students, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed if they stay focused and work hard in school. Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

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• Legacy Projects

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

Updated 06/4/2022

Published 06/19/2020

Yvonne Bertovich

Contributing writer

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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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Myself — About Myself

Essay Examples About Myself

Engaging prompts for your essay about myself.

Prompt 1: Describe a moment in your life that significantly influenced your personal development. How did it shape the person you are today?

Prompt 2: What are your major achievements, and why do you consider them as such? Discuss what these achievements reveal about your character and values.

Prompt 3: Reflect on a challenge you've faced. How did you overcome it, and what did you learn about yourself in the process?

Brainstorming and Choosing a Unique Essay About Myself Topic

Brainstorming is crucial for uncovering unique aspects of your story. Reflect on memorable experiences, achievements, and lessons learned to find a central theme or unique angle for your essay.

Unique Essay Topics Beyond the Common Narratives

• The Intersection of Personal Adversity and Academic Pursuit
• From Hobby to Purpose
• Cultural Heritage and Identity
• Innovation in Solitude
• Navigating the World as a Neurodiverse Individual

Inspirational Writing Samples for Your Essay About Myself

"Facing the mountain, I felt an unprecedented mix of fear and exhilaration. Climbing had always been a metaphor for my life's challenges. Each step upward mirrored my journey of overcoming [specific challenge], teaching me resilience, focus, and the importance of trust. Through this experience, I discovered that perseverance, even in the face of uncertainty, is the key to surmounting obstacles."

Phrases for Inspiration:

• "Transforming setbacks into comebacks, I learned..."
• "In the crucible of [experience], I forged..."
• "Navigating the intricate tapestry of [situation] revealed to me..."
• "The confluence of [event] and my response to it underscored the importance of..."
• "Drawing from the well of my experiences, I find strength in..."

My Personal Experience: My Experiences in My Life

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What is Your True Self: The Importance of Self-awareness

How my future self is my hero, me, myself and i: ordinary person, real-life experience, the void in my life, admission to the university of adelaide: describe your background, answer on the large-scale question 'who am i', the way my curiosity defines myself and my desires, understanding myself: exploring the layers of my personality, that's how my personality defines myself, who am i: a glimpse of my personality development, one day i'll be someone's first choice, analysis of my top-5 personal strengths, self-awareness: my experience on path to better me, analysis of a teenager's personality profile, a look at the benefit of personal encouragement, who am i: answering the question through the body theory, memory theory, and illusion theory, a reflection on myself as a writer, the analysis of my personality tests, personal writing: why i love winter, personal narrative: myself as a writer, relevant topics.

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36 Smart Answers to “What Makes You Unique?”

Interviewers ask the question “What makes you unique?” to determine how you stand out from other candidates: they want to know what specific qualities, skills, or experiences you possess that will bring success to the position they are filling. This question helps interviewers assess your self-awareness , confidence , and ability to effectively communicate your strengths .

Related: “What Sets You Apart”: Smart Answers

35 Best Answers to “What Are Your Strengths?”

30 Best Answers to “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

Identifying Your Unique Qualities

To answer this question:

• Start by reviewing the job description and pinpointing key skills or requirements for the position.
• Identify your own experiences or qualities that align with these key attributes.
• Focus on the aspects of your background, personality, or life experiences that make you uniquely suited for the job.

Emphasize aspects of your experience and skills that align with the position’s requirements, while also highlighting personal or life experiences that set you apart from other candidates.

36 Sample Answers to “What Makes You Unique?”

• When asked, “What makes you unique?” you could reply: “I have a strong ability to identify problems and implement innovative solutions quickly. In my previous job, I was responsible for improving our customer support process, which led to a 30% increase in customer satisfaction. This shows my drive for excellence and my determination to always seek improvements.”
• You might want to mention your enthusiasm as a unique trait: “I am extremely passionate about the work I do, and I bring this energy to every task I undertake. My enthusiasm positively influences my team members, and I have found it helps us achieve our goals more effectively. My passion drives me to consistently perform above expectations.”
• Showcase your accomplishments as a factor that sets you apart: “My unique combination of skills led me to be recognized as the top salesperson at my previous company for three consecutive years. I expertly balance relationship building with a focus on meeting targets to drive growth and ensure success.”
• You could emphasize your adaptability: “I am highly adaptable and can comfortably work in various environments or industry sectors. For example, I have experience in sales, marketing, and customer service, which has provided me with a well-rounded understanding of different business areas.”
• Highlighting your dedication to lifelong learning might impress interviewers: “I’m committed to continually developing my skills and knowledge in my field. I consistently attend conferences, read industry publications, and take courses to stay updated on the latest trends and practices. This commitment allows me to bring fresh ideas and perspectives to my work.”
• Perhaps you want to mention how you balance work and personal life: “I pride myself on maintaining an excellent work-life balance, allowing me to stay focused and productive during work hours but also having time to pursue personal interests and hobbies. This gives me a healthy perspective and positively impacts my overall performance.”
• You could speak to your ability to communicate effectively: “My strong communication skills and ability to relate to people from diverse backgrounds make me highly effective in team environments. I have a proven track record of resolving conflicts and fostering collaboration, which makes our team projects successful.”
• Draw attention to your ability as a mentor: “I enjoy mentoring and sharing my knowledge with others, which benefits both my personal growth and the development of my team members. I have a history of empowering and guiding colleagues to help them reach their full potential.”
• Your resourcefulness could be a point of interest: “I am resourceful and creative when faced with challenges or limited resources. This enables me to find unique solutions and operate efficiently, regardless of constraints.”
• Emphasizing your work ethic: “I’m known for my strong work ethic and dedication to always putting forth my best effort. I take pride in consistently delivering high-quality results and have built a reputation as someone my team can rely on to execute tasks on-time and accurately.”
• Showcase your leadership skills: “I have developed strong leadership skills throughout my career, allowing me to effectively guide teams and make strategic decisions. My ability to inspire and motivate those around me helps to cultivate a positive and productive work environment.”
• Or, you could focus on your attention to detail: “My meticulous attention to detail allows me to quickly spot errors and discrepancies that others might miss, ensuring the highest quality of work. This has saved my team considerable time and effort, as well as prevented potential issues.”
• More examples: “My dedication to learning new skills sets me apart. I constantly seek opportunities to improve my expertise and apply that knowledge to my work.”
• “I bring a unique combination of marketing and design experience, which allows me to approach projects with creative and effective strategies.”
• “My bilingual background allows me to communicate seamlessly with diverse teams and clients, ensuring successful collaboration on projects.”
• “I am an avid problem-solver who enjoys tackling complex challenges, and I have a track record of finding innovative solutions that drive success.”
• “My exceptional time-management skills help me juggle multiple tasks without compromising on quality or deadlines, especially when working under pressure.”
• “My strong interpersonal skills have allowed me to create and maintain great working relationships with coworkers and clients, fostering a positive work environment.”
• “I pride myself on being very adaptable, making it easier for me to adjust to new situations, teams, and roles within a company.”
• “As a lifelong volunteer, I bring a strong sense of community and empathy, which has aided me in understanding the unique needs of clients and coworkers.”
• “Through my experience in diverse industries, I gained a well-rounded perspective that allows me to approach tasks and projects from different angles.”
• “As a self-starter, I am proactive in identifying areas for improvement and taking the necessary steps to ensure the success of the team and the company as a whole.”
• “My resilience and ability to bounce back from setbacks have allowed me to learn from my mistakes and continuously grow both personally and professionally.”
• “I have a knack for storytelling, which helps me present complex ideas in a compelling way, making it more accessible and engaging for my audience.”
• “ My background in both marketing and data analytics sets me apart from other candidates. This allows me to effectively analyze marketing data while also devising creative strategies for driving customer engagement.”
• “As someone who has worked remotely for several years, I have developed strong communication and time management skills that would make me an asset to this team.”
• “I am fluent in three languages, which makes me an asset in providing customer support to a diverse range of clients.”
• “I am a certified yoga instructor, and I believe in incorporating mindfulness and stress reduction techniques into my work environment, leading to increased productivity and teamwork among colleagues.”
• “I have an extensive background in nonprofit management, which includes grant writing, budgeting, and strategic planning. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to help grow and maintain the financial stability of the organization.”
• “I have a strong track record of building rapport with clients in my previous sales role, consistently exceeding sales targets and receiving high satisfaction ratings.”
• “With a background in both graphic design and writing, I have developed a creative approach to problem-solving that allows me to generate innovative solutions to business challenges.”
• “As a military veteran, I have learned the importance of discipline, teamwork, and adaptability. These traits make me a valuable addition to any team.”
• “I have experience working with both children and adults with special needs, making me uniquely qualified to meet the diverse needs of clients in this occupational therapy role.”
• “In the past, I have taken on several leadership roles, engaging in volunteer work, and mentoring relationships. These experiences have helped me develop strong leadership and communication skills.”
• “Having completed a coding bootcamp, I am skilled in multiple programming languages and have a strong grasp of best practices. This knowledge allows me to quickly adapt and contribute to various projects.”
• “I have a strong background in both technical support and customer service, which enables me to give clients a seamless support experience while effectively troubleshooting and resolving any issues they encounter.”

Personality Traits

Adaptability.

Showcasing your adaptability can help set you apart. When asked “What makes you unique?” consider sharing an example of your ability to adapt quickly to new situations. For example, you could say, “I embrace change in the workplace and am always eager to learn new skills. In my previous role, my team had to switch to remote work unexpectedly, and I quickly became an expert in using remote collaboration tools to keep the team on track.”

Empathy is a valuable trait to demonstrate during an interview. A good answer that highlights empathy could be, “I’ve found that my ability to empathize with others allows me to build strong relationships with team members and clients. I actively listen to their concerns and strive to understand their experiences, which has helped me adapt my communication style to make others feel comfortable.”

Related: Examples of Empathy (and 38 Empathy Statements)

Enthusiasm can make a significant impact on a hiring manager. When answering what makes you unique, use an example that illustrates your excitement about the role, company, or industry. For example, you could say, “I am genuinely enthusiastic about my work and continuously seek opportunities to expand my knowledge. I recently completed a certification course in digital marketing, even though it wasn’t required for my previous position, because I wanted to deepen my expertise.”

Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution skills are an essential aspect of effective teamwork. Prove your ability to handle difficult situations by sharing an example from a previous job. For example, “I have a strong ability to mediate conflicts and maintain positive team dynamics. In my last job, two coworkers were disagreeing over a project that was causing delays. I stepped in, listened to their concerns, and facilitated a solution that satisfied both parties and got the project back on track.”

Related: How to Choose a Conflict Management Style? [5 Styles with Examples]

By focusing on adaptability, empathy, enthusiasm, or conflict resolution you’ll demonstrate qualities that a hiring manager is likely to find attractive. Use examples from your experience to showcase these traits, and be confident in presenting yourself as a unique candidate.

Skills and Abilities

Technical skills.

When answering “What makes you unique?” in a job interview, you can highlight your technical skills that set you apart. For example:

• “I have mastered HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and have successfully built several websites from scratch. This experience makes me a strong candidate for web development roles.”
• “I am a certified project manager with a track record of completing projects on time and within budget. This demonstrates my ability to lead a team and ensure success.”
• “My experience with data analysis and visualization tools like Tableau and Excel have allowed me to create impactful reports and make data-driven decisions.”

Soft Skills

You should also emphasize your soft skills which contribute to your uniqueness.

• “I have excellent time-management skills and can juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. I believe this ability allows me to perform well in high-pressure environments.”
• “My communication skills help me effectively convey ideas to colleagues and clients alike. I think this makes me an asset in collaborative projects.”
• “I pride myself on my problem-solving abilities, which enables me to approach complex situations with clarity and determination. This skill helps me excel in challenging roles.”

Try to be specific about the skills and abilities you possess and how they contribute to your uniqueness in the workplace. Providing real-life examples of how you’ve applied those skills in your work history can make your answer more convincing and memorable to the interviewer.

The key to answering this question effectively is to focus on your personal strengths and abilities, providing specific examples that demonstrate how your unique qualities will benefit the company. By doing so, you’ll leave a lasting impression and increase your chances of landing the job. Good luck!

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How to Answer “Tell Me Something Interesting About Yourself” in an Interview (15+ Examples)

One of the most common job interview questions, “Tell me something interesting about yourself,” can be tough to answer. If you find it hard to come up with something interesting on the spot, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered.

According to experts, here are helpful tips on answering this question effectively and making a great impression on your interviewer.

Amy Feind Reeves

Founder and CEO,  JobCoachAmy

Let your enthusiasm show through; be engaging

Everyone wants to work with an interesting colleague—that doesn’t mean you need to keep bees, play tournament-level chess or create Moroccan hand carvings using 18th- century techniques in order to be deemed interesting.

If the honest answer to this question for you is that you love to watch college basketball and look forward to March Madness every year more than anything else, then that is your answer!

The trick is to let your enthusiasm show through. Most offices are not full of people with super cool hobbies, and the one for which you were interviewing likely is not either.

What most offices want to be filled with, however, are people who can be genuinely enthusiastic and engaging. Because the more interested you are, the more interesting you will be. It also means you are more likely to become enthusiastic and engaged at work, with work, and about work.

Use the question in a way that works for you

As a hiring manager, I never minded if someone interpreted this question in any of these ways:

What makes you quirky? A sample answer in this category may be:

• “I love to read fiction, but I always read the last page first,” or,
• “I love airplanes and always look up where and how a plane was made before I get on it.”

What is a fun fact about you? A sample answer may be:

• “I am 6,523 in line to run the Hapsburg dynasty if it ever comes back,” or
• “I have memorized the lyrics to every song in the Beatles catalog.”

What do you like to do in your free time? A sample answer here is:

• “I make a lot of recipes from the Great British Baking show for my roommates,” or,
• “ I lift weights and can bench press 250 pounds. “

Try to avoid starting your answer with something like:

“Other people may not find this interesting, but you don’t have to apologize about being yourself to anyone, anywhere, ever. “

Related: How to Come up With Interesting Facts About Yourself

Be authentic; you really can’t go wrong in your answer if you answer truthfully

You really can’t go wrong in your answer if you answer truthfully . I want to see your face light up, your body visibly relax, and get a glimpse of what you are like as a person, not as an understandably nervous candidate.

Don’t use an answer that someone told you would be good or that you got from the internet; I will know. Don’t practice your answer until all life drains away.

Owner,  Mair Hill Consulting

Figure out your personal themes

Some people call it your themes, perhaps part of your brand, but I like the way Laura Belgray (Talking Shrimp) says it best—she calls it your Coat of Arms . Those things that make you, you . Those things that, when shared, make you human.

These are 5-7 subjects that you write about, talk about, and sprinkle in conversations.

• They keep you on brand.
• They keep you on track.
• They make it easier to reach for something to say.
• They make it easier to keep track of a small bank of stories that can be easily retrieved when you’re asked to “tell me something interesting about yourself.”

It’s worth taking the time to figure out your personal themes. Start noticing what lights you up, what you look forward to, perhaps, what you’re good at or what you like to talk about.

Have a brain dump; write down everything that pops into your head

To start, have a brain dump and just write down everything that pops into your head. I prefer pen and paper (your brain does too) but if you’re better with an electronic list, keep it there. Make that your working list . There is no right or wrong.

Over the next week or two, add to your list. No judgment. No it. Just write it down. At the end of your two weeks, review your list and choose the top 5-7 subjects. That’s your Coat of Arms.

Don’t worry, it’s not set in stone—you can pick new themes at any time. The more you use Your Coat of Arms, the more you’ll refine it, and the easier it will be to use it.

Once you know what’s in Your Coat of Arms , figure out the interesting stories that capture each one of your chosen themes . Think through those stories from start to finish to make sure there’s not a sad ending or a controversial topic.

The idea with your stories is to be engaging and even entertaining instead of inciteful.

• Keep your stories on point and leave out irrelevant details.
• Avoid going down rabbit holes that just tend to confuse your listener. Don’t make your listener have to work hard to follow along.
• These are meant to be easy conversation starters that you can keep in your back pocket.

Once you’ve done the work and created your bank of stories, you’ll always be at the ready to “tell me something interesting about yourself.”

My Coat of Arms includes baking, my boys, Beaver Island, road trips, common courtesy, mutual respect, and connecting people. In each of those subjects, I could recount several storied examples.

For instance, earlier this year, I embarked on a 2431-mile road trip with my 87-year-old Mom (Clearly, there’s more to that story).

Shira Miller, CPCC

Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and Chief Communications Officer | Author, “ Free and Clear: Get Unstuck and Live the Life You Want “

Keep it personal but professional

Remember that this is a job interview, not a date or a dinner party situation where you might give an extremely personal answer that veers into TMI (too much information) territory.

Your response should walk the line between showcasing your personality/interests and demonstrating how you are a great fit for the job.

Be authentic; consider what generally “interesting” experiences you have had

Consider what generally interesting experiences you have had—things few people have done, something out of the ordinary or admirable that you have accomplished – and how that showcases some of your best qualities.

An example that comes to mind is my husband, a senior executive in the technology field.

In his early forties, he started competing in triathlons and, after a few years, was doing full Ironman competitions around the U.S., which included a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run.

Training for and finishing that kind of competition takes a tremendous amount of grit and endurance—he used that as a personal talking point to illustrate his ability to “go the distance” at work too.

Do your homework; research their background and experiences

If you know who you are interviewing with, research their background and experiences to notice places of alignment with your interests.

Learn as much as possible about how their business describes their culture, and then choose something authentic from your life as a response.

For example, if they describe their culture as entrepreneurial and encourage people to fail forward and learn from mistakes , then you might want to share a story about yourself that showcases your ability to successfully take risks, like:

• Moving to another city without knowing anyone because it aligned with your personal interests and ways in which that paid off.
• How you started a side business in college that ended up funding your entire academic experience.

Keep it brief; a minute or two should suffice

Give the top-line summary of what’s interesting to pique their interest in learning more about you, but then know when to stop talking . A minute or two should suffice unless they ask follow-up questions to learn more.

Let’s say that you love making chocolate treats. You are interviewing for a graphic designer job, so that showcases your creative abilities in another format, and your response to the “tell me something interesting” question might be:

“I loved the movie “Willy Wonka” growing up and started experimenting making my own chocolates, and now create high-end treats in fun shapes for my dinner parties.”

And then you are done, rather than going into a 10-minute rabbit hole about the topic that causes the interviewer to lose interest.

Louis Melendez

Communication Coach and Founder, Have Better Conversations

Interviewers ask this question because they want to see that you can talk about yourself in clear, concise language . They’re also hoping to learn more about your background and what’s important to you.

Your answer does not necessarily need to be work-related, but it shouldn’t be extremely personal either. It should provide some insight into who you are as a person and what you might bring to the team.

When answering this question, it’s best to be boastful , specific , and concise . The examples below illustrate what I mean.

Be boastful; talk about yourself from a place of confidence and pride

You don’t want to be overly self-important, but you do want to boast a bit and talk about yourself from a place of confidence and pride .

For example:

“I’ve been very passionate about public speaking and performance since high school. I’ve competed in Shakespeare monologue contests, done improv and stand-up comedy, and enjoy getting in front of crowds of all sizes.”

With this answer, I’ve given the interviewer some fun, specific details about myself without going into minutiae or droning on for too long.

I’ve also stated a positive trait about me that could be relevant to the job function. The interviewer now has the opportunity to ask any number of follow-up questions.

Be specific; it helps build credibility

Specificity helps build credibility. Vivid details also are a lot more likely to stick out and be remembered later when your interviewer is compiling their notes.

• “I’ve coached many dozens of people to be more confident speakers,” versus,
• “I recently celebrated my 87th new client. One of my latest clients, Megan, just earned the promotion we’ve been working towards all quarter, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

The latter does more than just state what I do. It illustrates the impact of my work, which will help the interviewer get a more complete picture.

Be concise; give the interviewer a preview of our talents and abilities

A common trap people fall into during interviews is trying to give their whole life story. Remember, less is more. We can’t – and shouldn’t try – to give the entire context around a story or recite an entire laundry list of our accomplishments.

We simply want to give the interviewer a preview of our talents and abilities and then take a pause to allow for any follow-up questions.

“I’m proud to say that I’ve been in the top 5% of sellers at my company for the last three quarters running.”

Any personal or professional detail about you will sound interesting if you’re a little boastful, specific, and concise. The point isn’t so much to force some interesting factoid as it is to speak with confidence and poise when talking about yourself.

Anything sounds interesting when it’s delivered well.

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

Laurence J. Stybel, Ed.D.

Co-Founder and President,  Stybel Peabody Associates, Inc.

Using a theme can provide a dramatic way to differentiate you from competitors

Good stories have four acts:

• The happy ending
• What it means. Don’t assume your audience “gets it.”

“I’m a Mitten Finder”

A COO candidate wanted to create a memorable image about how she does not let important details slip.

Set-up: “My boss was Executive Director of a nonprofit. We attended a national conference held during the winter. It featured a large conference hall full of exhibitors.”

The crisis: “My boss misplaced her left mitten. I said I would look for it. I went back to the crowded exhibition room, looked at the floors, and spoke with exhibitors about that missing mitten.”

Happy ending: “I found the missing mitten!”

What it means: This story illustrates my focus on details and not giving up when things seem overwhelming. “I am a mitten finder!”

Using the theme “I am a Mitten Finder” was a powerful, dramatic way to differentiate this candidate from competitors who were saying, “I’m detail focused.”

Maureen Farmer 

CEO and Founder, Westgate Executive Branding & Career Consulting Inc.

Know your skills; create an accurate picture of your skill set

Before setting out to market yourself, you must have a good knowledge of “the product”— you .

To do this, you need to create an accurate picture of your skill set. You have to gain a solid understanding of your own qualifications.

You should:

• Know your area of expertise (specialty, level, stature)
• Know your background (education, experience, accomplishments)
• Know your style (personality, individuality)
• Know your added value (unique offerings)

Position yourself a solution

Employers are not looking for a specific person with skills to hire. They are looking for a specific solution to their specific problem.

If automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning have taught us anything, it is that when businesses can automate a task to avoid costs, they will do so.

Positioning yourself as a solution rather than an executive looking for a job will create clarity and confidence as you navigate the selection and interview process.

In my own experience recruiting executives, I noticed most candidates were unclear on the specific value they deliver. They spoke in general and broad terms about their responsibilities, whereas very few were able to articulate the specific benefits (with metrics).

Here is what you can say:

“I am the CEO of a non-profit organization with 15 years of experience. When my last company hired me, we were $200,000 in debt and had a high employee turnover.

I ordered a complete financial audit and discovered some major inefficiencies, and corrected them. I spearheaded a new fundraising strategy, and I initiated an employee loyalty program.

After 18 months, we were $1.5M profitable. Employee turnover has reduced by 35%, and we have exceeded our funding goals for the current year. Donors have increased by an average of 24% year over year.

The Board was very pleased with these results, and our improved employee engagement has reduced churn. We are now receiving excellent media coverage. Our clients are benefiting from the success.”

Keynote Speaker | Coach | Consultant | Innovator and CEO, PsychoGeometrics ™

Organize your response in a natural and succinct manner without it sounding scripted or rehearsed

Start with, “What, specifically, would you like to know?”

• Would you like to hear something unique about my professional experience or results?
• Would you like me to start with something interesting regarding where I grew up, my friends or family?

Seeking to listen and understand, then customizing your response shows your ability to be confident, present, authentic, and provide the answer that is most important to the interviewer, instead of what you think is important to share about you.

Be real, be honest, take a moment to process a question, then answer genuinely, giving the interviewer the option to move on or ask more questions.

Pausing to think, clarifying the question, processing what you heard, or making sure you understand what the interviewer wants and how they want it is powerful. Just remember, as much as they want to know about you, your job is to know about them and the company they represent.

You are looking for the right fit, so it’s completely OK to interview the interviewer, respectfully, of course.

Finally, always remember you are the right person, but every opportunity is not always the right fit. Make sure you are interviewing as much as you are being interviewed.

When asked a personal question, think ‘ been ,’ ‘ now ,’ and ‘ going .’ This will help you organize your response in a natural and succinct manner without it sounding scripted or rehearsed.

Been: “My parents were in the military, which means I moved 14 times in my first 18 years of life, went to six different high schools, and as a result learned to be extremely adaptable to change.”

Now: “ I find myself thriving on change in my career. I am always looking for something new and challenging, or else I can become bored quickly.”

Going: “However, I am not looking to have 14 different jobs in the next 18 years! Instead, I am looking for one company, where I can continuously learn new things and grow in my career, experiencing all of the various functions within the company.”

Been: “Growing up, our family was a foster family for dogs. I loved it when we got a new dog but didn’t like it when we had to give it back for his forever home. “

My parents tried to convince me what a good thing we were doing, but I still had a hard time with it and always vowed I would provide “the forever home” for my own dog one day.”

Now: “I made good on that promise, and my wife and I just got our “forever” dog, Avery. She’s a mix of lab and corgi, and we got her from a foster family.

Going : “Funny how things come full circle. We are even considering being a foster family for dogs one day—maybe during our older years.”

Been: I have always wanted to travel and experience other countries and had just applied for my passport right before COVID-19 hit.

Now : “Nearly 2 ½ years later, I just got my passport and booked my first trip!”

Going: “I plan to spend my holiday in Europe this year.”

Avoid long, detailed stories that provide too much personal information

Avoid long, detailed stories that provide too much personal information. Keep it simple , short , relevant , and something relatable .

I recommend staying away from associating yourself with a specific cause that could be controversial unless it’s part of the job requirements or somehow related to the career you are pursuing, such as:

• a past or current movement,
• political party or decision, or

For example, it would be OK to say you enjoy running and that your favorite 5k is the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, but an interview is not the appropriate time to share an emotional or overly personal story as to why you chose the Race for the Cure—unless the interviewer asks you in a follow-up question.

It’s best to mention an interest that is relatable but not controversial.

For example, it would be OK to talk about belonging to a specific group of personal interest, such as a photography club. A photography club in and of itself is not controversial.

Besides, most people can relate to what it’s like to be a member of something, even if it’s something completely different than what they do. Plus, photographer skills might be a great asset for the job you’re applying for.

But you want to be careful to stay away from something that could be potentially divisive .

For example, if you said you loved to hunt, killing animals for sport or food, this could be a controversial topic.

It’s OK to be you, to have your personal interests, but if you bring them up during an interview, you could find yourself having to explain or defend what you do or why you do it or unknowingly offend the interviewer, who might be a vegetarian.

Alexandra N. Cohen

Strategy Consultant, ANC Consult

Highlight an experience that’s not on your resume but features a unique perspective

Whether you are interviewing for a new job or promotion in your company or interviewing prospective partners for a collaboration on a project, after talking about skills and experience, you get the question, “Tell me something interesting about yourself.”

This is an excellent way to go beyond the standard information on a resume. This is an opportunity to highlight an experience or accomplishment that may not be on your resume but that features a unique perspective or creative problem-solving experience.

• You are comfortable talking about the skills that make you an ideal candidate for this particular opportunity.
• Maybe you are interested in a particular project within the company’s portfolio, and you volunteered on a similar project with a nonprofit in your community, but it isn’t on your resume.

This is the moment to highlight that experience and make a link between your volunteer work and the new role that might not be evident from simply discussing a particular skill set.

Another example of answering “Tell me something interesting about yourself” may lead you to talk about:

• Traveling extensively during a period of your life,
• Demonstrating so-called soft skills like flexibility, ingenuity, and curiosity that aren’t listed on your resume but are valuable for the new role you seek.

We want to figure out if our vision and goals align with the person conducting the interview or with whom we may launch a business venture.

Sharing an interesting fact or (short) anecdote with an interviewer or prospective business partner opens the door to a more engaging conversation and the ability to determine whether the opportunity is really a good fit.

Jessica Robinson

Content and Marketing Manager ,  SpeakingNerd

Answer the question in time and with a great sense of self-awareness

In every interview you appear for in your life, you are likely to be asked the question, “tell me something interesting about yourself.” In fact, this is where a lot of people will begin to fumble or start looking for answers. This happens when people are not self-aware.

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It is rather hilarious that most of us struggle to talk about ourselves. Can you relate to the same? We can speak for minutes when it comes to speaking about others or some random topic. However, we find it hard talking about our own selves.

Talk about your strengths and the unique propositions you can bring to the table

When you are asked this question in an interview, you must perceive and approach it positively . The best way to go about this is to perceive this question as a great opportunity to talk about your strengths and the unique propositions you can bring to the table.

Highlight the best things about your personality while aligning your answer with the job description

If you look at it from the viewpoint of the recruiters, they want to delve deeper into your personality by finding answers to this question. So, it will be great to highlight the best things about your personality here while aligning your answer with the dynamics of the job description.

Related: Why Are Job Descriptions Important in the Recruiting Process?

For instance, let’s say you are appearing for a job interview for the position of a project manager in an MNC, and you are asked this question in the course of the interview.

So, your answer can be something like:

“ Well, I would like to tell you that I feel for project management roles or other leadership roles in the contemporary world, emotional intelligence is an essential skill to have for keeping everyone on the same page and creating better cohesion within the teams.

Moreover, EQ is also important to ensure effective decision-making at the team level. I realized that at an early stage, and I have consistently worked on my emotional intelligence to bring greater efficiency into my approach to managing teams and projects. “

Related: Ways to Make Emotional Intelligence Work for You: A Guide to Feeling Better and Making Better Choices

Imagine the kind of positive impact such a balanced answer will have. Besides, it will also impress the recruiters with your approach to leadership roles.

In this way, in response to this particular question in the interview, you can:

• talk about what makes you stand out from others, or
• share an interesting perspective of yours with the interviewers that comes across as a strength of your personality.

Let’s consider another example to comprehend this in a more wholesome way.

Let’s say you are appearing for an interview for the position of content writer at a digital marketing firm. Now, when you are asked what the most interesting thing about you is, you can talk about your journey as a writer and how you decided that you should look to build a career in content writing.

Your answer can be something like:

“It makes me immensely happy to share with you the fact that I have always been a passionate writer right from my school days. I always dreamed of writing content for the world that can offer unique value to others and win their hearts.

I always wanted to be an author initially and write about fiction, but then later, I figured out that content writing on realistic topics is far more interesting than writing fiction.

However, for once in my life, I still want to write a fictional novel and see how it actually goes. I don’t only look at writing as a career option, but I think it is the joy of writing that means the most to me.”

So, this is how you can tackle this common yet imperative question that you are likely to come across in almost every interview.

Keep it aligned with the job profile

Whatever interesting things you want to tell about yourself to the recruiters, it is better to keep it aligned with the job profile or the skills linked to that job profile . The more you keep about your positive traits or perhaps some past achievements, the greater the impression you can form on the recruiters.

The key is to answer the question in time and with a great sense of self-awareness evident in the self-confidence with which you tackle this question.

Aurora Meneghello

Transformative Coach, Facilitator, and Founder,  Repurpose Your Purpose

Tell a story; a strong one can make a big difference

The oft-dreaded interview prompt “Tell me something interesting about yourself” is only scary if you don’t prepare for it. With some preparation, it can actually be a great opportunity to talk about what you think is the highlight of your experience as it relates to the position you want.

Start by understanding the company and position. Then think of a skill or specific experience you have that would be a great fit for it. Think of a moment when you showed that skill or acquired that experience. Or think of how you specifically use it in your current position and tell that story.

Make a point of how it relates to what you are applying to. If you tell a good story, a sentence or two will be enough to drive the point home. If the interviewer asks for something “interesting,” think of an interesting story! We all have one.

Ideally, it’s a story about work, but occasionally you can share something from outside of work, for example, from a volunteer or educational project.

Be authentic; really let yourself express how much you love it

Be authentic, really let yourself express how much you love it, or the impact it had on others, the results you achieved or contributed to in your current job, etc.

It’s crucial to think about what to share ahead of time. Often, it is difficult to think on the spot about the best examples. Keep your answer to 1-2 minutes, be yourself, and drive home the point of how relevant this is to the job you are interviewing for.

A strong answer can make a big difference and inspire the interviewer to ask more about the skill or experience you want to talk about the most.

Joanna Zambas

Career Expert,  Career Addict

Keep it concise and to the point

The best way to pitch yourself and let your interviewers know a bit more about you is to craft an elevator pitch about yourself and why you are suited for the job and the skills you have that would make you good at it.

Keep it concise and to the point; it’s important not to ramble on about yourself either.

For example, if you are applying for a management position at a company, tell them about your past/current job, the skills you use for it, and emphasize similar skills that would make you great at the management position.

“For the past five years, I’ve been working as an HR rep for company_____. I have some background in managing people and creating a great team environment.

Throughout my career, I’ve noticed that I’ve always been good with communication and creating a fair work environment for my co-workers.

For example, when I was working at _ ____, I led an HR project for teamwork skills in the workplace.”

Kevin Joey Chen

Content Director, Studyverse

Position yourself as a dynamic, interesting candidate

In an interview, always remember one thing: Your interviewer wants to see you do well.

Think about it this way. If an interviewer is going to spend 15, 30, or 45 minutes (and sometimes longer) with a candidate, they’re hoping it will be an interesting conversation.

So, see the question “Tell me something interesting about yourself” as an icebreaker.

Mainly, your interviewer is hoping to see that they’re talking with someone who will add positivity , multi-dimensionality , and even a bit of fun to the workplace.

Here’s how to create an answer that will get you great results in your next interview.

Start with an interesting topic

The first thing to do is find something interesting you can build your answer around.

Consider these things about yourself:

• Things you’re interested in.
• Things you’ve done in the past.
• Places you’ve traveled to.
• People you’ve met.

To check if this is a good starting point, imagine you were at a social function, and you mentioned your interesting thing in a conversation.

• Would you and your conversation partners spend the next few minutes excitedly talking about it?
• Would it be an afterthought and quickly forgotten?

Find the thing that’s memorable

That’s where a great answer begins. Create a concise, polished answer expanding upon your initial topic. Now that you have your starting topic, it’s time to fashion an answer that will land.

Here’s the formula for creating a great answer:

• State the interesting thing, activity, or event.
• Expand on it — tell the story. Explain why it happened or why it’s important to you.
• Wrap it up nicely. Tell what you learned from it, what it says about you, or how it’s helped you grow into a better person.

The reason you want to structure your answer this way is that it’s a bridge to the rest of the interview.

You want your interviewer to think of you as an interesting person or as someone who has enhanced abilities to perform the work required.

Put it all together and practice

Consider typing out your answer, so you have it prepared. Then, keep practicing your answer until it’s second nature.

Once you do that, you can confidently give it in an interview, setting the tone for a great conversation.

Example answers:

Here are a few examples demonstrating the principles we’ve discussed:

Wine enthusiast

“I’m a huge wine enthusiast. I love learning about different varietals and how wine is made. I first got into wine because my friend took me on a trip to Napa Valley, and now I share my love for wine with everyone because it’s a great way to connect with friends and meet new people.”

Why it works: This is a great answer because it’s a springboard to possible conversation topics — wine varietals, the winemaking process, and Napa Valley.

Additionally, you show you’re a social person who your future coworkers are likely to get along with.

Memory competition

“I once won a memory competition. I got hooked on memory skills because my grandfather gave me a book on memory techniques, and I spent hours and hours practicing.

Before the competition, I prepared for five months — and it was worth it. It gave me a lot of really useful memory skills, but it also expanded my focus so I can concentrate for hours on end now.”

Why it works: A memory competition is something you don’t hear about every day.

Your explanation of your preparation shows you’re someone who works diligently toward your goals. And mentioning your ability to concentrate allows your potential employer to see you as a productive employee .

Richard J. Brandenstein

Attorney and FBR Law partner,  Fusco, Brandenstein & Rada, P.C.

Be genuine; they need to know whether you’re going to fit in with the team

When an interviewer asks this question, most of the time, we genuinely want to know something interesting—or at least something that you think is interesting—is that we can get a better understanding of you as a person rather than just as a potential employee.

We need to know whether you’re going to fit in with the team.

Don’t make it embarrassing

Try to avoid telling us anything interesting about your physicality, like if you have an extra toe or can fit your fist in your mouth (someone has seriously demonstrated this to me in an interview before), because we don’t want to see you make a fool out of yourself and like I said, we want to learn about you.

An extra toe doesn’t help us figure out if we’re going to get along with the other people in the office.

“I’ve seen (random band) 10 times.” “I’ve been on TV.” “I’m related to (celebrity).” “I create pottery in my spare time.”

Glen Bhimani

CEO and founder, BPS Security

When interviewers are asking you this, they are looking for insight into you beyond the basics of your resume.

Avoid generic answers

Stating that you are driven or passionate or hardworking is not a great answer, because it is generic and could mean anything.

Instead, describe a situation where you displayed those characteristics and then list the number of years you were known for doing something like that as well as where you were known for doing it.

If you are the person who regularly stayed an hour late at work because things needed to get done, explain one specific situation and the reason you stayed late, then list the time period you became known for that in.

Give personal examples

While it’s not the best idea to dive into deep personal details, it is a good idea to discuss unique things that you’ve done or ways you’ve noticed that you’re different from everyone else.

If you’ve noticed that you tend to approach problems differently from others, now is the time to mention that and explain how you approach problems differently.

If you have a hobby that you believe helps you excel at work, this is the best time to mention that because it is something that sets you apart from the generic resumes.

Hobbies like:

• Speed-typing games, which improved your Words Per Minute
• Enjoy reading about psychology, which helps you as a customer service representative

AJ Silberman-Moffitt

Senior Editor,  Tandem

Incorporate the position you are applying for

If you have an intriguing story that explains how you got into the line of work you are applying for, this would be an ideal opportunity to tell your story.

The story you tell will not only let the interviewer know how passionate you are about the possible position, but it will also help them understand you on a more personal level.

Tell something memorable

You want to ensure that the interviewer remembers you—for all the right reasons. As with many times in life, there is such a thing as too much information.

Make sure that what you say is professional. If you have an anecdote that you can tell that you believe will stay top-of-mind with the interviewer, now is a great time to tell it.

Make sure you only tell your story

You might have heard a funny story told by someone else, and if caught off guard during an interview, you may be tempted to share this story.

It is important to ensure that whatever story you tell, it should be your story. If you get hired, what you talked about during your interview could become a topic of conversation.

The best way to remember what you did or didn’t say is to only speak the truth.

However you choose to tell something interesting about yourself, as mentioned above, you must ensure that your response is professional. You don’t want to talk about something too graphic, sexual, or inappropriate.

Though you might not think that you are all that interesting, you will probably find you are more interesting than you once thought.

Jonathan Brockman, P.C.

Practicing Attorney and Founder,  Brockman Injury Lawyer

Take the opportunity to squeeze in more information about yourself

You should try to see this question as an opportunity to squeeze in some more information about yourself that is going to help you look like a well-rounded person.

You want to share something that demonstrates something positive about yourself, and if it can tie into your career, even better.

• Did you come second in a chess tournament a few years ago?
• Do you know the first 100 digits of Pi?
• Do you play in a Dire Straits tribute band on the weekends?

Make it something fun and professional that is appropriate for work, and there are not many ways that you can go wrong.

Related: How to Introduce Yourself Professionally

Maciek Kubiak

Head of People,  PhotoAiD

You want to choose something that will make you sound like a well-rounded individual

This is a great question and one that can really set you apart in an interview. There are a few things you can do to make sure your answer is interesting and engaging.

First, think about what hobbies or activities you enjoy outside of work. These can be anything from playing sports to visiting new places to cooking. You want to choose something that will make you sound like a well-rounded individual with a life outside of work.

Second, tie your answer back to the job or company you are interviewing for.

• If you enjoy traveling, you could talk about how it’s helped you develop cultural competence which would be useful in a global company, or
• If you love cooking, you can explain how that has made you a keen experimenter, always looking to test new creative solutions.

What matters is that you find some kind of connection that will help.

In any case, here’s an example :

“I am passionate about Jazz and have been playing in various Jazz bands for many years. This type of music is unique in that it forces you to express yourself individually while remaining in harmony with the broader collective.

In fact, I’ve always thought of it as a way to practice your team spirit. It teaches you to keep a balance between collective responsibility and individual creativity and expression.”

Frequently Asked Questions 

Can i prepare for this question in advance.

Yes, it’s a good idea to prepare for this question so that you feel confident and prepared during the interview.

However, don’t memorize a scripted answer, as this may come across as inauthentic. Instead, use your preparation as a guide so you can answer naturally and confidently during the interview.

Here are some steps you can take to prepare:

Think about your experience, accomplishments, and interests:  Take some time to make a list of hobbies, accomplishments, or unique experiences that you’d like to share with the interviewer.

Narrow down your options:  Once you have a list of possible answers, try to narrow it down to the first 1 to 3 things that you think would be most relevant and interesting for the job you’re applying for.

Practice your answer:  Practice your answer aloud, alone or with a friend or family member. This will help you become comfortable with your answer and feel more confident during the actual interview.

Stay flexible:  While preparing for the question is essential, you should remain flexible and open to new ideas and approaches. Your answer should be authentic and unique, so don’t be afraid to adjust it depending on your conversation with the interviewer.

Are there any topics I should avoid when answering this question?

Yes, even if you want to show your personality and share something interesting, it’s essential to avoid specific topics that might be inappropriate or controversial. Here are some topics you should avoid when answering the question:

Politics and religion:  Avoid discussing your political or religious beliefs, as they can be polarizing and offend the person you’re talking to.

Gossip and rumors:  Telling rumors or gossip about colleagues or former employers can be unprofessional and leave a negative impression on you.

Personal problems or struggles:  Avoid talking about or telling too soon about psychological problems or personal difficulties that might make the interviewer uncomfortable.

Anything too personal or obscene:  Sharing anything too personal, intimate, or obscene, such as affairs in the bedroom, your sex life, or anything that might seem indecent, should be avoided as it may be inappropriate and make the interviewer uncomfortable.

Can I use humor in my answer?

Yes, you can use humor in your response, but it’s important to do so thoughtfully and appropriately. Spicing up your answer with humor will help you stick in the mind of the interviewer and come across as more engaging, but it can also backfire if the joke is inappropriate or doesn’t hit home.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when using humor in your response:

Use humor sparingly:  You want to make a good impression but don’t want to come across as unprofessional or disrespectful. Using humor sparingly and tactfully can help you strike the right balance.

Keep it light:  Stick to light-hearted, playful jokes that won’t offend or upset the person you’re talking to. Avoid jokes or humor that could be controversial or polarizing in any way.

Make sure it’s relevant:  Your humor should fit the context of the interview or the job you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying for a job in marketing or creative fields, a clever, witty response may be more appropriate.

Test it beforehand:  If you’re unsure if your joke is appropriate or suitable, test it on a friend or family member beforehand. Get their feedback and see if they find the joke funny or if it could be misconstrued.

How long should my answer be?

Your answer to the question “ Tell me something interesting about yourself ” should be concise, ideally no longer than 2-3 sentences.

It’s essential to keep your answer short, leaving room for the interviewer to ask follow-up questions and engage in further conversation. A long and rambling response can cause the interviewer to lose interest or not understand the point of your statement.

When formulating your response, think of it as an elevator pitch—a brief and focused introduction that highlights your strengths and interests.

Consider what aspects of your experience or personality you want to highlight, and formulate a concise response that effectively conveys your message.

Remember that your goal is to leave a positive impression on the interviewer and to stand out from other applicants. Keeping your answer short and focused will increase your chances of keeping the interviewer’s attention and making a memorable impression.

Is it okay if my answer overlaps with something in my resume or cover letter?

Yes, it’s perfectly fine if your answer to the question “Tell me something interesting about yourself” overlaps with something in your resume or cover letter. In fact, in certain situations, this can be beneficial. Here’s why:

Emphasize your qualifications:  Mentioning an experience or accomplishment that is already in your resume or cover letter allows you to emphasize your qualifications and highlight skills relevant to the job.

By elaborating on this information, your interviewer can better understand your knowledge and experience.

Make a connection:  Referencing something in your resume or cover letter can help your interviewer remember your application more easily. This can create a stronger connection between your written application and your in-person interview, making you a more memorable candidate.

However, make sure your answer doesn’t just reflect the content of your resume or cover letter. Take the opportunity to add more depth, context, or a personal touch that highlights your unique qualities and makes you stand out as a candidate.

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How To Answer “What Makes You Unique?” (+ Sample Answers)

Jeff Gillis 0 Comments

By Jeff Gillis

Updated 6/30/2022.

Uniqueness is a bit of a strange concept. When it comes to the formal definition , something is unique when it exists as the sole example, essentially having no equal. So, when the hiring manager asks, “What makes you unique?” it’s not uncommon to struggle a bit.

Luckily, you don’t have to be the sole example of something to answer this question well. If you’re wondering how to answer “what makes you unique,” here’s how to get headed in the right direction.

Why Do They Ask You “Tell Us What Makes You Unique?”

So, why do hiring managers ask you, “What makes you unique?” Is it to throw you off a bit? Well, maybe a little. But there’s actually more to it than that.

First, your answer gives them insights into what you value in yourself. You’re essentially discussing why you believe you’re special, and the traits or capabilities you decide to showcase can give them potent clues about your personality and skills.

Second, they want to see how you manage stress. Talking about yourself in this manner is, admittedly, uncomfortable, and they want to know if you can navigate the challenge.

Finally, the hiring manager is trying to see if you bring an ability or characteristic to the table that they didn’t explicitly request, but could help you, the team, and the company thrive in an unexpected way.

As the minds at the Balance put it, the hiring manager isn’t just looking at your technical qualifications, but at whether you have “something above and beyond what the other candidates offer, showing that you’ll be a strong addition to the company.” They’re after that bit of something extra, as that could help the organization reach new heights.

How to Answer “What Makes You Unique?”

Take a minute and think of all the answers that pop into your head. Are they quirky traits that set you apart from your friends and family? Are they odd habits that you’ve had since childhood that nobody else seems to have? Is it a skill you’ve always wished you could share on late-night television but never gotten the chance?

Okay, now let’s try that question again, but this time, I’m going to run it through the “What the interviewer is actually asking” filter. Are you ready? Here it is:

“What about you makes you the best candidate for this job?”

Rather than figuring out what makes you unique, think about what value you bring to the company. Now, your list might include valuable things like “I’m highly motivated by a challenge” and “I enjoy working with a team to bring a project to completion.”

This question is meant to find out what makes you valuable both as a person and in the workplace…and why those differences set you apart from the other candidates. Remember, an interviewer’s number one job is to find the best candidate for the position they are hiring for, and your job is to prove to them that you’re the perfect candidate!

Remember, this is just one question the hiring manager could ask you in your interview! That’s why we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview.

Click below to get your free PDF now:

Get Our Job Interview Questions & Answers Cheat Sheet!

FREE BONUS PDF CHEAT SHEET: Get our " Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet " that gives you " word-word sample answers to the most common job interview questions you'll face at your next interview .

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Answering “What Makes You Unique” on a Job Application

Your first encounter with this interview question may come when you are filling out a job application. It is not uncommon for a company to ask you something along the lines of, “In 150 characters or fewer, tell us what makes you unique.”

You really don’t need to overthink this. Everything that we’ve said above still applies. If you want to get the maximum benefit from the answer you give, you just need to ensure that you use the allotted characters you have in an economical way.

The hiring managers want clear, concise thoughts, which is why they put a character limit on it in the first place. So, one major thing to avoid is rephrasing the question in any way. You also want to skip filler words that don’t add any real value to the answer.

The most important thing to remember is to try to focus on unique skills that you have that are the most relevant to the position you are interviewing for. Use the following tips to further help with crafting your answer.

Top 5 Tips for “What Makes You Unique”

1. do your homework.

Start with the job listing itself. Look at what skills are required and match those up with the skills you know you have. Make sure when you answer the question that you work those skills into the conversation through examples.

2. Self-Assess

After you’ve gone over the job posting and your related skills, spend some time asking yourself about what sets you apart from other candidates and write those answers down. Come up with a list of skills or traits that you think are unique to you – and make you a valuable addition to the company – that weren’t listed in the job posting.

3. Reference the Past

Share actual examples from your own work history to back up your answers. Make sure your stories are short, concise, and end on a positive note. Share with your hiring manager not only what makes you unique but how you used that uniqueness in a positive, constructive way.

4. It’s Not All About You

Yes, it’s your interview, but really, it’s all about the company and how you can help them. Do your research on the company ahead of time and come up with solid ways your unique skills and talents can benefit them. Yes, getting the job would help you, but ultimately, it’s always about them.

5. Be Unique

Yes, this question is all about how you’re unique, but it’s all too easy to fall into less than unique answers that your interviewer has already heard a million times.

Instead of saying, “I’m a really hard worker,” say, “I’m driven to complete a task, no matter how difficult.” Forgo “I’m a fast learner” in favor of “I really enjoy learning new things and find that it’s easy for me to pick up on required skills.” And skip “I always go above and beyond” and go with “I truly enjoy excelling and pushing myself. I look forward to tasks where I can learn and grow.”

Then, practice ahead of time. That way, your answers sound smooth and confident.

How NOT to Answer This Question

Now that we’ve shown you the best techniques to answer the “What makes you unique” interview question, we thought we’d go over some of the things you definitely need to avoid when facing this question.

1. Oversharing

Yes, the hiring manager really does want to know what makes you unique, but only so far as it applies to the job. Keep your truly personal details private. Remember, they want to know how your unique skills will help the company, not that you spend your weekends dressing your dog up in accurate period costumes and reenacting major historical battles.

2. Being Generic

We touched on this above, but it really does need to be said twice. While it’s tempting to rush through this question simply because it’s not easy to answer, don’t fall back onto bland, boring answers with no example follow-ups.

3. Being Negative

This question isn’t an opportunity for you to trash on the other job seekers who are applying for the position. Don’t use this as a platform to tell the hiring manager why you’re superior to all those other job seekers in the waiting room. Not only will it make you look petty and shallow, but it also won’t win you any points.

4. Don’t Get “Lost”

Keep your answer short, focused, and relevant. Make sure you use targeted words that highlight your skills and then follow those up with a clear example. Don’t ramble on talking about unrelated skills that have nothing to do with the job or the company you’re interviewing for.

5. Don’t Lie

We say this time and time again in these blogs because it’s critical. Be honest! Don’t come up with a unique skill or trait you don’t actually possess just because you think it’ll get you hired. There’s nothing worse than being hired for a job you can’t actually do or talking about a skill you don’t actually have only to get asked to use it. Be honest!

How to Use the Job Description to Find the Best Traits

At this point, you’ve probably got a solid idea about how to answer the “what makes you unique” interview question. However, it’s wise to go a bit further.

While discussing what sets you apart from other candidates in general is fine, relevancy should be the name of the game. You want to consider, “ What makes me unique that’s also something the hiring manager would value?” By doing that, you’re able to identify unique traits that also improve your position as a candidate.

In most cases, the job description is an excellent resource when you want to tailor your answers to the job. What you want to find is tidbits about the type of candidate they’re after. That means looking beyond the must-have hard skills. Instead, you want to consider what unique characteristics allow you to apply those technical abilities better.

Similarly, you want to highlight unique traits that make you adept at navigating a workplace similar to the hiring manager’s company. Again, that makes you a far stronger candidate.

When it’s time to talk about those unique characteristics, don’t just say what you bring to the table. Instead, think about your past jobs and other past experiences, including educational pursuits , hobbies , volunteer work , and more. Then, find examples that demonstrate your unique traits, as showing is always more effective than telling.

If you want to learn more about how to make any of your interview answers ridiculously relevant, check out our Tailoring Method article for more details.

5 Great Sample Answers

To help you come up with your own answers, here are five “what makes you unique” example answers.

For a position that requires a team leader:

SAMPLE ANSWER:

“I’m particularly adept at working with different personalities and finding a way to motivate people. In my last role, I oversaw a project with a diverse team, including one employee that classically struggled with deadlines. Not only was I able to make sure that everyone worked well together, but I also took time to speak with the one challenging employee and determined that positive feedback was a critical part of their success equation. By going the extra mile to comment on their efforts, they were far more engaged, resulting in the project finishing on time and above expectations.”

For a job that requires ongoing education:

“By nature, I’m incredibly curious, and I love a challenge. That’s part of why I initially studied medicine. Conditions can present in numerous ways, and our understanding of the human body continuously shifts. By pursuing a healthcare career, I get to feed my curiosity daily, both when assisting patients with unique presentations and by furthering my knowledge in emerging areas. In my last role, I was traditionally completed by required credits far sooner than my colleagues and often went further, attending conferences and networking to stay on the cutting-edge. That allowed me to bring valuable knowledge back to my workplace, making it easier for us all to remain ahead.”

For a position where you lack direct experience:

“One thing that makes me unique for this role in human resources is my previous experience in the information technology field. I spent nine years working in a networking position, collaborating with colleagues in a range of specialties. When I pivoted and returned to college to get my degree in human resources, many didn’t see the connection. However, I believe this makes me particularly well-suited for a technical recruiter role, as I understand what it takes to thrive in these positions thanks to my previous experience.”

For roles where a strength that’s a weakness for others provides value:

“One capability that I feel is genuinely unique in this field is my skill with public speaking. I’m incredibly comfortable giving presentations, which is why I was selected to lead training activities and showcase project progress during meetings in my last role. Whether it’s a handful of people or hundreds, I have no issue standing up and sharing knowledge and information whenever the need arises.”

For a job where an unconventional degree is beneficial

“One way that I feel I stand out from other sales professionals is actually my education. While it may not seem like a degree in psychology would provide exceptional value, it taught me a lot about why people make certain decisions and what motivates them to buy. In my last role, I was able to convert 22 percent more leads simply because I could quickly adjust my approach based on the potential buyer’s sentiment and perspective. The ability to pivot my language and adjust my strategy to make them not just comfortable but confident yielded results, something that I can continue doing in my next job.”

Putting It All Together

Remember, when you’re answering the dreaded “What makes you unique” interview question, what you’re really answering is “What makes you the best candidate for this job?” Keep your answers memorable, keep them focused and keep them relevant. Make yourself stand out from the herd by showing your value to the company.

And as always, good luck!

FREE : What Makes You Unique PDF Cheat Sheet

Ok the next thing you should do is download our "Cheat Sheet ".

In it you'll get:

• MORE Word-for-word example answers to this tough question
• Different situations you could fins yourself in when facing this question and a breakdown on how to approach each one!

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Jeff gillis.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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10 Answers to "What Makes You Unique?" (5+ Expert Tips)

Want to crush your interview.

Learn how to ace your interview with superior confidence.

Did the interviewer ask you, “What makes you unique?” or did they ask something like, “Tell us something unique about yourself.” Confused why they asked this? The question, "What makes you stand out from other candidates?" is an odd one. It makes you question the interviewer's intentions and make you feel like you are being asked a trick question.

Hiring managers love to throw this curveball at potential employees in various little packages with different wording, but they all mean the same thing.

It makes sense why they do, though. If you have a unique trait that can benefit the company you’re interviewing for, they will certainly want to hear it!

Expert tip: TalentNow reports that 42% of employers are worried they won’t be able to find the talent they need. And 72.8% are struggling to find relevant candidates. This is good news for job seekers. And an important reason why relevant resumes, cover letters, and interview answers are key to your future employment.

However, you can’t just say whatever stream-of-consciousness thought that pops up. You’ll need to really think about this question. And answer it in a way that gives the hiring manager the info they need in a well-phrased and eloquent way.

We’re going to dive into some excellent sample answers that you can use as a template. As well as why interviewers ask the question, "What makes you unique?" Or "Tell us what makes you unique?" And what makes a good and bad answer. And how to pen your own excellent position-snatching answer.

Why Do Interviewers Ask "What Makes You Unique?"

Realistically, the hiring manager is asking you this question because they want to know you're qualified for this position over the other candidates.

For example, you may have already told your hiring manager about all of your qualifying soft skills at the start of the interview. You have experience in marketing, a Bachelor’s degree, and a portfolio of excellent work. That’s all well and good, but ten other interviewees also have experience in marketing, a Bachelor’s degree, and a portfolio of excellent work. So what sets you apart from them in the context of benefiting this company?

Now it really makes sense why you’re being asked this. Hiring managers aren’t psychic and want to know what really makes you so special. If you can’t answer this question, maybe you don’t have unique traits that could benefit the company in their eyes.

It’s pertinent to prove them wrong here and figure out an excellent answer to this question.

What Is The Interviewer REALLY Trying To Understand From This Question

When we talk about “unique soft skills and traits” that are outside the common skills you’ll share with similar candidates. Then we’re looking at soft skills and traits that are special but can still benefit the company.

For example, you may be interviewing for a position in engineering. You (and ten other applicants) have a Master’s degree, 2 years of experience in software engineering, and a work portfolio. Two unique traits come to mind after being asked this interview question. The first is your intense dedication to perfection and deadlines. The second is your exceptional people skills. And since you’ll be working mainly with a small team. And not a customer or client base, mentioning your people skills may not be worth it. Instead, your dedication to deadlines may seem a bit more relational to the company and position.

How to Answer "What Makes You Unique" or "Tell Us What Makes You Unique"

When you hear the interview question, "What makes you unique?" It's best to be prepared. To best answer this question, be sure the response has one or more of the following considerations built into the answer:

• Includes a skill or competency that fits the job description. Make sure to read the job description to find out!
• Includes a quality that fits in with the work culture.
• One that includes a passion or desire as a professional.
• Or includes a short "humble brag." That displays confidence and/or a metric that shows prior work experience (e.g. growing a sales line by 20%).

Continue reading to learn how to create an answer to this interview question.

Similar Interview Questions (Use Our Example Answers For Them)

Sometimes, the interviewer doesn't ask, "What makes you unique?" Instead, they use a variation. To prepare for this interview question, you should also prepare for the variations of questioning that you might hear. Here are a few variations to be watchful for:

• Tell us what makes you unique.
• What makes you stand out from other candidates?
• Tell me something unique about yourself.
• What makes you different from the other candidates we're interviewing?
• How would you describe what makes you stand out from others?

What Does A Good Answer Look Like (How To Answer)

There are many traits to a good answer to this interview question. Here are a few to help you know how to answer "what makes you unique?"

Creating a good "what makes you unique" answer

• Either short or somewhat long. But should not be an ultra-short answer with no explanation and should also not be extremely long-winded or over-explained.
• It’s difficult to make an honest answer seem like you aren’t bragging (Example: “I’m the most cheerful person I know." Or “I always excelled in my department and got employee of the month,” etc.). So, be sure to look at a particularly glowing answer and see how you can bring it down just a notch for modesty’s sake. For example, “I’m the friendliest person I know” is a good answer. But following up with a humorous statement. Like, “It may seem like I’m bragging but trust me, this personality trait has its pros and cons.” This helps make you seem relatable rather than conceited.
• Tell a story. Bring up examples of past events that are interesting, relevant, and memorable.
• Include skills and personality traits that are relevant to the position. It is also wise to think of very transferable skills. Or skills that could change and improve through the time you’re in a particular position.
• If you’re trying to switch industries, be sure to think of skills that are shared between the industry. Skills you have experience with and the industry you’re trying to break into.

Expert tip: Lisa Barrow, CEO of Kada Recruiting told us, "A good tip in answering this question is to start with this sentence opener. 'I was the only one who.' Or I was the first to. And fill in the blank with what you've accomplished that many others in the same situation didn't or took longer to do. Use the opportunity to respond as a way to share a special achievement that you're particularly proud of accomplishing."

Consider these aspects when answering, "What makes you unique?" Answering in this structure shows you're the best candidate for the job. Unfortunately, there is some faux pas to avoid when answering this question.

What Does A Bad Answer Look Like (How Not To Answer)

Avoid answers like these at all costs! This is not how you should answer this interview question:

• Answers that are way too brief or way too long.
• Any answers that don’t involve an example or scenario.
• Answers that involve an example or scenario that is irrelevant to the skill, irrelevant to the job position, nonsensical, clearly made up, or inappropriate.
• Answers that do not have any relevance to the job description.
• “I don’t have any unique traits.”
• “I’m just better than everyone else.”
• “I don’t have any way to prove this, but…”
• “This doesn’t have anything to do with this job, but.”
• “I’m extremely competitive and ready to race to the top, this position is just a starting point for me. That’s how dedicated I am.”
• “I’m superb at [skill that has nothing to do with interviewing position.]”
• “I’m wonderful at [skill that is absolutely useless in general.]”

It’s also worth noting that it’s vital to rehearse your answer. And think about it ahead of time to avoid blurting out a very not-so-good answer.

What Are Some Ways to Creatively Figure Out What Makes You Unique

There are several things to keep in mind when penning your own answer to "what makes you unique."

Figuring out what makes you unique

• Look at the job description and highlight different skill requests and requirements that you possess. Figure out how to shimmy those skills into your answer.
• Think of tangible examples or events from your past that demonstrate your unique trait. Try to keep these examples professional, but if you can think of a non-professional answer relevant to the skill, try it out. Tell a story, albeit a pretty brief one. If the story is humorous or profound, it will absolutely stick with your hiring manager and increase your chances of landing the job.
• Don’t use generic phrases like “I’m a good worker” or “I’m a people person.” Expand on those answers to come up with something actually unique. We can tell you right now that every other candidate has probably brought up that they are a hard worker. Stand out from them with an answer that is truly unique and memorable.

Including skills

• Along with including skills that you possess that the position requires, include relevant personality traits that others may not have. For example, you’re interviewing for a position in development. The key skills required are coding, team management, and project management. You could mention your interest in code and tech innovations. Or solutions, as well as a willingness to take on the challenge of a new integration. This shows your hiring manager when the company grows and expands its tech. That you’ll be ready and willing to learn how to use it and possibly train your team as well.
• Make sure you end your answer with a reason how your particularly unique skills or personality traits will help the business. How it will help the business succeed and grow.
• Think of universal skills and traits that could benefit any company in any industry. So, you can pop out that answer quickly for each job interview you go to. A well-rehearsed answer comes out more fluidly and naturally than a nervous answer you blurt out of the spot.

Expert tip: Bruce Hurwitz, Executive Recruiter and Career Counselor at Hurwitz Strategic Staffing gave us short and impactful answer templates you can use. Such as, "I have never missed a deadline or come in over budget. I increased sales by X%, representing an increased revenue of $Y. I discovered fraud saving the company hundreds of thousands of dollars."

Now that we know what to include and what not to include. We can start forming your own answer. Let’s take a look at ten different sample answers for various industry interviews.

10 Example Answers To "What Makes You Unique?" For Different Departments

You can use any of these long or short sample answers as a template for your own unique answer.

2 Example Answers to Creative Department Interviews

Sample answers below:

“I am a very excellent communicator and find that it's easy for me to relate to other people. This empathy is critical in this industry, both between colleagues and between the creative department and clients. I feel this is what makes me unique."

"I'm not afraid of failure in the least. In fact, I think it is an essential part of the experimental process. That it gets you to succeed at what it is that you do. For example, I was involved in a project several years ago that was very poorly planned. And did not assign deadlines as tightly as they should have. As a result, no one was putting in an equal amount of work. Eventually, the project fell through. When I started working for the most recent company. I came in with many suggestions on how management could make the project work and team building. The project was a huge success, and my manager personally thanked me for bringing all of that information to the table. Without failure, I would have never learned from it."

2 Example Answers to “What Makes You Unique?” for Sales Department Interviews

"I bring to the table seven years of customer service experience and excellence. My time in wholesale and retail has made me a candidate with a unique set of skills. Skills that have been refined by face to face customer and client interactions. I am an excellent communicator, an excellent listener, I take direction well, and excel in a team environment. These are all skills which I know will fit well with the position you’re looking to fill."

“Something unique about me is that I’m the most friendly person I know. This might sound like a brag, but it can be both good and bad! When I was a young girl, my mom repeatedly told friends and family she had a dozen nieces and nephews. But that she’d never seen a kid like me. At my last sales support position, 90% of the customers called were furious when they spoke with me. I took their anger in stride and worked with them without patronizing them. I spent the time to learn where they were coming from and made sure they knew I understood and heard them. Then I worked to solve their issues within the guidelines of our company policies. Technically I wasn’t doing anything different from any of the other hundred customer agents on my particular floor. I really think my upbeat attitude and empathy is why my customer satisfaction scores were 30% above the company average.”

2 Example Answers for Finance Department Interviews

"I really enjoy learning new things and am constantly seeking out new learning opportunities. When it comes to financing, I feel like the technology is constantly changing. And innovations are being put into place to improve efficiency and security. I’m excited about taking on changes and challenges because I genuinely find them fun."

"A unique thing about me is that I have a background in finance that doesn’t involve a big company. This allowed me to learn a lot about what’s new and up-and-coming in the industry. Working at a financial firm startup allowed me to understand the financial and investment industries' ins-and-outs. And take on tasks I might not have at a larger enterprise or company. I think this experience gives me a slight edge over other applicants that are interviewing for this position."

2 Example Answers for Marketing Department Interviews

“Something unique about me, you ask? Well, I really enjoy pulling together all the resources and people needed to finish different on-site upgrade projects. At my previous position, I was in charge of project management at twenty different client properties. I finished about a hundred per year, and on average, four days ahead of scheduled deadlines. And I consistently came in 20% under the allotted budget for any given project. And I developed relationships with dozens of local suppliers. Through those relationships and rapport, I worked through deals that drove down project costs by a significant amount, around 30%. It all came down to one thing: I love working with people. To do what it takes to complete a schedule of ongoing projects. And I will stay dedicated to a project until the end.”

Interview tip: Perform an informational interview if feeling confused on how to answer this question. An informational interview is where a job seeker can gather career advice from an already employed person. This career advice can be assistive in answering "What makes you unique?" And can provide career advice on future interviews, too.

"When solving various problems in my job, I apply both logic and emotional aspects in equal proportion. For example, I'm trained in Search Engine Optimization, and I understand how to use analytics to ensure a successful marketing campaign. Still, I also majored in design and knew how to apply creativity and an aesthetic element to a project. I believe there is a right-brain-left-brain solution to almost every marketing roadblock."

2 Sample Short Answers (150 Characters or Less)

"I'm exceptionally organized and a bit of a neat freak. At my last company, I was able to apply this personality trait to improve our process and increase ROI by 40%."

"My prior experience in customer support has given me unique technical skills that I can apply to this role, as well as people skills."

Expert tip: Ellen Mullarkey (VP at Messina Staffing Group ) gave us insights. She said, "I interviewed a woman who told me that she grew an 8-person sales team to a 20. In just a few years. And increased revenue by an exponential amount. Even more impressive, however, was that she’d done this all while raising her first child. I could tell from her answer that this was a unique candidate."

Job Seeker FAQ's

Common interview question Q&A from job seekers.

How should I highlight my unique qualities?

Think about what you've been able to accomplish in your career, then highlight what skills you used to get there. Bring up a unique selling proposition. Do this by mentioning what you've been able to accomplish first. And then supporting what unique qualities got you to that point.

Should I mention my communication skills?

This is not a skill set that will go far. Try to think about the qualities you have that others don't have. Those are qualities like active listening skills versus communication skills.

What if I feel like I don't have a uniqueness about me?

You do. Try to ask friends or family members. Ask them how they would describe you in a job search. And start from there.

Should this interview question have an answer that aligns with my personal branding?

It doesn't need to. Ideally, you support more about what you've been able to accomplish at a prior job. And then support the question with what personality benefits helped you achieve them.

Should I mention my strengths or strengths in my career?

Certainly. Any unique quality that you bring up should make the interviewer feel secure. Like you're trying to answer the question in a way that appeals to the job. Meaning, don't answer with anything negative.

Should I mentioned my skills and abilities in tandem?

Yes, if you support your answer with a unique perspective on how you accomplished your goals. Then you'll be indirectly speaking about your skills and abilities.

Should I mention anything about my social media? Like how many followers I have?

Probably not. Not unless you are in an interview for a social media manager position. This is one of the most common interview questions that sets aim at stumping interviewers. Just think about your accomplishments and key personality traits, then focus on that when answering the question. Avoid your social media metrics.

Related Interview Questions

The following should be helpful:

• What are your leadership examples?
• Describe your leadership style.
• How did you hear about this position?
• Tell me about a time you failed.
• How to answer: What motivates you?
• What do you know about our company?
• What interests you about this position?

Similar resources

• Tell Me About Yourself
• Interview Questions and Answers
• What Makes You Unique
• CNA Interview Questions
• Grad School Interview Questions
• Tell Me About a Time You Failed
• Phone Interview Questions
• Executive Interview Questions
• Areas of Improvement Interview Question
• Third Interview Questions and Answers
• Final Interview Questions
• What Makes You Stand Out From Other Candidates
• Director Interview Questions
• Tough Interview Questions
• Interview Questions to Ask
• What is Your Greatest Weakness
• Phone Interview Late
• Value-Based Interview Questions

About the author

Patrick Algrim is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), NCDA Certified Career Counselor (CCC), and general career expert. Patrick has completed the NACE Coaching Certification Program (CCP). And has been published as a career expert on Forbes , Glassdoor , American Express , Reader's Digest , LiveCareer , Zety , Yahoo , Recruiter.com , SparkHire , SHRM.org , Process.st , FairyGodBoss , HRCI.org , St. Edwards University , NC State University , IBTimes.com , Thrive Global , TMCnet.com , Work It Daily , Workology , Career Guide , MyPerfectResume , College Career Life , The HR Digest , WorkWise , Career Cast , Elite Staffing , Women in HR , All About Careers , Upstart HR , The Street , Monster , The Ladders , Introvert Whisperer , and many more. Find him on LinkedIn .

Fact checked: Our small and dedicated team rigorously evaluates every article, guide, and reference to ensure the information is accurate and factual. Learn more .

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