How long should the answer be?

Between 60 and 90 seconds. Long enough for the three blocks, short enough that the interviewer still has questions.

Should I memorize a script?

Write it, record it, listen back — then drop the script. A memorized answer sounds memorized, and it falls apart the moment the interviewer interrupts.

I'm changing careers. Does this structure still work?

Yes. Replace "the concrete thing" with the project closest to the job you want, even if it was your own: "Last year I built a small service in Go to learn it, and that's the kind of work I want to do here."

Interview question, answer in English

Tell me about yourself: what to answer (with a full example)

The question: “Tell me about yourself.”

It's the warm-up question, but it sets the tone: the interviewer wants to see whether you can summarize your value in a short time — the same skill as explaining a technical problem in a standup.

See the example answer

The answer, in 3 blocks

1. Now
Your role, main stack and years of experience, in one sentence.
Example: I'm a backend developer with six years of experience, mostly with Python, PostgreSQL and AWS.
2. The concrete thing
One project you can describe in detail: what the problem was and what you did about it.
Example: Last year I led the migration of our billing service out of the monolith into a separate API.
3. Why here
What you're looking for and why this role is the next step. One sentence, and no flattery.
Example: I'm looking for a team with a real code review culture and a bigger event-driven setup, which is what you described in the job post.

The full example answer

Read it out loud, swapping in your own details. An answer you've never spoken isn't yours yet.

I'm a backend developer with six years of experience, mostly with Python, PostgreSQL and AWS. Last year I led the migration of our billing service out of the monolith into a separate API: I designed the contract with the mobile team and we shipped it with zero downtime. What I liked most was owning the service end to end, including the on-call rotation. Now I'm looking for a team with a real code review culture and a bigger event-driven setup, which is what you described in the job post.

What to avoid

Reciting your CV job by job. The interviewer has the CV in front of them.
"I'm passionate about technology" and "I'm a fast learner". Anyone can say that; neither is evidence.
Going past 90 seconds. If you're still talking at two minutes, you've lost the room.

Phrases that help

“I'm a ... developer with ... years of experience, mostly with ...”: One opening sentence with role, time and stack.
“Last year I led / built / migrated ...”: One concrete project, with the verb that says what you actually did.
“What I'm looking for now is ...”: Closes with intention, without flattering the company.

If the question comes like this

So, tell me a little about yourself.: Same thing, shorter: about 45 seconds. Keep the three blocks and cut the detail.
Walk me through your background.: This one is about history: order the jobs, but stop at the last two. Detail belongs in the most recent role, not the first.

FAQ

How long should the answer be?: Between 60 and 90 seconds. Long enough for the three blocks, short enough that the interviewer still has questions.
Should I memorize a script?: Write it, record it, listen back — then drop the script. A memorized answer sounds memorized, and it falls apart the moment the interviewer interrupts.
I'm changing careers. Does this structure still work?: Yes. Replace "the concrete thing" with the project closest to the job you want, even if it was your own: "Last year I built a small service in Go to learn it, and that's the kind of work I want to do here."