INIT OF COMPETENCY: ENHANCE SELF_MANAGEMENT SKILLS

UNIT CODE : 400311104

UNIT DESCRIPTOR : This unit convers the knowledge, skill, and attitude in applying the

ability to regulate action make good decisions, and show appropriate

behavior based on self-awarness.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR MANAGEMENT SKILLS

1. Strengthen Your Decision-Making

Sound decision-making is a crucial skill for managers. From overseeing a team to leading a critical
meeting, being an effective manager requires knowing how to analyze complex business problems
and implement a plan for moving forward.

In the online course Management Essentials, the following components—referred to as the “three
C’s”—are presented as essential building blocks for a successful decision-making process:
 Constructive conflict: This involves engaging team members in the decision-making process. It
invites diverse perspectives and debate and stimulates creative problem-solving.
 Consideration: All stakeholders involved in a decision should feel their viewpoints were fairly
considered before a solution is determined. Without this sense of acknowledgment, they may be
less inclined to commit to and implement the solution.
 Closure: This is a function that ensures stakeholders are aligned before proceeding. It requires
defining what constitutes a project or initiative as “done” within a set period, determining if
anything remains to be accomplished, and ensuring everyone agrees as to whether the outcome
was a success.
By ensuring your decision-making process encompasses these qualities, you can become a key
contributor at your organization and influence the context in which decisions get made.

2. Cultivate Self-Awareness

A high level of self-awareness is critical for managers, and it’s what separates high-performers from
their peers in the workplace.

This core tenet of emotional intelligence requires introspection and an honest evaluation of your
strengths and weaknesses. Through engaging in self-assessment and turning to trusted colleagues to
gain insight into your managerial tendencies, you can chart a path for your professional
development that hones in on areas where you need to improve, enabling you to bring out the best in
yourself and others.

Related: Emotional Intelligence Skills: What They Are & How to Develop Them

3. Build Trust

Trust reaps numerous benefits in the workplace. According to research outlined in the Harvard
Business Review, employees at high-trust companies report:

 Less stress
 More energy at work
 Higher productivity
 Greater engagement
Forge deeper connections with your colleagues by engaging in small talk before meetings and
learning more about their lives outside the scope of their work. In addition, encourage inclusive
dialogue about personal and professional differences, and be open to diverse viewpoints in
discussions.

Doing so can cultivate empathy among your team, leading to a greater sense of camaraderie,
belonging, and motivation.

Related: 6 Tips for Managing Global Teams

4. Be a Better Communicator
Strong communication skills are a hallmark of any successful manager. Being in a managerial role
involves tackling complex business situations and ensuring your team has the information and tools
required to succeed.

When facing challenges like navigating organizational change, be transparent about tasks at hand
and instill your team with a shared vision of how your company can benefit from the impending
transition. Continually provide updates and reiterate the plan for moving forward to ensure your
employees are aligned and understand how their work factors into larger corporate objectives. By
developing communication and other interpersonal skills, you’ll set your team up for success.

5. Establish Regular Check-ins

Make it a habit to regularly check in with your employees outside of their annual performance
reviews. According to research by Gallup, team members whose managers provide weekly feedback
are over:

 Five times more likely to strongly agree they receive meaningful feedback
 Three times more likely to strongly agree they’re motivated to do outstanding work
 Two times more likely to be engaged at work
Keep the conversation informal when delivering feedback, and focus on the person’s progress
toward organizational goals rather than their personality. In addition, help them chart a plan for
moving forward, and affirm your role as a trusted advisor as they tackle next steps.

6. Carve Out Time for Reflection

Beyond regular check-ins, set a consistent cadence for reflecting on and reviewing your team’s
work. In one study by Harvard Business School professors Francesca Gino and Gary Pisano, it was
found that call center employees who spent 15 minutes reflecting at the end of the workday
performed 23 percent better after 10 days than those who did not.

In a video interview for Management Essentials, HBS Professor Amy Edmondson says reflection is
crucial to learning.

“If we don’t have the time and space to reflect on what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, we
can’t learn,” Edmondson says. “In so many organizations today, people just feel overly busy.
They’re going 24/7 and think, ‘I don’t have time to reflect.’ That’s a huge mistake, because if you
don’t have time to reflect, you don’t have time to learn. You’re going to quickly be obsolete. People
need the self-discipline and the collective discipline to make time to reflect.”

Schedule reflection sessions shortly after the completion of an initiative or project and invite all
members of your team to participate, encouraging candor and debate. Hone in on problems and
issues that can be fixed, and plot a corrective action plan so that you don’t encounter the same
pitfalls in your upcoming undertakings.

7. Complete Management Training

Beyond your daily work, furthering your education can be an effective way to bolster your
management skills.

Through additional training, such as an online management course, you can learn new techniques
and tools that enable you to shape organizational processes to your advantage. You can also gain
exposure to a network of peers with various backgrounds and perspectives who inform your
managerial approach and help you grow professionally.

For Raymond Porch, a manager of diversity programs at Boston Public Schools who took
Management Essentials, engaging with fellow learners was the highlight of his HBS Online
experience.

“My favorite part of the program was interacting with my cohort members,” Porch says. “I received
valuable shared experiences and feedback and was able to be a thought partner around strategies and
best practices in varying scenarios.”

Related: 5 Key Benefits of Enrolling in a Management Training Course

HOW MANAGERS BECOME GREAT LEADERS

While the terms “management” and “leadership” are often used interchangeably, they encompass
different skill sets and goals. Yet, some of the most effective managers also exhibit essential
leadership characteristics.

Characteristics of a great leader include:

 Exemplary leadership: Strong leaders often consider themselves as part of the team they manage.
They’re concerned with the greater good of their organization and use delegation skills to
effectively assign tasks to the appropriate team members. Just as they must provide feedback to
their team, great leaders must accept others’ constructive feedback to improve their leadership
style.
 Goal-oriented: It’s crucial for leaders to deeply understand their organization’s business goals.
Knowing its overall mission allows them to strategically prioritize initiatives and align their team
with a common vision.
 Self-motivated: It’s vital that leaders are self-motivated and use time management skills to reach
their goals. They must accomplish difficult tasks while inspiring their team to follow suit.
By bolstering your leadership skills, you can strengthen your relationship with your team and
empower them to do their best work, ultimately complementing your managerial skills.
ELEVATING YOUR MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Managing people and implementing projects on time and on budget is a business skill that all
professionals should strive to master. Through sharpening your soft skills, building self-awareness,
and continuing your education, you can gain the skills needed to excel as a manager and lead both
your team and organization to success.
 INFORAMATION SHEET:1.4.1

SET PERSONAL AND CAREER GOAL

How to Set a Goal

First consider what you want to achieve, and then commit to it. Set SMART (specific,
measureable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goals that motivate you and write them
down to make them feel tangible. Then plan the steps you must take to realize your goal, and
cross off each one as you work through them.

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating
yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.

The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing
precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts.
You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.

Why Set Goals?

Top-level athletes, successful businesspeople and achievers in all fields all set goals. Setting
goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation . It focuses your acquisition of
knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the
most of your life.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of
those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long
pointless grind. You will also raise your self-confidence , as you recognize your own ability
and competence in achieving the goals that you've set.

Starting to Set Personal Goals

You set your goals on a number of levels:

 First you create your "big picture" of what you want to do with your life (or over, say,
the next 10 years), and identify the large-scale goals that you want to achieve.
  Then, you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit to
reach your lifetime goals.
 Finally, once you have your plan, you start working on it to achieve these goals.

This is why we start the process of setting goals by looking at your lifetime goals. Then, we
work down to the things that you can do in, say, the next five years, then next year, next
month, next week, and today, to start moving towards them.

Step 1: Setting Lifetime Goals

The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your
lifetime (or at least, by a significant and distant age in the future). Setting lifetime goals
gives you the overall perspective that shapes all other aspects of your decision making.

To give a broad, balanced coverage of all important areas in your life, try to set goals in
some of the following categories (or in other categories of your own, where these are
important to you):

 Career – What level do you want to reach in your career, or what do you want to
achieve?
 Financial – How much do you want to earn, by what stage? How is this related to
your career goals?
 Education – Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What
information and skills will you need to have in order to achieve other goals?
 Family – Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent?
How do you want to be seen by a partner or by members of your extended family?
 Artistic – Do you want to achieve any artistic goals?
 Attitude – Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of the way
that you behave that upsets you? (If so, set a goal to improve your behavior or find a
solution to the problem.)
 Physical – Are there any athletic goals that you want to achieve, or do you want good
health deep into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?
 Pleasure – How do you want to enjoy yourself? (You should ensure that some of your
life is for you!)
  Public Service – Do you want to make the world a better place? If so, how?

Spend some time brainstorming these things, and then select one or more goals in each
category that best reflect what you want to do. Then consider trimming again so that you
have a small number of really significant goals that you can focus on.

As you do this, make sure that the goals that you have set are ones that you genuinely want
to achieve, not ones that your parents, family, or employers might want. (If you have a
partner, you probably want to consider what he or she wants – however, make sure that you
also remain true to yourself!)

Tip:

You may also want to read our article on Personal Mission Statements . Crafting a personal
mission statement can help bring your most important goals into sharp focus.

Step 2: Setting Smaller Goals

Once you have set your lifetime goals, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you need to
complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan.

Then create a one-year plan, six-month plan, and a one-month plan of progressively smaller
goals that you should reach to achieve your lifetime goals. Each of these should be based on
the previous plan.

Then create a daily To-Do List of things that you should do today to work towards your
lifetime goals.

At an early stage, your smaller goals might be to read books and gather information on the
achievement of your higher level goals. This will help you to improve the quality and realism
of your goal setting.

Finally, review your plans, and make sure that they fit the way in which you want to live
your life.

Tip:
If you feel that you're not paying enough attention to certain areas of your life, you'll find
our articles on The Wheel of Life and the Life/Career Rainbow useful.

Staying on Course

Once you've decided on your first set of goals, keep the process going by reviewing and
updating your To-Do List on a daily basis.

Periodically review the longer term plans, and modify them to reflect your changing
priorities and experience. (A good way of doing this is to schedule regular, repeating reviews
using a computer-based diary.)

SMART Goals

A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. While there
are plenty of variants (some of which we've included in parenthesis), SMART usually stands
for:

 S – Specific (or Significant).

 M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
 A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
 R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
 T – Time-bound (or Trackable).

For example, instead of having "to sail around the world" as a goal, it's more powerful to use
the SMART goal "To have completed my trip around the world by December 31, 2027."
Obviously, this will only be attainable if a lot of preparation has been completed beforehand!

Further Tips for Setting Your Goals

The following broad guidelines will help you to set effective, achievable goals:

 State each goal as a positive statement – Express your goals positively – "Execute
this technique well" is a much better goal than "Don't make this stupid mistake."
 Be precise – Set precise goals, putting in dates, times and amounts so that you can
measure achievement. If you do this, you'll know exactly when you have achieved the
goal, and can take complete satisfaction from having achieved it.
  Set priorities – When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to
avoid feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals, and helps to direct your
attention to the most important ones.
 Write goals down – This crystallizes them and gives them more force.
 Keep operational goals small – Keep the low-level goals that you're working towards
small and achievable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making
progress towards it. Keeping goals small and incremental gives more opportunities for
reward.
 Set performance goals, not outcome goals – You should take care to set goals over
which you have as much control as possible. It can be quite dispiriting to fail to
achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond your control! In business, these reasons
could be bad business environments or unexpected effects of government policy. In
sport, they could include poor judging, bad weather, injury, or just plain bad luck. If
you base your goals on personal performance, then you can keep control over the
achievement of your goals, and draw satisfaction from them.
 Set realistic goals – It's important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of
people (for example, employers, parents, media, or society) can set unrealistic goals
for you. They will often do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions. It's
also possible to set goals that are too difficult because you might not appreciate either
the obstacles in the way, or understand quite how much skill you need to develop to
achieve a particular level of performance.

Achieving Goals

When you've achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so.
Absorb the implications of the goal achievement, and observe the progress that you've made
towards other goals.

If the goal was a significant one, reward yourself appropriately. All of this helps you build
the self-confidence you deserve.

With the experience of having achieved this goal, review the rest of your goal plans:

 If you achieved the goal too easily, make your next goal harder.
  If the goal took a dispiriting length of time to achieve, make the next goal a little
easier.
 If you learned something that would lead you to change other goals, do so.
 If you noticed a deficit in your skills despite achieving the goal, decide whether to set
goals to fix this.

Tip 1:

Our article, Golden Rules of Goal Setting , will show you how to set yourself up for success
when it comes to your goals. If you're still having trouble, you might also want to try
Backward Goal Setting .

Tip 2:

It's important to remember that failing to meet goals does not matter much, just as long as
you learn from the experience.

Feed lessons you have learned back into the process of setting your next goals. Remember
too that your goals will change as time goes on. Adjust them regularly to reflect growth in
your knowledge and experience, and if goals do not hold any attraction any longer, consider
letting them go.

Example Personal Goals

For her New Year's Resolution, Susan has decided to think about what she really wants to do
with her life.

Her lifetime goals are as follows:

 Career – "To be managing editor of the magazine that I work for."

 Artistic – "To keep working on my illustration skills. Ultimately I want to have my
own show in our downtown gallery."
 Physical – "To run a marathon."

Now that Susan has listed her lifetime goals, she then breaks down each one into smaller,
more manageable goals.
Let's take a closer look at how she might break down her lifetime career goal – becoming
managing editor of her magazine:

 Five-year goal: "Become deputy editor."

 One-year goal: "Volunteer for projects that the current Managing Editor is heading
up."
 Six-month goal: "Go back to school and finish my journalism degree."
 One-month goal: "Talk to the current managing editor to determine what skills are
needed to do the job."
 One-week goal: "Book the meeting with the Managing Editor."

As you can see from this example, breaking big goals down into smaller, more manageable
goals makes it far easier to see how the goal will get accomplished.

Key Points

Goal setting is an important method for:

 Deciding what you want to achieve in your life.

 Separating what's important from what's irrelevant, or a distraction.
 Motivating yourself.
 Building your self-confidence, based on successful achievement of goals.

Set your lifetime goals first. Then, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you need to
complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan. Keep the process going by regularly
reviewing and updating your goals. And remember to take time to enjoy the satisfaction of
achieving your goals when you do so.

If you don't already set goals, do so, starting now. As you make this technique part of your
life, you'll find your career accelerating, and you'll wonder how you did without it!
 SELF CHECK:1.4.1

IDENTIFY:

 S – Specific (or Significant).

 M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
 A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
 R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
 T – Time-bound (or Trackable).
 _________ – "To be managing editor of the magazine that I work for."
 _________– "To keep working on my illustration skills. Ultimately I want to have my
own show in our downtown gallery."
 _________– "To run a marathon."

ANSWER KEY:1.4.1
  S – Specific (or Significant).
 M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
 A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
 R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
 T – Time-bound (or Trackable).

 Career – "To be managing editor of the magazine that I work for."

 Artistic – "To keep working on my illustration skills. Ultimately I want to have my
own show in our downtown gallery."
 Physical – "To run a marathon."

INFORMATION SHEET:1.4.2

RECOGNIZE EMOTIONS

Recognizing Emotions
Strong emotions can sometimes be difficult to handle and strong emotions that are not handled well
often can lead to big problems. Many times we mislabel our underlying strong emotion as “ANGER.” It is
vital to figure out what emotion or emotions one is feeling to be able to resolve a problem situation.

The following steps will help you handle painful emotions much more
successfully:
  Dig deep enough to discover what “triggered” your strong emotion
 Usually underneath anger are other more hidden feelings
 Feelings oftentimes occur together and may be difficult to separate
 To deal with the problem, you need to know what exact feelings are going on for you at a
particular moment
o “What am I feeling right now? When and where did this start?
o “What was going on at the time? Was anyone else involved?”

Choose a strategy or strategies that will help you feel better:

 Talk with a close friend, family member, R.A., Hall Director, or counselor for emotional support
 Write out feelings and thoughts in a journal
 Use positive self-talk to get through the feelings
 Use distraction to take attention to something else
 Notice the feeling… and let it go
 Have a conversation with the person who was involved
 Remember that you are in charge of what you feel; no one can “make” you feel a certain way –
you control yourself and your reactions
 Feelings can come and go quickly
 Let go of a bad mood quickly; hang on to a good mood for a long time
 Do something to cheer yourself up
 In your mind, forgive the person who made the hurtful comment
 Make yourself as resilient as possible

Directions for Using the Emotions Wheel or Table

This tool is meant to expand your emotional awareness and sensitivity. It gives you language to
identify and communicate about your emotions. We have provided the tool in two different chart
formats, one in a table and one in a wheel diagram. It is used by starting with general terms in the
top/center and working your way down the list/out to the perimeter to land on the most accurate
descriptor of your emotional state.

The Table Version is divided into six columns. The most general emotional term is listed at the top of
each column in bold (similar to the central circle above). The bullets below represent terms that would
be more specific (the second circle in the wheel version). The dashes under the bullets represent even
more precise terms (the outermost circle in the Emotions Wheel).

Emotions Table:
SURPRISE FEAR ANGER DISGUST SAD HAPPY
 STARTLED  HUMILIA  HURT  DISAPPROV  GUILTY  OPTIMISTIC
o Shoc TED o Devas AL o Rem o Inspi
ked o Disrespecte tated o Judg orsef red
o Dism d o Emba ment ul o Open
ayed o Ridiculed rrasse al o Asha
 INTIMATE
 CONFUSED d o Loat med o Playf
 REJECTE
o Disill  THREATENE hing  ABANDONE ul
D
usion
o Alienated D  DISAPPOINT D o Sensi
ed o Jealo o Igno tive
o Inadequate ED
o Perpl us red  PEACEFUL
o Repu
exed  SUBMISS o Insec o Victi o Hope
gnan
 AMAZED IVE ure t mize ful
o Aston o Insignificant  HATEFUL o Revo d o Lovi
ished o Worthless o Violat lted  DESPAIR ng
o Awe
 o Pow 
INSECUR ed  AWFUL POWERFUL
 EXCITED E
o Resen o Revu erles o Prov
o Eager tful lsion s ocati
o Inferior
o Energ  MAD o Dete o Vuln ve
o Inadequate
erab
etic o Enrag stabl o Cour
 ANXIOUS e le ageo
ed
o Worried  DEPRESSED us
o Overwhelm
o Furio  AVOIDANCE
us o Avers o Infer  ACCEPTED
ed ior
 AGGRESSIVE ion o Resp
 SCARED
o Provo o Hesit o Emp ecte
o Frightened
ked ant ty d
o Terrified o Hostil  LONELY o Fulfil
e o Aba led

 FRUSTRATED
ndo  PROUD
ned o Impo
o Infuri
o Isola rtant
ated
ted o Confi
o Irritat
ed  BORED dent
o Apat  INTERESTE
 DISTANT
hetic
o Withd D
o Indi
o Amu
rawn
ffere
o Suspi nt
sed
cious o Inqui
 CRITICAL sitive
o Skept  JOYFUL
ical o Liber
o Sarca ated
stic o Ecsta
tic

Emotions Wheel
The Wheel is divided into three concentric circles- the innermost circle comprised of general emotional
terms, the outermost comprised of more specific terms.

 Six basic emotions – “Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sad, Happy, Surprise” – are listed in the center circle,
and they are separated like slices of a pie.
 If you move out from the center to the second level, following the lines of the “pie slice,” you will
find various forms of that emotion more specifically listed. For example, if you start with “Anger”
in the center circle and then move to the next level, you find a range of adjectives that may
describe anger more specifically: “Hurt, Threatened, Hateful, Mad, Aggressive, Frustrated,
Distant, Critical.”
 If you move even further out within the expanding pie slice, you find even more adjectives to
sharpen the distinction some more: “Embarrassed, Devastated, Insecure, Jealous, etc.”
 In order to precisely identify your emotional states, you will need to pay attention to the subtle
sensations in your body, their quality, location and intensity. For example you might notice the
heat in your face, the lump in your throat, the tears welling in your eyes, the sweat on your palms,
your heart rate increasing, etc.
  It is possible to have more than one emotion at the same time, so be willing to consider the full
range you are experiencing.

SELF CHECK:1.4.2

GIVE ME 6 EXAMPLE OF EMTIONS

-
-

ANSWER KEY:1.4.2

-SURPRISE

-FEAR

-ANGER
 -DISGUST

-SAD

-HAPPY

INFORMATION SHEET:1.4.3

DESCRIBE ONESELF AS A LEARNER

Common Variations of the “Describe Yourself” Question
Here are just a few common variations of this common interview question:

 What are the 3 words that best describe you?

 How do other people describe you?
 In your opinion, what are your most important traits?
 What words come to mind when you think about yourself?
 What adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
 How would you describe your personality?
 Tell me about yourself.
 Describe yourself in one sentence.
 Summarize yourself in as few words as possible.
While some of these questions and commands require specifically formatted answers, the majority
can be answered in the same way. So, how can you answer these questions? More importantly,
what are some positive ways to describe yourself in an interview?

In this post, we will go over some useful positive adjectives to describe yourself, as well as different
personality profiles to shape your response to this common interview question.

9 Ways to Describe Yourself in an Interview

While you might have an idea of what traits and characteristics you want to highlight about
yourself, you might not be sure how to format your answers. Sometimes, an interviewer wants you
to give a detailed description of your character, and other times, they just want you to summarize
who you are in as few words as possible. Either way, we’ve got you covered.

In the examples below, we’ve provided some sample interview questions and answers, along with
some bonus tips. Feel free to take sentences from different responses to create your own, unique
way of describing yourself! While we don’t recommend using these answers word-for-word, they
should give you an idea of what good, effective interview answers look like.

Additionally, we highlight different strengths that may fit your personality or goals in the interview
room. Every business, interviewer, and position can value different character traits. It’s important to
know how to use that to your advantage.

Be sure to read the summary at the end of each tip to understand why and when to use them.

So, let’s look at 9 ways to describe yourself in an interview:

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Describe Yourself in an Interview"
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1. Describe Yourself as Flexible and Resourceful

Question: How would you describe yourself?

Sample answers:

I like to think that I’m a very flexible and resourceful person. Even when things change at the last
minute, I’m able to adjust accordingly and meet tight deadlines. At my last job, the schedule was
constantly changing, so I needed to be highly adaptable. Despite the chaotic environment, I always
finished tasks on time.

Summary:

Use this verbiage (style of speaking) when interviewing for a position that requires a lot of changes
on the job and strict timelines. This line of speaking is reserved for interviews where you’ve already
researched the position and know what you’re getting yourself into. It reinforces to the interviewer
that you can handle the pressure that comes with constant change.
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Describe Yourself in an Interview"
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height="450" />

2. Give a Short But Meaningful Summary About Yourself

Question Type 1: Describe yourself in 3 words.

Sample answers:

I would say that I’m creative, hard-working, and detail-oriented.

I think that I’m an analytical, dependable, and responsible person.

Summary:

This is one type of short answer question that you’ll hear from a trained interviewer (or one who
just read a book or blog about interviewing). It’s often heard at the beginning of the interview as a
means of leading into more in-depth questions about your answer or at the end as a means of
summary.

Have an answer ready to this question before you go into the interview so you can answer back
quickly and confidently. Even if it isn’t asked, you can use those self-descriptive words as a
framework for other answers to the interviewer’s questions. Even if you’re not asked the question
directly, you will always need to describe yourself in an interview, to one degree or another.
Question Type 2: Describe yourself in one sentence.

Sample answers:

I am a hard-working and driven individual who isn’t afraid to face a challenge.

I’m passionate about my work and I know how to get the job done.

I would describe myself as an open and honest person who doesn’t believe in misleading other
people and tries to be fair in everything I do.

Summary:

“Describe yourself in one sentence” is the other way to ask the short answer question. Take note of
the summary above and use the three-word description as part of a summary sentence. This way
you’ll have an answer to both questions with the same words.

Ex.

I’m hard-working, driven, and fearless.

I am a hard-working and driven individual who isn’t afraid to face a challenge.

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone" style="width: auto;max-width: 100%" title="How to

Describe Yourself in an Interview"
src="https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/files/legacy/119472448_orig.jpg" alt="Group of
people business suits representing how to describe yourself in an interview as a team player"
width="800" height="450" />
3. Talk About Yourself as a “Team Player”
Question: In your opinion, what are your most important traits?

Sample answers:

I’m very communicative, detail-oriented, and versatile. I like to think of myself as a team player.
While I don’t mind taking on solo projects, I prefer to work with others.

I like to think that I’m persistent and persuasive. Working in sales, these traits have served me well.
Outside of work, I enjoy taking part in lively debates where I can share my views with others.

Summary:

You did your research on the company and found that the work culture is based on community,
group, and teamwork. If that’s the case, make sure the interviewer knows you can function well
within that culture, and you enjoy socialization outside of it. Remember, for many employers, it’s
just as important to fit into a work culture as it is to be able to do the job well.

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone" style="width: auto;max-width: 100%" title="How to

Describe Yourself in an Interview"
src="https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/files/legacy/742308732_orig.jpg" alt="Torso view of
person in blue button-up shirt writing with pen on notepad in front of a laptop" width="800"
height="450" />

4. Highlight Your Experience and Knowledge

Question: Tell me about yourself.

Sample answers:

Well, I’m very knowledgeable in my field. I worked in IT for over 20 years before transitioning into
more managerial roles. Thanks to my years of experience, I’m very meticulous in my work. I also like
to keep things very professional. I’m very direct in all of my communications, but I’m also careful not
to hurt anyone’s feelings.

I’ve worked as a systems analyst since I graduated from college. I am very particular about the
details of my work, but I also like to stay open-minded to new ideas. I never want to close myself off
to other people’s opinions.

Summary:

For more technical positions, interviewers want to be reassured that you have the knowledge and
experience to do the job well. When highlighting your experience and knowledge, be sure to be
clear and concise, and know exactly what you want to highlight from your experience. Fumbling
words or jumping around on a timeline will confuse the interviewer. Therefore, learning how to
describe yourself in an interview also requires you to become comfortable speaking in a high-
stakes setting.

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone" style="width: auto;max-width: 100%" title="How to

Describe Yourself in an Interview"
src="https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/files/legacy/118523279_orig.jpg" alt="Woman in
black business suit raising pen as if to speak, next to a man and woman, representing how to
describe yourself in an interview as a constant learner" width="800" height="450" />
5. Describe Yourself as a “Constant Learner”
Question: How would you describe yourself?

Sample answers:

I like to study new things. Being knowledgeable about (your field) or any subject is an ongoing
process, and I’m always proactive about seeking new opportunities to develop and grow in my role.
Those opportunities could be in the form of training, a conference, listening to a speaker, or taking
on a new project, but the motivation is to increase my knowledge of the field.

Summary:

This answer is reserved for interviewing for a position where you may not have enough experience,
but you’re willing to learn. Be sure to have examples ready that prove you’ve been proactive about
your learning experiences. Thus, knowing how to describe yourself in an interview without making
yourself look inadequate is key.

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone" style="width: auto;max-width: 100%" title="How to

Describe Yourself in an Interview"
src="https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/files/legacy/237999405_orig.jpg" alt="Woman in
white collared shirt with hand up to a black headset, sitting in front of desktop computer with
people working in the background" width="800" height="450" />

6. Describe Yourself as a “People Person” (For Team-Oriented or

Customer-Facing Jobs)
Question: In your opinion, what are your most important traits?

Sample answers:

My most valuable trait is that I’m a people person who enjoys meeting new individuals and learning
about their lives. I always find some common ground with everyone even if I have to get creative to
do so.

It’s always helpful when you have someone on your team that you can rely on to make your
customers feel comfortable and at ease and is emotionally resourceful in repairing or improving
relationships within the team. I pride myself on having those traits.

Summary:

The “most important traits” question is typically asked in the middle of the interview. Because of
this, you’ll have a chance to gain more insight (from the interviewer’s questions) as to what type of
individual they’re looking to hire. If they’re looking for a “people person,” it’s good to have an
answer ready to complement that character trait.

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone" style="width: auto;max-width: 100%" title="How to

Describe Yourself in an Interview"
src="https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/files/legacy/590439122_orig.jpg" alt="Woman in
light blue shirt with hands on hip smiling at man in blue t-shirt who is talking to her, representing
how to describe yourself as confident" width="800" height="450" />

7. Present Yourself as Confident (But Not Cocky)

Question: What words come to mind when you think about yourself?

Sample answers:

I’m a mature, candid individual who has and values integrity. My confidence in myself and those
traits are the reason people tend to come to me for answers to questions even if I’m not in a
leadership position. Even if I don’t know the answer, I know I can point someone in the right
direction.

Summary:

When asked this question, follow up with a little background as to why you chose those words.
You don’t have to just give descriptive words and stop speaking in this situation. Pause and let the
words resonate with the interviewer.

And, to describe yourself as confident in an interview, you must speak with confidence (imagine
that!). As you get ready for the interview, you want to both look and feel the part. Interviewers
typically are trained or at least work with people, so they’ll be able to sense if you have doubts
about what you’re saying.

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone" style="width: auto;max-width: 100%" title="How to

Describe Yourself in an Interview"
src="https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/files/legacy/367860518_orig.jpg" alt="Tablet with bar
graph on screen with two people's arms holding two clipboards in background" width="800"
height="450" />

8. Highlight Your Expertise with Numbers or Results

Question: How would you describe your personality?

Sample answers:

I’m a results-oriented person who is confident in my ability to produce. Granted, I do have a degree
of modesty, but I like to consistently set firm goals, and am constantly analyzing to see how far along
I am (or the team is) and what I can do to achieve the goal. That pressure is inspiring and a great
motivator.

Summary:

Some companies are all about the numbers, and you should know that before you go into the
interview. This is another situation where you really want to portray yourself as someone who can
do what you say you can do. Be sure to have examples of when you hit your numbers ready for
follow-up questions.

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone" style="width: auto;max-width: 100%" title="How to

Describe Yourself in an Interview"
src="https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/files/legacy/291877295_orig.jpg" alt="Woman in
white blouse and gray skirt typing on computer with another woman in background pointing
marker at a poster board with diagrams." width="800" height="450" />

9. Present Yourself as a Self-Starter or an Independent Person

Question: Summarize yourself in as few words as possible.

Sample answers:
I’m a positive and resourceful individual who can execute difficult tasks and doesn’t need to be
micromanaged.

I’m a resolute and dependable person with unwavering determination to do well at my job and solve
problems in the most autonomous manner possible.

Summary:

Based on your career choice and/or a company’s work culture, you might have to prove that you
have the ability to work on your own. I know as a freelance writer, this type of answer is my go-to
to every potential client to reinforce that I can get the job done on my own and without
supervision.

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone" style="width: auto;max-width: 100%" title="How to

Describe Yourself in an Interview"
src="https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/files/legacy/318364676_orig.jpg" alt="Person in
white shirt and black tie with hands pushing three wooden blocks labeled (from top to bottom):
think, positive, be" width="800" height="450" />

How to Describe Yourself in a Positive Way

Now that we’ve discussed how to describe yourself in an interview, let’s look at some positive
words that will send the right message to your interviewers.
Positive Words to Describe Yourself During an Interview

 Knowledgeable
 Precise
 Professional
 Proactive
 Meticulous
 Consistent
 Honest
 Direct
 Flexible
 Motivated
 Reliable
 Responsible
 Innovative
 Open-minded
 Dynamic
 Resourceful
 Fair
 Creative
 Thorough
 Careful
 Analytical
 Outgoing
 Disciplined
 Intelligent
 Hard-working
 Loyal
 Dependable
 Engaged
 Communicative
 Persuasive
 Adaptable
 Detail-oriented
 Versatile
 Integrity
 Mature
 Inspiring
For even more positive ways to describe yourself, check out this ultimate list of positive adjectives.

Man in glasses and blue button-up shirt sitting next to woman in white business suit, both holding
pens and looking at person being interviewed, representing how to describe yourself in an
interview." width="800" height="450" />

Final Tips on How to Describe Yourself in an Interview

Now that you know how to describe yourself using positive words, it’s time for some final tips that
will help you formulate your own answers!

Here are a few things that you should keep in mind on how to describe yourself in an interview:

 Keep things positive – It’s fine if you want to talk about your strengths and weaknesses,
but try to focus more on your strengths and positive attributes. Remember, an interviewer
will be less inclined to hire you if your description is overly negative. So, be sure to keep
things bright and positive!
 Don’t boast – This is the difficult part when it comes to how to describe yourself in an
interview. You want to make yourself sound good, but you don’t want to sound arrogant
(too confident). Instead, try to focus on your best qualities while recognizing the areas in
which you could improve.
 Be honest – It’s easy to focus too much on the goal of impressing your interviewer.
Oftentimes, this can lead you to exaggerate or even lie about your personality, abilities, etc.
So, try to be honest with your answers. Even if you get the job, you might find it difficult to
meet their expectations if you lied in the interview.
 Make your answers personal – The example answers above are meant to give you a
general idea of how to describe yourself to an interviewer. That said, you don’t want to give
generic answers about yourself. These won’t make you stand out as a candidate. Instead, try
to personalize your answers. You can do this by mentioning your hobbies, interests, or
experiences outside of work.
 Keep it short – While you should personalize your answers, no interviewer wants to hear
your entire life story. You should always give complete answers that get straight to the
point. In other words, your answers shouldn’t be long-winded or include a lot of irrelevant
details.
 Be confident – Most importantly, in an interview, be confident about the things you say.
Employers are looking for individuals who they can have confidence in to perform the
duties of a position, and that starts from the first interview. After all, if you don’t have
confidence in yourself, how can they have confidence in you?

Conclusion

After reading this, one interview question may seem a little overwhelming, especially when it’s just
one part of an entire interview. If you take anything from these tips, know that it’s just an interview.
Most people have many interviews throughout their careers whether it’s a position change or
upgrade. And you may not do great in every single one.

But with preparation, positivity, and confidence, you can take these tips into the interview room
and really make an impression with your interviewer. After the interview, be sure to write a job
interview follow up email and write down some notes for yourself on how the interview went.
These notes can help you better prepare for the next round or the next interview.

Like most skills, learning how to describe yourself in an interview is something that comes with a
great deal of practice and experience. So be confident, be true to yourself, and good luck with
your job search
 SELF CHECK:1.4.3

GIVE ME 14 Positive Words to Describe Yourself During an Interview

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 ANSWER KEY:1.4.3

Positive Words to Describe Yourself During an Interview

 Knowledgeable
 Precise
 Professional
 Proactive
 Meticulous
 Consistent
 Honest
 Direct
 Flexible
 Motivated
 Reliable
 Responsible
 Resourceful
 Fair