Tell me about yourself.
BehavioralJunior
In shortGive a 60 to 90 second answer in three parts. Present (who you are and what you're doing toward QA), past (one relevant strength with a concrete example) and future (what you want and why this role).
Model answer
Use present, past, future, and aim for about 60 to 90 seconds.
- Present: who you are now and what you’re doing toward testing.
- Past: one or two things from your background that make you a good tester, with a concrete example.
- Future: what you’re looking for and why this role or company.
Example answer (career changer):
I’m a customer support specialist at a travel booking company, and for the last six months I’ve been training to become a manual tester. I finished a testing course and a practice project where I tested a food delivery app end to end: a test plan, test cases, bug reports and a release recommendation.
In support, a big part of my day is reproducing problems customers report and writing clear tickets for developers. Last year I noticed that several failed-booking complaints came from older Android phones. I collected the details, and the team found a bug in the payment screen. That’s when I realized I enjoy finding the cause more than closing the ticket.
Now I’m looking for a junior QA role in a product team. Your app is used by people on the go, so mobile quality really matters, and I like that your testers work inside the development teams.
Tips
- Practice from three bullet points, not a script, so it sounds natural.
- Choose the past example on purpose: it’s the thread they’re most likely to ask about next.
- End with the role, then stop. A short pause is fine.
Learn more: Tell Me About Yourself and Why QA
What they're looking for
Clear, concise communication, a career story that makes sense, and a link between your background and testing. It also gives them threads to ask about next.
Common mistakes
- Reciting your whole CV or life story in chronological order.
- Talking for five minutes, or giving a two-sentence answer.
- Opening with an apology such as "I don't really have experience, but...".
- Sounding memorized word for word.