Lawyers are used to carefully parsing words. That’s what we get paid for. But for interviews, I want to explain that when interviewers ask questions about YOU, the question is not 100% about you. They may be using the word “you”, but they are really evaluating whether you are a good fit for the job. Now that you understand why they are asking about yourself, this translation key will make more sense.

Interviewer: “Tell me about YOURSELF.” They do not want to know about your life, interests, and innermost secrets and goals. No, they want to know you can do the job you’re interviewing for, so frame your answer accordingly. Make clear you understand the industry the company is in and the issues it’s facing. You can mention what sparked your interest in this area and then what you’ve done demonstrating that you can hit the ground running.

Interviewer: “Where do YOU see yourself in 5 years?” The interviewer does not care deeply about your vision. They just want to make sure your interests align with this job, that it’s at the right level for you, and that you’re not a flight risk, e.g., are you just taking the job as a stepping stone to some greater job? That you will be bored soon?

Interviewer: “What do YOU like best about YOUR current practice?” or “What’s the breakdown of YOUR practice now?” The interviewer asks these questions to figure out if your interests and experience line up to the job in question, e.g., if you say you love doing X, and the job is about Y, then it won’t make sense to hire you. So try to figure out the employer’s priorities before you blithely answer. Also, the interviewer is checking if you are up for high-profile and un unglamorous work (so include that you do both) and if you interact well with others (a good answer talks about the cross-functional teams you’ve helped).