Of all the questions in a standard interview, this one receives the least preparation. Candidates spend hours polishing their strengths answer and their weakness answer and their "tell me about yourself" — and then, when this comes up, they say "I enjoy cooking" and hope the conversation moves on.
It usually does. Which is a missed opportunity.
Here's why this question matters more than it looks, and how to actually use it.
What is the interviewer looking for?
Culture fit and character — the parts of you that don't appear on a CV.
Skills and experience are documented. This question is designed to surface values, mindset, drive, and what you do with your time when nobody's assigning it. A candidate who gives a specific, genuine answer reveals something about their intellectual curiosity, their initiative, or their commitment to growth. A candidate who says "I like hiking" reveals nothing.
The interviewer is building a picture of who you are as a person, not just as a professional. This question is one of the few chances they have to do that directly.
What is the right strategy for this question?
Most candidates start by thinking: "what's something not on my CV?" That's the wrong starting point. Start here instead:
The detail is what makes it work. Specific activities with a commitment level signal something real. Vague interests signal nothing.
What does a strong answer look like?
"One thing I don't have on my CV is that I've always labelled myself as someone who can't learn languages — it genuinely has never come naturally to me. So this year I decided to tackle it head-on: I have three hours of Spanish tutoring every week and I'm doing daily practice on my own. It's been genuinely challenging, but also really rewarding. It's made me more patient with myself when I'm learning something new at work too."
The trait on display: growth mindset and willingness to face discomfort deliberately. The detail is specific (three hours a week, daily practice). The reflection is genuine. And the last sentence connects it lightly to professional life without forcing the point. In easedit.co sessions, this question receives the least preparation of any in the standard set — which is exactly why a prepared, specific answer stands out. A candidate who names a concrete commitment with real detail leaves the interview as a full human being in the interviewer's mind. Most don't give interviewers the chance.
What should you avoid?
These are so common and so vague they communicate nothing. If you're going to name a hobby, make it specific: where you've been, what you've made, what you play, and what it required of you. Otherwise, skip to something more revealing.
Inadvertent bias is a real risk. You can't control how a specific topic lands with a specific interviewer. Stick to things that signal character without triggering unnecessary associations.
If you're building a startup or freelancing heavily on the side, the interviewer will wonder whether this role is your actual priority. Save side projects for conversations where they're directly relevant to the role.
Why is this worth two minutes of preparation?
Most interview questions test your professional past. This one tests who you are right now — what you're curious about, what you're building, what you do when you're not working.
Candidates who prepare a specific, genuine answer to this question leave the interview as a full human being in the interviewer's mind. Candidates who don't are just a CV with a personality attached.
Two minutes before your next interview — decide what trait you want to reveal and which personal story best demonstrates it. That's the whole preparation.
If the trait you choose to reveal is a growth mindset or resilience, those qualities should also show up in describe yourself in three words. And a strong not-on-resume answer often complements how to answer tell me about yourself — the two together give the interviewer a complete picture of who you are beyond the CV.
The open-ended questions in interviews are often the most revealing — and the hardest to practise in isolation. At easedit.co, you can rehearse this and other personality questions with a voice AI that evaluates your specificity and character signalling. Practise now — from $39, no data stored.