"Tell me about yourself"

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What are you supposed to answer? Examples?

"Uhm, well...I have an enormous p*nis."

Allow three seconds for awkward silence or nervous laughter, then:

"I keep it in a jar on my desk."

I might try that.

Questions like that are horrible. I always end up saying something inane:

Jovial, Well-adjusted Person: "So - let's hear about you!"
Me: "Erm . . . . I like it when it's cloudy."
Jovial, Well-adjusted Person: "Hmm." *nods sagely and looks concerned*

This question, and also "So what's new in your life?" are traps. The questioner wants you to reveal something they can use against you (often, unconsciously).

Suitable responses:

"You first (smile)"

"Oh I am from [blah]. Boring place. Where are you from?"

This turnaround takes the steam out of them.

I start with something that is general enough that I think will apply to the other person without being too obvious. I then ask them about it as well. This way, it's not them always asking questions but a back and forth (the best I can) and I try to find things we have in common.

This sounds like a good gameplan typing it here on the keyboard, but the thought needs to connect with the mouth a bit more often.

Huh, I thought this was a job-related post and how to answer it during an interview. Anyway, I just stick with the general facts of myself, starting with my life in college (I simply detest people who start their "Tell me about yourself" conversation by saying "I was born in Podunk but my parents moved us to Podunk Hills when I was six months old" - who f*@!ing cares!! !??

Anyway, I generally start with the generic crap and if it's someone I believe I can trust, then I'll provide more details gradually.

One of the dumbest questions ever. I usually just respond "I'm a gearhead" or something similar.

That too. For every situation, actually

I would ask "what do you want to know", forcing them to specify.

1) I agree.
2) That very rarely worked for me. I got 'no seriously, tell me about yourself'.. I answered back once, why? your not going to believe me anyway, simply because I have an inny and you have an outy..



Ever have anyone say you sound and/or look suspicious when you say that?

@OP.. really depends on the situation.. who it is. Professionals get a standard answer depending on what they do.
others.. well depends on if I want to speak to them or get rid of them quickly..

when i was a teacher, all of my job interview started with this. i would get so nervous and it wasn't worth it for something so silly, so i eventually semi-memorized a spiel to take the stress out. tried to keep it sounding casual. it made me more comfortable (but didn't get me the jobs). nvm

You should give a monologue like this guy...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46-WNPlCYsg[/youtube]
Just make sure you don't mention all the dead mutilated people hidden in your apartment.

Depends on context.

In a job interview, I'd probably answer it with a preprepared summary of my career to date and relevantly impressive personal anecdotes.

In a social context, I'd treat it for what it is an invitation to have a highly uncomfortable and probably very very long conversation with someone that I just know that I'm going to hate. If I was in a good mood, I'd make a polite excuse to leave. I can be quite blunt when I'm in a bad mood...

I would say

"I have a knack of knowing where the bodies are hidden"
'I used to run a summer camp and a couple of the campers "disappeared"-mistakes were made
"I like to cook----------naked"


all in jest everybody.

No, because nobody's ever asked me to tell them more about myself, so I've never had cause to say it. I've never been on a date or anything.