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How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in English / 英語で「自己紹介をしてください」と言われたときの答え方

Topic Interview English
Published
Updated
Author Daniel Odoh
Read 9 min

1. Introduction — はじめに

“Tell me about yourself” is one of the most common things people ask in English. You will hear it in job interviews, but also in many other everyday situations.

Where you will hear it — よく使う場面（5つ以上）

  • 🏢 A job interview at a company — 会社の面接
  • 🎓 Meeting a professor or teacher for the first time — 先生や教授との初対面
  • ☕ Networking events or business mixers — ビジネス交流会やネットワーキングイベント
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Joining a new team or starting a new job — 新しいチームに入るとき
  • 🌐 Online meetings with international clients — 海外クライアントとのオンライン会議
  • 📱 Dating apps or casual first meetings — 初対面の人と話すとき
  • ✈️ Traveling and meeting new people — 旅行中に新しい人と出会うとき

Many Japanese learners feel nervous about this question. It sounds simple, but it can be hard to answer clearly in English. The good news is: you do not need a long speech. A clear, short, positive answer is always better.

2. Core Language Pattern — 基本の文型

Use this simple four-part structure every time. It works in almost any situation.

現在 I’m currently a [job title] at [company/place].
経験 I have [number] years of experience in [field].
強み I’m good at [strength 1] and [strength 2].
目標 I’m looking for a role where I can [your goal].

If you are a student, change “I’m currently a [job title]” to: “I’m currently studying [subject] at [school].”

3. Vocabulary Bank — 単語リスト（20語以上）

A Work & Background — 仕事・経歴

  • experience経験
  • background経歴・バックグラウンド
  • careerキャリア・職歴
  • field分野
  • industry業界
  • role役割・職務
  • positionポジション・職位

B Skills & Strengths — スキル・強み

  • strength強み
  • skillスキル・技能
  • organized整理整頓が得意な
  • detail-oriented細部に気を配れる
  • problem-solving問題解決
  • communication skillsコミュニケーション力
  • teamworkチームワーク

C Goals & Direction — 目標・方向性

  • contribute貢献する
  • grow成長する
  • opportunity機会・チャンス
  • challenge挑戦・課題
  • goal目標

D Describing Responsibility — 担当・役割を話す

  • responsible for〜を担当している
  • in charge of〜の責任者
  • manage管理する
  • leadリードする・率いる
  • supportサポートする

4. Useful Phrases by Function — 場面別フレーズ集（15以上）

Starting the conversation — 話し始める

Use these phrases at the very beginning of your answer to sound natural and confident.

🎭 Ready to practise?
Put this into a real conversation
Try the dialogue — role-play a full conversation using everything you just read. Three stages: read, play, speak.
🎭 Start the Dialogue →
Sure, I’d be happy to.はい、ぜひお話しします。
Of course! Let me tell you a little about myself.もちろんです！少し自己紹介させてください。
Great question. So, I’m currently a…いい質問ですね。実は今、〜をしています。
I’d describe myself as someone who…私は〜なタイプの人間だと思います。

Talking about experience — 経験を話す

Use these when you talk about your past work or study.

I’ve been working in [field] for [number] years.[分野]で[年数]年間働いてきました。
My background is in [field].私の経歴は[分野]です。
I’ve been mainly responsible for…主に〜を担当してきました。
Over the past few years, I’ve focused on…ここ数年は〜に力を入れてきました。

Talking about strengths — 強みを話す

Pick one or two strengths that are relevant to the job or situation.

One of my strengths is…私の強みの一つは〜です。
I’m especially good at…特に〜が得意です。
People often tell me that I’m…よく〜だと言われます。
I work well under pressure.プレッシャーの中でも落ち着いて働けます。

Ending your answer — 締めくくる

Always end by connecting to the job or opportunity. This shows you are focused and motivated.

That’s why I’m excited about this role.だからこそ、このポジションにとても興味があります。
I’m now looking for a place where I can grow and contribute.今は、成長しながら貢献できる場所を探しています。
I believe my skills are a great fit for what you’re looking for.私のスキルは、御社が求めるものにぴったりだと思っています。

5. Three Example Conversations — 会話例（3つ）

Conversation 1 — Job Interview at an Office

Interview You × Sarah (HR Manager) Marketing role
SM
Hi! Thanks for coming in today. Before we get started, could you tell me a little about yourself?
Me
Of course! I’m currently working as a marketing coordinator at a tech startup. I’ve been there for about two years now, and I mainly handle social media and email campaigns. One of my biggest strengths is data — I really enjoy looking at analytics and figuring out what’s working and what’s not.
SM
That’s great. And what made you interested in applying here?
Me
I love my current role, but I’m ready for something bigger. Your company works on campaigns at a much larger scale, and I’d love the chance to grow into that kind of environment. I feel like I can bring a lot of energy and fresh ideas to your team.
SM
I like that. Can you tell me more about the analytics work you mentioned?
Me
Sure! At my current job, I track things like open rates, click-through rates, and engagement every week. I use that data to adjust our content plan. It’s something I’ve gotten really comfortable with, and I’d love to bring that skill here.
SM
Excellent. That’s exactly the kind of mindset we’re looking for. Thanks for explaining that so clearly.
Me
Thank you! I’m really looking forward to learning more about the team and the projects you’re working on.
日本語まとめ：
サラ（人事担当）に面接で自己紹介を求められた場面です。現在の仕事（マーケティングコーディネーター）、経験年数（2年）、強み（データ分析・SNS管理）、応募理由（より大きな環境で成長したい）を順番に話しています。面接官の追加質問にも自信を持って答えています。

Conversation 2 — Networking Event

Networking You × James (Product Manager) Casual first meeting
JK
Hey! I don’t think we’ve met. I’m James. What do you do?
Me
Hi James! I’m Yuki. I work as a UX designer — mostly mobile apps. I’ve been in the field for about three years. How about you?
JK
Oh nice, UX! I’m a product manager at a fintech startup. We actually work with designers a lot. What kind of apps have you worked on?
Me
Mostly health and fitness apps. My last project was a wellness tracker. I focused on making the interface really simple and easy to use, especially for people who aren’t very tech-savvy.
JK
That’s cool! Simplicity is hard to get right. Are you looking for new opportunities at the moment?
Me
Actually, yes. I’d love to move into the fintech or e-commerce space. I’m really interested in designing experiences for financial tools — something more complex but with a real impact.
JK
That’s exactly what we’re building. Let me grab your card — I’d love to have you talk to our design lead.
Me
That would be amazing, thank you! Here’s my card. Let’s stay in touch.
日本語まとめ：
交流会でジェームズという人物と初めて話す場面です。「What do you do?（お仕事は何ですか？）」という質問に対して、職種（UXデザイナー）・経験年数・得意分野・今後の目標を自然に話しています。面接より会話がカジュアルで短く、相手への質問も含まれています。こういった「会話の流れの中の自己紹介」もとても大切です。

Conversation 3 — First Day at a New Job

New Job You × Mei (Team Leader) Office, first morning
MC
Welcome! I’m Mei, the team lead. It’s great to have you. Would you like to introduce yourself to the group briefly?
Me
Sure! Hi everyone, I’m Kenji. I’ve been in customer success for about four years now, most recently at a SaaS company. I really enjoy helping customers get the most out of a product, and I’m good at staying patient even when things get complicated.
MC
That’s perfect — patience is key in this team! What kind of products did you support before?
Me
Mostly project management tools. I handled onboarding and support for enterprise clients, so I’m used to working with large teams and solving issues quickly.
MC
Great! We do a lot of enterprise work here too. Is there anything you’re hoping to learn or try in this new role?
Me
Definitely. I’d love to get more experience in customer data analysis — I’ve done it a little, but I want to go deeper. I’m also hoping to improve my English communication skills since this is an international team.
MC
We love that attitude. You’re going to fit right in. Let’s grab coffee after the morning standup!
Me
Sounds great! I’m really excited to be here and start working with everyone.
日本語まとめ：
新しい職場での最初の朝、チームリーダーのメイさんに自己紹介を求められた場面です。名前・経験年数・得意なこと（忍耐強い対応）・前職の内容を話した後、今後学びたいことも述べています。「良い印象を残しながら、成長意欲も見せる」という自然な会話の流れです。

6. Naturalness Tips — 自然に聞こえるコツ

Before vs. After — NG例とOK例の比較

❌ Sounds unnatural
I am marketing worker. I have skill. I like job.
✅ Sounds natural
I work in marketing. I’ve been doing it for two years and I really enjoy it.
❌ Too short, sounds flat
I am a designer. I have three years. Thank you.
✅ Extended, sounds confident
I’m a UX designer with about three years of experience. I mostly focus on mobile apps, and I really enjoy making things simple and easy to use.

How to extend a short answer — 短い答えを長くする方法

Add a detail: “I work in sales — specifically B2B software sales.”
「〜の中でも特に〜」と詳しく言う。
Say why you like it: “I work in HR, and I love helping people grow.”
「〜が好きだから」という理由を加える。
Connect to the future: “I’ve been in logistics, and now I want to move into supply chain strategy.”
「これからどうしたいか」で締める。

7. What to Avoid — よくある間違い（4つ以上）

❌ Mistake 1 — Talking too long
“I was born in Osaka. I went to Osaka University. Then I worked at company A, then company B, then company C, then…”
✅ Better
“I have about five years of experience in HR across two companies. My focus has been employee training.”
間違い：会社名や経歴をすべて話しすぎています。
改善策：2〜3文に絞りましょう。面接官が知りたいのは「今の自分」と「これからの目標」です。
❌ Mistake 2 — Only talking about hobbies
“I like tennis and cooking. I have two cats. I enjoy watching anime on weekends.”
✅ Better
“I work in customer support. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking — it keeps me calm and focused, which also helps in my job.”
間違い：趣味だけでは仕事に関する情報がゼロです。
改善策：趣味を話す場合でも、それを仕事にどう関係させるかを一言加えましょう。
❌ Mistake 3 — Starting too negatively
“My English is not so good. I am not very experienced. I don’t know if I can do this job…”
✅ Better
“I’m still building my English skills, but I’m a fast learner and I work hard to improve every day.”
間違い：最初にネガティブなことを言うと、悪い第一印象になります。
改善策：課題があっても、それを「前向きに乗り越えようとしている」という言い方に変えましょう。
❌ Mistake 4 — Using overly stiff or complex English
“I have been engaged in the execution and facilitation of marketing-related operational endeavors…”
✅ Better
“I’ve worked in marketing for three years, mainly handling campaigns and content.”
間違い：難しい単語を使いすぎると、逆に伝わりにくくなります。
改善策：短い単語・短い文を使いましょう。シンプルな英語のほうが自信があって聞こえます。
❌ Mistake 5 — No connection to the job or situation
“I’m a designer. I have five years of experience. Thank you.”
✅ Better
“I’m a designer with five years of experience, and I’m really excited about this role because it combines my UX skills with your product’s focus on accessibility.”
間違い：情報だけを言って終わると、なぜここに来たのかが伝わりません。
改善策：最後に「だからこそここに来た」という一文を必ず加えましょう。

8. Practice Template — 穴埋め練習テンプレート

Hi! I’m currently a ________ at ________.
I have ________ years of experience in ________.
I’m especially good at ________ and ________.
I’m now looking for a role where I can ________.
That’s why I’m excited about this opportunity.

Worked Examples — 記入例（3人分）

Persona A Yuki — HR specialist, 5 years, career change to consulting
“Hi! I’m currently an HR specialist at a mid-sized manufacturing company. I have five years of experience in recruitment and employee development. I’m especially good at building relationships and managing complex processes. I’m now looking for a role where I can use my people skills in a consulting environment. That’s why I’m excited about this opportunity.”
現在、中規模メーカーの人事担当者をしています。採用と人材育成で5年の経験があります。強みは関係構築と複雑なプロセス管理です。今は、そのスキルを活かしてコンサルティング分野で働きたいと思っています。
Persona B Ren — IT support, 2 years, seeking developer role
“Hi! I’m currently in IT support at a logistics company. I have two years of experience in troubleshooting and systems maintenance. I’m especially good at solving technical problems quickly and explaining things simply to non-technical users. I’m now looking for a role where I can grow into software development. That’s why I’m excited about this opportunity.”
現在、物流会社のITサポートをしています。トラブルシューティングとシステム管理で2年の経験があります。強みは問題を素早く解決することと、専門知識のない人にもわかりやすく説明することです。これからはソフトウェア開発に移りたいと考えています。
Persona C Hana — recent graduate, part-time retail experience
“Hi! I’m currently finishing my degree in Business at Keio University. I have one year of part-time experience in retail, where I worked in customer service. I’m especially good at staying calm under pressure and listening carefully to what customers need. I’m now looking for a role where I can grow into marketing or sales. That’s why I’m excited about this opportunity.”
現在、慶應大学でビジネスを専攻する最終学年です。アルバイトで1年間、小売業のカスタマーサービスを経験しました。強みはプレッシャーの中でも落ち着いていること、お客様のニーズをしっかり聞けることです。マーケティングか営業の仕事に就きたいと考えています。

Final tip — 最後のコツ

The best answer is not perfect English — it’s clear, positive, confident, and focused on the situation. Practice your template out loud at least five times until it feels natural. Thirty to sixty seconds is the perfect length. That’s enough.

最高の答えは「完璧な英語」ではありません。「明確・前向き・自信あり・状況に合っている」ことが大切です。テンプレートを声に出して5回以上練習しましょう。30〜60秒が理想の長さです。それで十分です。

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📅 June 8, 2026 ✏️ Updated: Jun 8, 2026 📱 Interview English
Daniel Odoh
About the Author
Daniel Odoh
English teacher and content creator helping Japanese learners speak naturally.
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