Blog, Career Advice, CV Writing in Kenya, Interview Tips, LinkedIn Tips

Paul is a General Manager with 19 years of experience. When the panel asked him to tell them about himself, he spoke for 7 minutes, starting with his first job in 2006. By the time he reached his current role, two panel members had stopped taking notes.

The Most Important 90 Seconds of the Interview

‘Tell me about yourself’ is usually the first question — and it frames everything that follows. Panels are not asking for your history. They are asking: who are you at your best, what have you achieved, and why are you sitting in front of us for this role? Get it right and the panel spends the rest of the interview looking for evidence that you are the right hire.

The 3-Part Executive Answer

1️⃣ Present (30 seconds): Who you are at your highest level. “I’m a General Manager with nearly 20 years in consumer goods across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, currently leading a 300-person business unit.”

2️⃣ Proof (30 seconds): One defining achievement with numbers. “In the last 3 years we grew revenue by 46% and moved the business from break-even to a 14% operating margin.”

3️⃣ Purpose (30 seconds): Why this role, why now. “Your plans to expand into the wider region are exactly the kind of challenge I’ve spent my career preparing for — which is why this role stood out.”

Mistakes to Avoid

❌ The Chronological Tour: Walking through every job in order. Save the history for follow-up questions.

❌ Personal Life Details: Family, hometown and hobbies — unless they directly support your fit.

❌ No Link to Their Role: An answer that could be given at any interview.

Paul’s Result

We rebuilt Paul’s answer to 85 seconds, rehearsed it in two mock sessions, and aligned it with his CV. At his next interview — for a Country Manager role — the chair told him it was the clearest opening they had heard all week. He received the offer 10 days later.

5 Steps to Build Your Answer Tonight

✅ Step 1: Write one sentence describing who you are at your highest professional level.

✅ Step 2: Choose the achievement most relevant to the role you are interviewing for.

✅ Step 3: Research the organisation and write one sentence linking your story to their priorities.

✅ Step 4: Time yourself. Cut until it is under 90 seconds.

✅ Step 5: Practise it aloud 10 times — natural, not memorised word for word.

READY TO TAKE ACTION?
Want to walk into your next interview with an opening that wins the room? Our executive interview coaching includes mock interviews and answer building. Email us ‘INTERVIEW’ and send your CV to kethafrica@gmail.com for our FREE CV & ATS audit this October.

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