Tell me about yourself, in 90 seconds, out loud
The first question in most interviews is the one candidates over-rehearse and under-practice. Pick your version, fill in a present, past and future template, say it against a timer and check yourself. Free, with no sign-up.
Free and runs in your browser. The prompts and example answers are original and fictional. The 7-day free trial includes 2 mock interviews and 3 drills.
Build your answer, then say it out loud
Six versions of the question you may hear in consulting, finance and general interviews. Fill in the template, speak against a 90-second timer and review yourself.
Tell me about yourself.
Original practice prompts. Use your own real background; never read an answer from this page.
Three parts, with most of your words on the middle one. Jot a few words for each. Notes stay in your browser.
Present
- What do you do now, in one sentence?
- What are you best at, in terms this role cares about?
Past: two proof points
- What did you do, and what happened because of it?
- Can you say each in two sentences with a result?
Future
- Why is this role the next step?
- What do you want to learn or build there?
The opening line
- What is the first sentence that sounds like you?
- Does it make the interviewer want a second question?
Aim for 60 to 90 seconds. That length is our recommendation, not a rule any employer publishes. Speak, do not read your notes.
0 of 6 checked
What the difference sounds like
Two invented answers to the same prompt, so you can hear the difference. They are not scripts to copy: your answer has to be yours.
Give me a quick overview of your background and what brought you to consulting.
Weak answer
I grew up in a small town and have always loved solving problems. I went to a state university where I studied economics and joined a few clubs. After that I got a job at a logistics company, and I did a lot of different things there like reports and meetings. I am a hard worker and a team player, and I think consulting would be a great fit because it is fast paced and I love learning.
- Starts in childhood and recites the resume in order.
- Vague claims (hard worker, team player) with no proof.
- The reason for consulting is a list of adjectives, not a story.
Strong answer
I am a supply chain analyst at a regional distributor, and I am best when a messy operational problem needs a number and a decision. Two examples. Last year I found that our weekend deliveries were costing 18 percent more per stop, traced it to a routing rule, and the fix saved about 140 thousand dollars a year. Before that I led a four-person student team that rebuilt a campus food bank's volunteer schedule, and no-shows dropped by a third. I want to move to consulting because I have enjoyed solving a new version of that kind of problem more than running the same one, and I want a place where I do that across industries.
- Opens with who the candidate is now in terms of the job.
- Two proof points with a number each, one analytical and one with people.
- Ends on a specific reason and stops.
Walk me through your background and why you are here today.
Weak answer
I am a senior studying finance and I have always been interested in finance. I have taken many finance classes and I am in the finance club. I work hard and I like working with numbers. I think investment banking is a great career and I would love the chance to work at your bank.
- Repeats finance four times and proves nothing.
- No project, number or result to ask about.
- Ends with flattery instead of a reason.
Strong answer
I am a finance senior who likes the part of a deal where the numbers have to tell a story. In my corporate finance class my team valued a mid-size retailer, and my part was the discounted cash flow. I found that most of the value sat in the terminal value, so I built a table of how the answer moved with the discount rate, which changed our recommendation from buy to hold. Over the summer I interned in the finance team of a manufacturer, where I built the monthly variance report and cut the time to produce it from two days to half a day. I follow deals in the industrial sector, and I want to do that work every day with a team that expects a high standard.
- A project with a specific finding and a decision that changed.
- A second proof point about reliability under time pressure, with a number.
- A believable reason for the role grounded in what the candidate follows.
The people, firms and numbers in these examples are invented for illustration.
Then practice it with an AI interviewer
These are features that exist in the Soreno app today. They help you practice behavioral answers out loud. They are general behavioral practice and do not reproduce any employer's questions or scoring.
- 1
Behavioral questions in the library
Soreno's library includes behavioral questions. You pick one, answer out loud, and the AI interviewer asks follow-ups.
- 2
Follow-ups on your own story
The interviewer asks about the specific story you told, the way the follow-up drill on this page does, so a thin answer shows up in practice instead of in the real interview.
- 3
A scored report
After the session you get feedback with quotes from your own answer and a plan for the next attempt. Check it against what really happened; it is AI coaching, not an employer's rubric.
Keep going, then do it out loud
Read the longer guides, try the other free practice pages or compare ways to practice.
Why consulting, why this firm practice
Structure templates for the questions that usually come next.
BCG and Bain fit interview practice
Fit questions tied to what BCG and Bain say on their careers pages.
McKinsey PEI practice
One story told in detail, then follow-ups.
Communication practice plan
Drills for structure, pace and clarity that apply to every answer.
Consulting behavioral questions guide
Common behavioral questions and how to answer them.
Behavioral interview practice
Six free questions with STAR prompts, a timer and a self-review list.
Compare practice options
Partners, coaches and AI tools side by side, with prices.
Pricing
Plans, what is included and the 7-day free trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Soreno, answered in one place.
Ready for an interviewer that talks back?
Start the 7-day free trial and run your first full case with the AI interviewer today.
Start 7-day free trial