Tell me about yourself,” or questions like it, are common at the beginning of interviews as they ease both you and the interviewer into the interview. It allows the interviewer to hear a short summary of your background and skills, giving them insight into what experience and qualifications you think are most relevant to the position you’re interviewing for.

It’s also not lost on employers that although it’s a common interview question, it still has the tendency to fluster or stump candidates. By answering this question well, you are setting the tone for the interview as someone who is confident, good under pressure and attentive to the qualifications of the position.

Some interviewers might approach this question as an icebreaker by using your response to spark casual conversation to get to know you better while others may move directly into other interview questions after you respond.