Education is not the learning of the mind, but the training of the mind to think said, Einstein. Something that we need to reflect upon before answering about educational Background. Here, let’s know how to answer the question- Tell Me About Your Educational Background.
Interview questions about our educational background Often leave us wondering, ‘didn’t I mention my educational background already on my resume’ then, why do I need to explain the same thing. Well, the hiring manager is not interested in what college you went to or your GPA scores because these things are already in front of them on your resume. What they do want to know is how you view your education, what you have learned that can be helpful to the job you are applying for, and If you have enough knowledge about your college major.
Whether you were interested in learning about your College subjects, what activities or internships you participated in to gain knowledge and expand your career. These things help Interviewers decide your suitability for the Job and assess you better.
What is your Educational Background?
Your educational background is not just about what schools or colleges you attended and what subjects you studied. Instead, it is the set of skills, experience, and knowledge that you have gained over the years and the way you plan to use your insights in your life and career.
According to dictionary.com, education is the act of acquiring knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and preparing oneself intellectually for mature life. This is what the interviewers want to see in you when they ask questions about your educational background.
Why do Interviewers ask about your educational background?
Generally, questions about educational background are common to the candidates who are fresh out of college with no real experience, but these questions can also be asked to experienced candidates, so it’s better if you are prepared for every question when going for an Interview. The hiring manager wants to assess the following through this question
- What was the source of your formal and informal education?
- How is your education related to the job profile?
- What was your motivation behind choosing a particular major?
- What are your soft skills?
- What extra efforts did you apply to master your college major?
- What are your views about your education, and how do you plan to use it in the future?
- How honest you are about yourself.
If you can include answers to the above points when answering, the interviewers. You can easily ace your interview because you will give a comprehensive and brief background of your education, which will help the interviewers decide your suitability.
How to answer, ‘tell me about your educational background?’
Most of the candidates make the mistake of describing what is already mentioned in the resume. Instead, Candidates need to go beyond that and talk about their inclusive knowledge, values, and how they understand Education. Some important points to remember when talking about one’s educational background-
- Go beyond your resume – Remember that the school and college you went to and the GPA that you obtained is already on the resume hence, after giving them a brief reply about your college, try to delve deeper and think about the things that are not there on your resume, things that you have learned at home like a new language or something that you learned as a volunteer, your interests outside of your college, this will help you elaborate about your education.
- How did your education help you prepare for your career – Whatever course or subject that we choose to study is somehow aligned with our future goals so, explain this relationship between your education and occupation to the Interview Board, this gives them an understanding of your plans and can leave an impression of how dedicated you are.
- Talk about your most recent educational activities – Don’t start your answer about how your sixth-grade essay taught you about the value of time because, when you are in an interview, the most recent is the most important. Talk about what you are learning these days and what your short-term goals are. If you are a recent graduate, then talk about your educational experience at the college. This point will help you initiate a conversation with the interviewers and can put you at ease.
- Don’t be shy to be you – Many candidates feel that talking about their achievements will make them look boastful and arrogant, but that’s not the case. If you have any recent achievements then, be confident to talk about them. There is no place for modesty in an interview so express your achievements boldly.
- Talk about your soft skills – These days, soft skills play a crucial role in every industry and are considered necessary, so talk about how your soft skills have prepared you for the job. For example, you learned about communication skills in your literature class, and they will help you in the art of client persuasion.
- Talk about the values learned – The real purpose of education is to make us able humans, life values are necessary for that, one can learn values through extracurricular activities that might include volunteering or working part-time at a restaurant talk about these values that you have learned through extracurricular activities, it can be about understanding someone’s need or the worth of being patient, these are always helpful in developing yourself or working in an organization.
- Be creative – The way you elucidate your answers reflects your personality so, try to be creative when answering. You can do this by establishing a connection between your subject of study and the job profile. Imagine you studied finance, but you are more interested in accounting, so talk about how finance helped you understand accounting better, and you also took an online course on accounting, and now you are interested to learn more about it and establish a career on the same path.
- Research and update- Research about the organization you apply for, try to find former or current employees’ views about the company, if available on the internet. Learn about their objectives and what they value in their workers. For example, Tesla does not care about your educational background if you have the required skills to do the job. So, find about the organization and try to include the points which the company values the most.
- Be honest – If you don’t have the required qualifications for the job, don’t be insecure, to tell the truth. The fact that you have been shortlisted for the interview is enough proof that you are qualified as a candidate. So, be truthful about your skills, abilities, and yourself because nothing is as beautiful as the truth.
- Try to be the Interviewer- Atticus Finch once said you do not understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Imagine if you are the interviewer, then what would you like to know about the educational qualification and to what extent a degree matters. Thinking from a different point of view opens a sea of possibilities. You will feel positive and can understand the context of the question and ace the answer.
Sample Answers to help you prepare better
Practice makes you perfect is the key ingredient to your answer. Develop a habit of practicing before you go for an interview. Research, Consult, seek advice and then write down your answer and think how you can do even better. This exercise helps you quell Interview anxiety and also answer to the best of your ability. Here are some examples for you-
Example 1 – If you are applying as a writer
| I have recently graduated from XYZ University with a Major in English literature and creative writing. My minor subjects include Spanish and music. I like writing, and my college subjects have given me a better understanding of connecting with readers. I started writing a blog about health and life and have around 1000 readers. I have attended two internships as a content writer, and blogger where I wrote extensive and well-researched content for my clients. I was not really into literature and writing as a teen, but ever since I joined college, I feel this is what I want my future to be, so I’m working progressively to develop myself as a writer that connects with people. |
This short and brief answer expresses your desirability for the job, something that interviewers look forward to.
Example 2 – If you want to work in the tech field
| My parents are software engineers, and seeing them working developed my curiosity towards technology. I started learning the programming fundamentals during high school, and when applying for college, I wanted to learn to program further so, I majored in computer science from ABC University. I have built an e-commerce website for my sister to sell her crafts, and I recently concluded an internship with a YZ firm in the same field. I have decided this is what I want to do in my career. I’m learning new languages and trying to come up with user-friendly websites, and this job will further help me challenge myself and do even better. |
Discuss how you developed an interest in the subjects you have studied.
Example 3 – If you want to be in the sales
| I have majored in psychology, my initial motivation towards the course was my curiosity towards understanding the thinking of a human brain. I was happily enjoying learning, but afterward, I was confused about the career path to choose, so I decided to take Internships to discover what I want and After two internships as a counseling assistant. I realized that I wanted more. Finally, after working as a sales executive, I found that this is what I want. Increasing sales is directly related to understanding how a customer thinks, and psychology has helped me understand them to supplement my understanding of sales. I also attended an online course by XYZ, and currently, I’m looking to build my future in the field of sales. |
Relate your major to the job profile in a creative way.
Example 4 – If you are starting as an Architecture
| I Graduated with a major in Architecture. To be honest, the only reason why I decided to study architecture is that I wanted to have a professional career in the field. I have been an enthusiastic learner, and my GPA is proof of the same. I have attended around six internships to understand the architecture industry. I’m planning to open my firm someday, but it’s in the future. For now, I want to learn more and establish myself as an architect for the organization I work for. |
Be honest about your motivation and your plans. The interviewer will think of you as a goal-oriented professional.
Example 5 – If you are looking forward to working as an Economist
| I have recently majored in economics at ABC university. Though there are many different branches of economics, data, prediction, and analysis are something I’m interested in. I want to gain experience in the industry and apply my knowledge. My friends and I opened a website where we predict different things such as student dropout ratio and the average lifestyle of an American student, based on the data and surveys. Many people have been able to connect with us to discuss problems and solutions. During my high school days, I liked studying mathematics, and combining maths with economics has made me like econometrics even more. I want to explore this pathway further and gain experience by working on real-time projects. |
Discuss your creative ideas and if you have helped somebody using your intellect in the field.
Example 6 – For Investment Banking
| As mentioned in my resume, I have majored in mathematics with a minor in statistics and finance from AXB University. Initially, I wanted to pursue academia in mathematics, but Once my friends pushed me to get an internship, and that’s where my interest in Investment banking began and so far. I have enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to being a part of this Industry. I have volunteered in fundraising events, and they have been a great learning experience. I have worked many part-time jobs as a teen, and they have taught me the value of money and being humble. |
Honestly talk about your motivation behind studying your major.
Example 7- If you are in the language field
| I have majored in German. My parents belong to different nationalities. My father is an American, while my mother is German. Hence, I developed an interest in learning languages. I have a diploma in French and also a certificate in Chinese. I find it fascinating how the same things are expressed in so many ways. I want to use my knowledge in a professional field by giving my services where needed. I look forward to learning more languages and at the same time using them to gain professional experience. |
Example 8 – Want to be a Journalist
| I have completed my bachelor’s in Journalism recently and also concluded my internship with XY firm. I was the editor of the school’s newspaper, and I write for webzines online where my role is to prepare a comprehensive report on current issues in the political world. The condition of press freedom in many countries motivates me to be a journalist that delivers without fear and serves as the fourth estate. |
Talk about how you want to contribute in the field as a working professional.
Example 9 – Starting as a teacher
| I have obtained my degree in education. These four years in college have exposed me to different problems in our education system and how teachers can bring change. I used to teach my siblings, my neighborhood kids as a teen, and that’s where I guess my motivation to be a teacher started. I have taught as a teacher assistant for Edu tech companies based in Asia. My focus has been to support education for all because the divide between rich and poor has widened the education gap between rich and poor, as teacher equity in education is what I want to advocate. I want to grow further and help in the growth of kids as a teacher. |
Talk about the knowledge that you have gained in that field and how you want to address certain issues.
Example 10 – Applying as Lawyer
| I have majored in Corporate law with a minor in finance. Initially, I wanted to be a civil lawyer, but my interest in finance made me choose corporate law. I have always been interested in this field. I have concluded an internship with an AB firm, and previously I have been a summer intern with law firms in the city. I have worked as a policy head for the college student council, where I was exposed to different problems faced by students from diverse backgrounds, and a single law cannot be for everyone there have to be exceptions. I want to learn further by working as a professional and making laws less severe for industries. |
Try to relate with real-life examples and experiences if possible.
Common mistakes to avoid while answering about Educational background
- Don’t talk irrelevant – If you are applying for a job as a fitness trainer, the interviewer is not interested in your literature major so, don’t go elaborating that part. Remember to talk about those educational qualifications which are relevant to the job.
- Being emotional – while it is alright to talk about experience, don’t talk about how hardships in life have been the best education. They give an off impression and can lead to disqualification.
- Lying about your extracurricular – Many people lie about soft skills and extracurricular, Interviewers can easily figure it out. So, be honest and open to express your self-doubts in front of the board.
- Talking about what’s on your resume- Avoid explaining your resume. Instead, be natural and elaborate on how you value your education and its utility in the industry.
- Answering as an answer- questions on educational background reflect a lot about your personality, so answer this question in such a way that it reflects the positive aspects of your personality and your values.
Tips to structure your answer
Step 1 – Talk about your most recent qualification.
Step 2- Describe your soft skills, extracurriculars, and Internship experiences.
Step 3-Talk about how you want to grow further and finish your answer on a positive note.
These three steps will help you focus on the main points which the Hiring manager wants to hear when they ask you about your educational background.
Some Do’s and Don’ts
| To do | To not do |
| Talk confidently with everyone | Don’t avoid eye contact with everyone present. |
| Talk about part-time jobs | 2. Talking about your every job since you were a kid. |
| Talk about your recent achievements. | 3. Boasting about an essay competition a few years back |
| How you were in class as a student. | 4. Comparing yourself with others can be aggrandizing. |
| Talk honestly about your motivation and make a conversation. | 5. Making up answers about being passionate about a subject even when you are not. |
Different ways questions on education are asked in Interviews
- Tell me about your educational background?
- Why did you attend ABC University?
- What was your motivation behind choosing your major?
- How is your education related to the job profile?
- What extra-curricular did you do?
- Why don’t you want to study further?
- Do you think your major is popular among millennials?
- How did your education shape you as an individual?
- What unique qualifications do you have that might be different from all other candidates?
- What is the best part of your life as a student?
These questions are directly related to your educational background, though they are asked differently the same points can be used to answer these questions.
Let’s Conclude –
Irish poet William Butler Yeats writes that ‘Education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire.’ you need to remember what made you light a fire inside you, what is the driving motivation that makes you learn and be curious. The Interview board wants to assess the same thing that exactly has made you an able individual and how will you utilize your education. Reflect on yourself because the answers are within you.
