Charlotte Grainger 
Don't panic when the interviewer asks you this key question
Interviewers often ask candidates about their educational background. Should you come up against this question, you may not know where to start. After all, the education section of your resume covers all the main points. Fear not - there is a right way to navigate this. In the following guide, we take a look at what this question is about and how to answer it.
What does educational background mean?
First up, let's talk about what your educational background is. As you might imagine, the interviewer is asking about your qualifications, i.e. the courses you took at school and college. If you've taken any additional courses or done extra training, now is a good time to mention them, too. The more value you can add to their company, the better.
Of course, as the old saying goes “everyday is a school day.” So, your educational background is not merely about what happens in the classroom. Over the course of your working life, you will have picked up a whole range of desirable skills. You should never overlook the things that you've learned when on the job. When the interviewer pulls out this question, take a moment to consider what other nuggets of information you can share.
Why your educational background matters
Education matters in the working world. In some roles - such as a Doctor or Lawyer position - the qualifications you have will be vital to landing the job. In other positions, you may find that your educational background includes “nice to have” qualifications.
When the interviewer asks you this key question, they want to know what you've learned and what expertise you have. You can view this in two ways: it's about your formal education and whatever you've learned in the workplace.
Now, your resume will cover the basics here. You will already have given the recruiter a detailed description of your qualifications. The recruiter does not want you to recite your resume verbatim. Equally, you wouldn't have made it to the interview stage if you're lacking the qualifications you need for the job. So, take a deep breath and don't panic.
When faced with the educational background question, you have the unique opportunity to expand and shed light on what you've learned along the way. The interviewer already knows what qualifications you have, so tell them what skills each of them taught you. Keeping this in mind when you are answering this tricky question is the best way to succeed.
How to respond to this interview question
Now that you know what the educational background question is all about, let's talk about how you can answer it. As we've already covered, reeling off your qualifications won't do you any favors. Instead, you need to add some color to your answers. Give the interviewer a reason to pick you over all of the other interviewees. If you're not sure where to start, you've come to the right place. Here are some of the tips you can use:
Be straightforward and honest
It should go without saying, but you need to be 100% honest here. Lying about your qualifications will get you nowhere fast. Don't tell the interviewer what they want to hear unless it also happens to be true. You're not The Talented Mr. Ripley and nor should you try to be. When answering this interview question, always stick to the facts.
Get into the interviewer's mindset
The interviewer already knows what qualifications you have. So, when you're answering the educational background question, you need to dig a little deeper. To get the best results, you need to get into the interviewer's mindset and understand their motives. This interview question is not about your qualifications per se - it's about how you can apply your knowledge to the role at hand. Talk about what skills and expertise you have here.
When constructing your answer, avoid talking generally about your education. Remember, the interviewer wants to get down to the nitty gritty of your expertise. Consider how your qualifications have best equipped you for this particular vacancy. When you focus your answer on this aspect of the question, you should find that you wow the interviewer.
Start with your most recent qualifications
With most stories, you should start at the beginning. However, kicking things off with your kindergarten education is a sure-fire way to bore the interviewer. Instead, you need to use reverse chronological order. That means starting with your most recent qualifications. That may be a master's degree, a bachelor's degree, or your GPA, for example.
Rather than simply listing the qualifications that you have under your belt, talk about the professional skills you've learned from each of them. For instance, you might say “While studying journalism, I mastered shorthand at 80 WPM, learned about the intricacies of media law, and took a module on court reporting. The skills I learned on this course proved invaluable in my first role as a News Reporter, in which I often attended court cases.”
Relate your educational background to the job role
Never take your eyes off the prize. When you're in an interview, your only goal is to land the job. With that in mind, this is not a chance to wax lyrical about your college days. The interviewer doesn't need to know about your favorite professor or that hilarious prank you pulled. To help you stay on track, you need to relate everything back to the vacancy.
You can do this by demonstrating how the things you've learned apply to the duties of the role. Before the interview, make sure you've familiarized yourself with the job specification. That way, you should have no problem referencing any of the relevant duties when you're answering the educational background question.
Talk about your on-the-job education
It's not all about your academic background. If you've been in the industry for a matter of years, chances are you've picked up a rainbow array of new skills. Talk about them now. After you've covered your formal education, move on to any workplace training or additional learning you've undertaken. That may be a mentorship, working with senior staff members, or even taking an evening course to spruce up your existing skills.
Hint: Interviewers love candidates with big aspirations. You can conclude your answer by focusing on what you hope to learn in the future. For example, you may want to talk about any training programs that the company has in place, plans you have to take classes, and how you wish to develop your skill-set. Sliding this into your answer is never a bad move.
Educational background example answer
Maybe a model answer would help you to understand how to respond when an interviewer says “tell me about your education.” Here's just one idea of how you could pull it together…
I studied French at college, which, alongside a year spent in France, enabled me to develop fluency in the language. I was then able to secure my first job as a bilingual Customer Service Executive, helping customers to resolve their problems and enabling the business to retain their custom. While in that role I continued to learn, taking internal courses in customer service and conflict management, before finally enrolling on their leadership development program. That gave me the skills and confidence to step into a leadership role shortly after, where I've developed my people management skills further. I hope to continue my professional development in this role, using my leadership and language skills to support expansion across Europe while sharing the knowledge I've acquired so far to enable career progression within the wider team.
Stand out from the crowd
When an interviewer asks about your educational background, they really want to know what you are bringing to the table. Follow our tips and advice on how to craft an answer that wins them over. Be sure to highlight how your education relates directly to the role for which you're applying. That simple trick is enough to set you apart from the crowd.
Ready to upgrade your career? Learn how to ace your next interview by working with one of our expert TopInterview coaches. If you want to get ahead of the competition, this approach will help you along the way.