Module 3 — Your story
By the end of this module you will be able to: deliver a confident 60–90 second "tell me about yourself"; give an honest, specific answer to "why this trade?"; explain why you want this employer or local; and handle your story if you are new, changing careers, returning to work or trained outside Canada.
Almost every trades interview opens with some version of "So, tell me about yourself." It sounds casual. It isn't. In the first minute and a half, the interviewer decides whether you can communicate clearly, whether you are serious about the trade and whether the rest of the interview is worth their attention. The good news: this is the one answer you can fully prepare in advance.
Lesson 3.1 — "Tell me about yourself," trades version
The Present–Past–Future formula
- Present (15–20 seconds): who you are in the trade right now. Your current role, level or certification, and the kind of work you do.
- Past (30–40 seconds): two or three highlights that got you here. Training, key jobs, projects, skills, tickets. Pick what matches the job.
- Future (15–20 seconds): what you want next — and why this job fits.
Total: 60–90 seconds. Practise it out loud with a timer. Most people's first attempt runs three minutes.
Example: pre-apprentice
"I'm just finishing a 12-week electrical pre-apprenticeship at the college, where I've been doing basic residential wiring, conduit bending and the safety tickets — Working at Heights, WHMIS and first aid. Before that, I spent three years working at a building supply store, where I worked in the yard loading contractors' orders and ran a forklift. That's actually how I got interested in the trades — I talked to electricians every day and liked what they did. What I'm looking for now is an employer who will register me as an apprentice. I'm reliable — I didn't miss a shift in my last year at the store — and I want to learn the trade properly, starting with the basics."
Example: third-period apprentice
"I'm a third-period plumbing apprentice with about 5,000 hours. For the last two years I've been with a residential new-construction company, doing rough-ins and finishes on single-family homes and townhouses — I can lay out and rough in a house with minimal supervision now. Before that, I did my first year with a small service company, so I've also done drain cleaning, water heater swaps and fixture repairs. My current company is slowing down on new builds, and I want to get commercial experience before I write my exam. Your company does a lot of commercial and institutional work, which is exactly the experience I'm looking for."
Example: Red Seal journeyperson applying for foreman
"I'm a Red Seal carpenter with 14 years in the trade, mostly commercial concrete formwork and framing. For the past four years I've been a lead hand on mid-rise residential projects, running crews of four to eight, including apprentices. I've been responsible for daily layout, coordinating with the pump truck and rebar crews, completing the daily hazard assessments and tracking hours. Last year my site supervisor gave me a lot of the planning on a six-storey project when he was off for six weeks. I'm ready to step into a foreman role, and your company's mix of mid-rise and institutional work and your reputation for keeping crews together are why I applied."
What to leave out
- Your life story from childhood
- Personal details unrelated to work (relationship status, religion, health, age)
- Complaints about past employers
- Anything you wouldn't want them to ask more about
Make it sound like you
Do not memorize a script word for word — you'll sound like a robot, and if you lose your place you'll freeze. Memorize the three or four points and the order. Say it differently each time you practise.
Use the exercise at the end of this lesson to build yours. (The full course adds a printable Tell-Me-About-Yourself Builder worksheet.)
Likely question: "Tell me about yourself."
- Strong answer: use Present–Past–Future (see examples in Lesson 3.1). 60–90 seconds, focused on the trade and this job.
- Weak-answer pitfalls: starting with "Well, I was born in…"; going over three minutes; listing every job you've had; saying "It's all on my resume."
Quick self-check
- What are the three parts of the Present–Past–Future formula?
- How long should a "tell me about yourself" answer be?
Show answers
- Present (who you are in the trade now), Past (two or three highlights that got you here), Future (what you want next and why this job fits).
- About 60–90 seconds.
Practice exercise — build and record your opening
Time: 20–30 minutes.
- Write bullet points for Present, Past and Future. Pick the highlights that match the job you're applying for.
- Say it out loud with a timer. Cut it until it's under 90 seconds.
- Record yourself on your phone (video if you can). Watch it back once. Check: Did you look up? Did you say "um" or "like" a lot? Did you end with why you fit this job?
This lesson is general career guidance for trades job seekers in Canada. Hiring practices vary by employer, union local, province and territory.