"Tell me a fun fact about yourself."
Imagine this: you take your seat at a dinner party, attend a class, or join a Zoom breakout room full of strangers. You know what’s coming next and you instantly feel a sense of dread—an icebreaker. They want to know a fun fact about you. "It can be anything!" they exclaim.
Do you share the most embarrassing moment or your biggest accomplishment? Do you regale your audience with funny stories or share your guilty pleasure? Do you have a hidden talent that you want to share?
We created a long list of examples of fun facts on various topics. Bookmark this page and always have a few fun facts on hand to get out of any small talk dead end.
Table of Contents
- Three Quick + Fun Facts to Share in Every Interview
- 60+ Fun Facts
- How to Answer “Tell Me a Fun Fact About Yourself” in an Interview Setting
You can use these prompts to give a look into your personal life, connect with your colleagues, break the ice with new friends, or cause a group to double over in laughter.
You'd be surprised by how much it delights others, especially when they light up to tell their own fun facts about their own lives, too.
Listen Instead: We also created this article in video/audio format to maximize accessibility.
Tell Me Three Fun Facts: 3 Quick + Easy Fun Facts to Share in Your Interview
If you're answering this question in an interview setting, relate it to the job with equal parts sincerity and creativity. These three facts about you are great because they shed light on your formative years, describe a situation in which you learned and grew, and allow you to share stories about your favorite things.
In an interview setting, these sorts of fun facts can also help the interviewer to open up, too.
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When I was young, I wanted to be a [JOB PROFESSION] because [STORY].
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The most embarrassing thing that ever happened to me at work was [EMBARRASSING THING] and I learned [LESSON LEARNED].
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My favorite word is [WORD] and why. (Bonus points for obscure words or words that don't exist in English.)
60+ Fun Facts About Yourself That You Can Share
When brainstorming facts about yourself, it may be helpful to consider random, fun, and interesting facts.
Here are some ideas and examples of different types of facts to share in an interview, while networking, or over lunch with a friend.
There's a sweet spot for a fun fact that delivers but doesn't haunt you for the rest of your days.
For example, if you share that you can do a double backflip, expect to be asked to do it for every person, at every party, and at the end of every meeting, and for the company TikTok.
Random Facts About Me
What makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates?
We often draw parallels between dating and interviewing for a job—and maybe that's because they're both so nerve-wracking. My mother likes to tell a story about her first (blind!) date with my dad.
During this date, he recited all 150 English prepositions to her, in alphabetical order.
While that might not be everyone's dream of a first date, it was ultimately what won my mother over.
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Your high school superlative. Did you win the best laugh? (*Don’t use it if it makes you seem arrogant or conceited.)
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The most money you've ever won on a scratch-off or lottery ticket
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Your favorite food to eat or your favorite comfort food
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Your favorite food to make
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Your hometown, especially if it’s vastly different from your current location
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Your most prized possession
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A prized object you carried everywhere with you as a child (extra points if you still have it!)
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The first book you ever remember reading
You Might Also Like: How to Introduce Yourself Professionally
More Random Fun Facts About Me
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Your favorite book and why
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A formative memory or your earliest memory—especially if it pertains to the job
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The color of your first bedroom (my nephew used to ask this when he was 3 years old, and I think it's a great question)
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A "secret" talent
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Celebrities who share your birthday
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Something you believed was true when you were younger (like thinking that the world was black and white because photographs were)
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A "quirk" about you (e.g., "I am always 20 minutes early for everything.")
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The one type of food you would eat for the rest of your life if you had to pick
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Your favorite podcast
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Your first favorite movie
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Your first memory from early childhood
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The weirdest coincidence you've ever experienced
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How you "found out" about Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy
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A funny award you won as a kid
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Your first car
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Your childhood celebrity crush
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Your biggest pet peeve
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A superpower you wish you had and a superpower you'd hate to have
How to Answer with a Random Fact:
"I’m an Idealist with an ENFJ personality type. This means that my leadership style is forward-thinking and relationship-oriented. Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama are also ENFJs, if this gives you a better idea of my personality."
Geography Facts About Me:
Think this category couldn't have much life? Think again! There are plenty of fun facts about yourself that you can share when it relates to your longitude and latitude.
Here are a few fun facts to share about where you were born, how many schools you attended, or what states you haven't visited yet.
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Where you were born and where you lived for your first year of life
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How many states you have visited in The United States
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Your travel bucket list
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The best place you've ever visited
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The most incredible natural phenomena you've seen
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The wildest travel story you have to share
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How many times you moved in your childhood
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The best city you've ever visited
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The coldest or hottest temperature you've ever experienced
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The longest you have ever walked (both distance and time)
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The farthest you've ever driven
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The fastest you've ever run a mile
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The strangest place you've ever fallen asleep
Miscellaneous Fun Facts About Me:
What is something fun, exciting, or unexpected about you?
Fun facts are great because they usually get people thinking about their own quirks and memories. It's a great method of bonding.
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Your newfound passion project
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You have an identical twin
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You're really good at rollerblading, chess, or a sport
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A story about a strange or funny encounter with a celebrity
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A superstition or conspiracy theory you're interested in (Tread lightly here, though. Aliens are fun conspiracies. A global plot against humanity? Not so fun.)
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Your first childhood crush
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An embarrassing story that makes you laugh in retrospect
More Miscellaneous Fun Facts
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Your favorite comfort-binge TV show
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The first concert you attended
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You have double-jointed thumbs or "toe thumbs"
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The last time you had "church laughs,"—aka you were laughing hysterically in an inappropriate place
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Random facts that you know (like the ends of shoelaces are called "aglets")
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Something you can repeat by memory (like the 150 prepositions or every state capital)
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Your favorite type of art (+ why)
Answer with a Fun Fact:
"I’m very interested in astrology and learning more about myself, others, and the world around me. Uncovering someone’s astrology chart helps me better understand where the individual is coming from, how they like to be communicated with, and how they like to communicate."
Funny Fun Facts + Stories About Me:
Your funny stories may not be for the interview setting (though, who knows? Maybe they are perfect!) but we compiled a list of fun facts to make everyone laugh—and hopefully relate.
It never hurts to lighten up the mood with appropriate funny things. This can sometimes open up rapport and leave everyone in an interview process—or on a first date—feeling more at ease.
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The story of your first date
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The worst job interview experience you ever had (and what you learned from it)
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An embarrassing story from your teenage years (don't act like you don't have one)
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A time your biggest fear (something silly, like bugs) made you act irrationally
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The funniest thing you misunderstood as a young child (like thinking the world was black and white when pictures were black and white)
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How you earned a childhood nickname
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The worst thing a sibling ever did to you (think funny, not traumatic)
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A 100 percent humiliating story that always makes folks laugh
Answer with a Funny Story:
"For my first job interview ever, I arrived a week early to the interview. The hiring manager actually thought it was funny—even a week later, when I came back to actually interview. I learned the magic of using Google Calendar after that day. I did get the job, though!"
Interesting Facts About Me:
What is a fact that sheds light on your personality and how you got to where you are today?
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Your non-traditional career path
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Your hobbies, volunteer work, and interests outside of work
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An SFW story that is almost too good to believe
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A skill you learned in the last few years
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Your biggest personal goal for the new year
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A time you broke a bone or the story behind a scar (as long as it isn't traumatizing for you to share)
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Have you had your appendix or tonsils removed?
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Something you're irrationally afraid of (like bugs!)
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A recurring dream you have had + what you think it might mean
Answer with an Interesting Fact:
"I started college as a nursing student. While my career path has completely changed since then, I believe my desire to help others has remained the same."
How to Answer “Tell Me a Fun Fact About Yourself” in an Interview Setting
When answering this interview question, it’s important to remember what this information conveys about you.
Does it make you stand out? Is your response memorable? Does it help the interviewer learn more about your personality and how you may fit into the company?
Tip 1: Don’t Think Too Hard About It + Have Fun With It
We know this question is tough because of how open-ended it is. Use this to your advantage. Take this opportunity to share something about yourself that usually wouldn’t come up on your resume or cover letter.
Who knows, maybe your interviewer is also a vegan who is passionate about environmental sustainability.
Even if this isn’t the case, a unique fact about yourself is a great way to start an interesting conversation.
Pro Tip: If you know who your interviewer is beforehand, conduct a little research online. Find commonalities between yourself and the interviewer—it could be schools attended, cities you lived in, or connections you have in common.
Tip 2: Be Honest and Genuine
This advice applies to any interview question. Make sure to be yourself and show the company who you really are, not who you think they want you to be. There’s no point in sharing a hobby or interest that isn’t something you enjoy or engage in.
Furthermore, if you define yourself as a “world traveler” and can’t name your favorite travel destination, it could make the interviewer question your credibility.
Here are some fun fact prompts that you can use to dive into your authentic self:
- A perfect day at work looks like...
- My idea of the dream job has changed because...
- If I could use the rest of my life to accomplish one thing...
- My favorite childhood memory is...
Tip 3: Find a Creative Way to Relate Your Response Back to the Job
Relating a fun fact about yourself back to the job may be the hardest part of this process. If you’re really looking to impress the interviewer, consider the types of fun facts that reveal who you are as a leader or coworker.
For example, saying you’re a part-time yoga instructor doesn’t only communicate your interest in health and wellbeing. It also signals your ability to lead a team, practice mindfulness, and invest in self-improvement.
Pro Tip: Consider using story circles to answer questions around your personality.
What Not to Say When Answering “Tell Me a Fun Fact About Yourself” in an Interview
While the question “Tell me a fun fact about yourself” allows you to share something (anything) about yourself, there are some answers you’ll want to avoid.
"There Isn’t Anything Especially Interesting About Me."
First of all, this isn’t true. Confidence is vital in the interview—even if you have to fake it. This answer undermines your confidence and self-worth.
There’s something unique about all of us. Secondly, being able to hold a conversation and talk about yourself is vital when working with potential employers, clients, or coworkers. Your story, path, and life are interesting—share it with others
Self-Deprecating Jokes or Negative Self-Talk
There’s no need to undermine yourself or your accomplishments, especially during a job interview. How might this behavior play out when answering, “tell me a fun fact about yourself?”
Let’s say you lead up to your answer by saying something like “This might be weird, but…” or “I know this isn’t really fun, but…” This is negative self-talk.
If you think your fact is fun and it says something about who you are, say it with confidence.
Information That is Too Personal
Be sure to avoid facts that reveal personal information about yourself. If it is illegal for interviewers to ask about this information, you should avoid it as well. That's right, you can keep your secrets and personal information to yourself.
Refrain from sharing a fact that could be used to discriminate against you in the hiring process. This includes stating your marital or parental status, your age, or your sexual identity, to name a few.
Unprofessional Moments or Anecdotes
While this question is supposed to be fun, remember that you’re in a professional setting interviewing for a job. Sharing what you did last weekend may not be appropriate or relevant in this case. You can also save your alcoholic drink of choice for a virtual happy hour—and you definitely don't need to share the stupid thing you did when you were drunk on Saturday night. Keep it PG.
