what is fun fact about me?

• Your non-traditional career path.
• Your hobbies, volunteer work, and interests outside of work.
• An SFW story that is almost too good to believe.
• A skill you learned in the last few years.
• Your biggest personal goal for the new year.

If you have no idea what to say, here are 101 ideas for the next time you get asked to share “fun facts about me” at work, school, or a social group.

Most people make a first impression of you within 7 seconds, so it’s normal to feel stumped about what to say during introductions. Believe it or not, a “fun facts” icebreaker can actually be like a “get out of jail free card.” You can recalibrate any first impression mishaps by skipping the small talk and sharing something you truly care about.

For a captivating introduction with fun facts, remember the acronym CAP. The best facts to share about yourself are:

The whole point of sharing fun facts is to break the ice between a new group of people so they can get to know each other.

Your “fun facts” should spark further questions and conversation regardless of the situation. Don’t shut down the dialogue with a conversation blocker.

Pro Tip: Listen carefully to other people’s fun facts so you can ask about them later. Vanessa Van Edwards calls these “hot buttons” because they give insights into a person’s interests and passions. If you want to connect beyond small talk, probe deeper by asking, “Why do you like ___?” or “How did you get into ___?” These show that you’re genuinely interested in what makes them tick.

Take the dialogue to the next level by sprinkling in some of these science-backed tips for creating an intriguing and memorable conversation.

Avoid sharing anything too personal or uncomfortable, like political opinions, religion, family background, financial situation, alcohol/drug consumption, or things you dislike. While these facts may be discussed with closer friends later on, they could paint you negatively in front of new acquaintances.

This is a two-in-one! It’s hard to share a unique fact if you don’t think and prepare ahead of time. Some people can come up with fascinating things on the spot, but if you tend to get tongue-tied in the spotlight, it’s best to reflect on your unique qualities in advance so you can have “fun fact” ideas already in your back pocket.

Pro Tip: Even if a fun fact is super interesting, closed-off body language can undermine your message because it shows people that you don’t want to open up and socialize about what you share.

For example, people with their arms crossed can accidentally send messages like, “I’m bored,” “I’m too cool for this activity,” or “I don’t want to talk to you.

If you want to use your interesting facts to make new friends or professional connections, your body language must match your intention. Practice these quick body language hacks during and after the fun facts icebreaker activity:

People are more likely to remember unusual things because novelty triggers a dopamine release in their brains. In Vanessa Van Edwards’s bestselling book Captivate, she explains how you can be the most memorable person in a room (spoiler alert: it starts with authenticity and building trust.)

You can combine her key body language tips (summarized here) with “hot-button” facts about yourself that people will be dying to ask about later. Use these prompts to come up with compelling fun facts to keep in your back pocket for any occasion.

Interview questions can often feel generic or boring. When you get a chance to share something about yourself during a job interview, make it count by showcasing your personality and unique talents.

Here are some quick tips for using these fun facts to your advantage during an interview:

The primacy effect explains why people are most likely to remember the first piece of information they hear about a topic. Whatever you say after your name could be forever linked to their perception of you. If you get the chance to introduce yourself with a fun fact, try one of these templates to plant a positive seed in their minds:

When introducing yourself in an icebreaker game, choose facts that…

Sharing fun facts about yourself is an easy way to stand out from the crowd and open yourself up for future conversations. You can also quickly discover who you might have something in common with. Here are some fun fact templates for social situations:

If you want to make more friends and create a lasting positive impression, remember to:

Even the most interesting person in the world can have trouble coming up with an “interesting story” about themselves on the spot. With eyes on you and everyone anxiously awaiting some epic tale, somehow your mind goes blank…

Chances are, you’re actually super interesting! You just need to remember your favorite stories and practice sharing them in a compelling way.

Ultimately, the “share a fun fact about yourself” icebreaker game is an opportunity for a more captivating introduction. Instead of dreading it, think about this icebreaker as a “get out of jail free” card. If you share a good “fun fact,” you don’t have to go through another boring round of small talk (thank goodness!)

People are more likely to approach you afterward if you share a fun fact that is:

First impressions play a significant role in social situations, be it an interview, a networking event, or a social gathering. Everyone wants to be remembered and hence try their best to make memorable conversations.

Sharing fun facts about yourself is a great way to introduce yourself and begin conversations. Fun facts generate interest and induce curiosity in the interviewer.

Authentic fun facts about yourself might just be the foundational stone to your professional relationship. At times, people themselves might ask you to share interesting aspects of your personality. Thoughtful responses in such circumstances might not come naturally to you.

Read on to learn more about how to introduce yourself and what information to share.

Is there an ideal fun fact?

Yes, an ideal fun fact is authentic to you, interesting to listen to, and appropriate for the interview setting. Fun facts about yourself strike a balance between fun and professionalism.

Keeping this in mind, you could choose various instances from your life to answer ‘Tell me 3 fun facts about yourself’ or ‘Can you tell me a fun fact?’.

Introspect and try to answer questions such as: What did you wish to become when you were young? Do you have an interesting travel story to share? Do you have a unique hobby? The audience is ready to listen to your ‘atypical’ instances of life!

We have curated a list of 60 prompts to help you answer ‘fun facts about me’.

What makes you stand out?

Share your preferences, choice, taste, and quirks to give insights into your personality. This can bolster the relationship and initiate discussions with the interviewer, peers, and friends.

Here are some ‘fun facts about me example’ ideas to help you drive the conversation and engage with the audience:

Other ‘interesting facts about me’ examples that would help you with introducing yourself are: 11. “People remember me about..” 12. “The bravest I have ever done is..” 13. “My hidden talent is..” 14. “My favorite artist is..” 15. “A lesson for my younger self would be..” 16. “I am most passionate about..” 17. “My dream job is..” 18. “My favorite subject in school was..” 19. “My inspiration is..” 20. “One of my pet peeves is..”

What better way to start professional conversations than to share your professional goals and experiences?

Fun facts give a clear background of your professional accomplishments and aspirations. Use these ideas and prompts to start conversations and build connections:

Some other ways to share professional fun facts are:

Hobbies are usually what comes to one’s mind when asked about themselves. They reflect our identity.

Discussing hobbies and shared interests is a great way to connect with people. Here are some ways to share your exceptional skills and hobbies with other people:

Some other ways to share your hobbies are:

As if starting a new job (or joining a new group) weren’t scary enough, every so often you’ll be asked to introduce yourself by way of a “fun fact.” Inevitably at this moment, you will forget everything you’ve ever done, every place you’ve ever been, every one of your accomplishments. There will be nothing to say, and you’ll end up blurting out your dog’s breed, or the sport you used to play in high school, or something equally uninteresting and un-fun. It’s not your fault. This is a bad practice, a damning prompt. Employers, especially, should not ask their employees to produce fun facts. It’s enough to be there to do the job for which you were hired.

But if you once again find yourself in a situation in which you must produce a fun fact — and you will — you might as well be prepared. The ideal fun fact is two things: (1) interesting enough to ensure nobody makes you do it over, and (2) not so interesting that everyone has lots of follow-up questions. It doesn’t have to be fun. It will rarely be fun. You just need something to say. Here are 31 ideas and prompts you can keep in your back pocket for the next time you’re asked.

1. Your proudest atypical accomplishment: the year you made every recipe in Deb Perelman’s cookbook, the time you built an Ikea dresser in an hour flat, your Jenga title, your famous Super Bowl dip.

2. Your most prized collection. Whether it’s old coins, stamps, or something less grandfatherly, this is a perfect “fun” fact.

3. Your biggest (nonserious fear). You don’t want to get too vulnerable here (“My biggest fear is death” may chill the room a bit), but if you’ve got a very specific, less common fear, like chipmunks or something, go with that.

4. The first job you wanted when you were a little kid.

5. Your high-school superlative. (Unless you won, like, “Most Popular” or “Most Likely to Succeed.” No, thanks! Keep it to yourself!)

6. Your go-to comfort-binge TV show. Say something like The Office, Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and people will be like “Ha, same!” and never think of it again. (Ideal.)

7. Something you were embarrassingly late to realize. Like finding out narwhals are a real animal or finding the arrow in the FedEx logo.

8. Your celebrity crush. The best options here fit in the “Totally Kind of Hot” category — not universal but niche relatable.

9. Your best celebrity sighting. Personally, I once saw Lindsay Lohan smoking a cigarette on a stoop in downtown St. Paul!

10. How many tattoos/piercings you have. IMO, this one could be considered a little risqué (like … where are they?), so you’ve got to feel out the office vibe first.

11. What your last meal on Earth would be.

12. The trip you most want to take but haven’t yet. (For me, Roswell, New Mexico, for alien reasons.)

13. An embarrassing piece of trivia from your Spotify or other music-streaming account. Some apps organize your data for you, so you may as well use it.

14. Your favorite word. (Probably don’t pick one that’s NSFW.)

15. A superstition you have.

16. The most unusual/severe illness you’ve had.

17. The weirdest (nonsexual!!) thing you can do with your body. The downside here: Be prepared for people to ask you to do it. You’ve been warned!

18. Your most unusual pet.

19. The longest travel delay you’ve ever experienced. People love to commiserate about travel delays.

20. A contest you once won. Like, say, you and your friend dressed up, stood in line, and were rewarded with free Black Eyed Peas tickets from a local radio station.

21. A poem or song or scene from a movie that you’ve memorized. The trick here is to pick one that’s long enough to be notable but not so long that you’ll be asked to demonstrate.

22. The amount of prepping you’ve done for the end of the world/your strategy for the zombie apocalypse.

23. The animal you would be if you knew you’d be reincarnated as an animal.

24. The first concert you attended as a teenager (generally gets at least a few nostalgia laughs).

25. The first name your parents almost gave you.

26. The mythical creature/entity you kind of believe in even though you know it isn’t real. (Probably.)

27. The funniest or worst job you had as a teenager.

28. What you did on your last “normal day” pre-COVID.

29. The one feature you would add to Instagram if you were put in charge of that.

30. The eeriest prediction you made that later came true (or at least partly true).

31. Insist there’s nothing interesting about you at all. Funny and the only truly respectable option.

This post has been updated.

I love to cook. My signature dish is homemade spaghetti and meatballs. I'm taking Spanish courses because I hope to visit Spain at the end of the year. If I could have any superpower, it would be to speak any language so I could connect with anyone in the world.