It’s hard if you’re a new graduate without much to draw on, and it’s even harder when looking back on a myriad of smaller accomplishments over the course of your career.
Tips for Answering Questions About Your Achievements
Furthermore, you may not even consider your greatest achievement to be work-related; you might consider it to be an event in your private life like working with an autistic child or overcoming a personal obstacle. Here are some techniques to answer questions about your greatest accomplishments: Start off by telling the interviewer a story. Describe the challenge you were up against, your plan of attack, and the success you saw on the other side. Connect the dots. Use the opportunity to relate what you’ve accomplished to the position you’re applying for. Make it easy for the interviewer to see the parallels you’re drawing and how your past achievement could benefit their company. Focus on achievements. Did you win a swim race or a chess competition? Lose 100 pounds? Sure, that’s impressive and shows you are dedicated and a hard worker, but unless the interviewer specifically asked about your greatest accomplishment outside of work or your best personal accomplishment, focus on achievements that demonstrate you’re the best person for the job. Don’t attempt to be funny, silly, or cute. Take the question seriously and answer it professionally. Overcoming an instance in which you were a victim isn’t a situation the interviewer wants to hear about. Use your answer to display specific skills or qualities that you know the hiring manager is looking for. It is a good opportunity to match your qualifications to the job and demonstrate you’re the best candidate for the position. Look beyond hard skills for inspiration; demonstrating that you’re an excellent communicator, a patient person or a motivated and flexible team member will impress the interviewer. Convey a recent accomplishment. Sure, getting the entire company hooked up to a server rather than dial-up internet service was an accomplishment way back then; today, it’s not so relevant and makes you appear dated. As always, be honest. Don’t be tempted to stretch the truth or lay claim to an achievement that wasn’t yours. Dishonesty during the interview process has a way of coming back to haunt job seekers, sometimes long after they’ve landed the job. (If nothing else, you’d have to live with the fear that your fib would be discovered!)
Sample Answers about Achievements
Here is a selection of sample responses you can use to tailor your answer about what you’ve accomplished:
