This can often be tied together with the situation in one or two sentences. Your hard skills might be on display while you answer this question, and your soft skills certainly will be. Dont go negative. It can be particularly difficult if you're a recent graduate and don't have a lot of experience to draw on. Resume, CV and Cover Letter Writing Expert, Why Interviewers Ask What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?, How to Pick the Perfect Answer with the STAR Method, 3+ Whats Your Greatest accomplishment Sample Answers, What is Your Greatest Accomplishment Sample Answer for Mid-Level Professionals, What is Your Greatest accomplishment Sample Answer for Fresh Graduates, What is Your Greatest accomplishment Sample Answer for the Service Industry, graduated college with not much work experience, 35+ Interview Questions and Answers [Full List], 19+ STAR Interview Questions - Complete List, 10+ Situational Interview Questions & Answers [Complete List], How to Ace Interviews with the STAR Method, Why interviewers ask the What is your greatest achievement? job interview question, How to reply with the perfect answer using the STAR method, 3+ What is your greatest achievement sample answers. Set your story up with a brief description of the situation that led to your accomplishment. How much work does it take for you to feel as though youve contributed to a work accomplishment? Choose an answer related to your professional or academic life. Professional accomplishments are achievements beyond your daily work responsibilities. Here are a few example answers to questions about your accomplishments: In my last job, our senior web developer had to take time off unexpectedly. Buying your first car. If you find it difficult to think of specific accomplishments, consider times that youve been recognized for your work. The first step when handling such what is your proudest accomplishment question is to give a good thought about it. I researched the best remote training methods and implemented them into a new system using XYZ software. (R) Results - Explain the kind of results you achieved. B) "My greatest accomplishment is graduating in the top 3% of my class of over 2,000 students last year, with a GPA of 3.88". Be sure to take credit for your accomplishments. As with all behavioral interview questions, use the star method: Situation. To make the best possible impression, follow these two steps: While your interviewer might be impressed by the first prize trophy you won in your countys Best Cherry Pie Contest, you should choose another example unless youre applying for a baking position. If youre a recent graduate, you may want to think about volunteer work that youve participated in or even academic accomplishments that youre proud of. When answering this question you want to make sure you prepare your answer, read the job description, and use the star method in your answer. In my first job out of college, I was tasked with managing a companys social media channels. Have you ever failed to meet a clients expectations? My greatest accomplishment was when I helped save a patient's life. In my research, I learned about SEO and engagement, which made me drop a few things I was doing on the side to focus on the blog fully. Task: I decided to experiment with new ways to promote it in-store. You're simultaneously making the program easier to understand while also removing a lot of potential sources for bugs (research tells us that the number of bugs in a program is proportional to the number of lines i. Our guides cover formatting, writing, and more. 30 Life Accomplishments You Want to Remember. When describing the outcome, if possible, mention numbers and quantifiable facts. Scholarships or grants. I learn to prioritize my time between family and work. Building Support. This example is from a student who graduated at the top of their class: My greatest achievement was becoming valedictorian of my senior class at [University]. Next, its important to understand the company to get a better understanding of what the hiring manager values or is looking for in a candidate. What did you do? 99%+ of the customers were happy, and we didnt receive a single bad review.. Take a look at the following great answers to this common behavioral interview question and how they cover some of the candidates greatest strengths. Pick a Recent Accomplishment. E.g. Instead of simply saying "I increased sales by 600 percent in one year," describe how you did it. In an accounting department, this might include ways that you strengthened controls, exceeded schedule or documentation reports or built new systems. It tells about your potential as an employee and how much of a valuable asset you can be to the company. Learn more: How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview. This way, I never missed a deadline, assignment or any other responsibility., Results - In the end, I graduated with a GPA of 3.8, almost no student loans, and also interned as the university social media assistant during my last 2 semesters. What you consider an achievement may differ from what others think, but there are often common traits that achievements share, such as: A problem you addressed. Download one of our 2-page CV. Sample Answer 2 - Cashier Job at a Fast Food Restaurant. 1. Whats your greatest accomplishment? is a behavioral job interview question. In other words, associate your accomplishment with a specific percentage or dollar amount. Sample Answer 3 - Side Hustle Personal Achievement. The more examples you have to pull from, the better youll be able to tailor your stories for multiple interviews. While its sometimes not easy to talk about ourselves and our past experiences, practicing for this and other key behavioral questions will pay dividends in the long run. I was a topper in subjects like engineering mathematics and applied mechanics in my bath. 2 If you have the right attitude and are a good fit with the company/team. Thats all for this one! I wrote up a five-question survey and sent it to a selection of people on our list of potential donors. I wanted to discover how our outreach was missing the mark, and what types of new donors we should focus on pursuing. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT? His parents called to tell me that they had never seen him excited to do homework before, especially when it involved reading. Practice your example answers before your interview. For 16 months, I often stayed late to make additional sales calls and would go on-site to dormant accounts one to two days per week. The achievements that matter most combine to form a version of success that has meaning and substance for the individual. Summary. My greatest accomplishment was getting a gold medal in the International Olympiad of Science. Dont lie or embellish too much, but think about which of your examples makes the best story. For background, I studied literature in school, which did not involve any tech information. Examples for your greatest accomplishment could be: Giving a presentation for an important event, Providing mentorship to a fellow student or employee, Winning an award for academic or professional activity, Completing a rigorous training or educational course, Exceeding expectations in a metric-based assignment. The restaurant was completely packed 90%+ of the time, and we barely had any breathing room. The Bottom Line on The Biggest Achievement Interview Question. (T) Task - Talk about the tasks you had to complete (i.e. I also wanted to gain some work experience during my time there, so that I could start working directly after graduating., Task - So, I learned early on that I had to manage my time down to the hour in order to be efficient and on top of everything., Action - Through hard work and dedication, I managed to balance studying, working part-time, and even volunteering to gain some experience. SITUATION: My greatest achievement was paying for college myself. ". This way, you are sure to construct the best answer and help the recruiter take notice of your specific skills and abilities. TASK: I had to try something different to gain more awareness, or else my blog would not grow. This student succinctly explains a challenge they overcame and the skills they used to do it. Home Interview What is Your Greatest Accomplishment, December 20, 2022 | By Corissa Peterson | Reviewed by Conrad Benz. The whole experience taught me how to effectively manage and prioritize my time. If you dont have much professional experience to draw from, consider accomplishments from your academic career and any internships or volunteer work youve done. Some examples could be: Awards or competitions. I learned that younger potential donors found our materials out-of-touch. 2. For some job candidates, its difficult to determine what accomplishment to use and how to communicate it effectively, but the tips in this post should help you get started framing up a great answer. When Have You Made A Split Second Decision? Answering the interview question 'what is your greatest accomplishment?' Now, your answer is obviously going to vary depending on your background and where you are in your career right now. My greatest accomplishment was finishing college at the top of my class while holding a full-time job. I really wanted the blog to work, and even though I used to share the link to my contacts on Whatsapp and followers on Instagram, it was still underperforming. For example, a doctor who finds a cure for a rare disease shows their commitment to the job and the hard work of developing a cure. (S) Situation - Describe the situation and the context in which the event took place. Result: Sales of the drink doubled and the store owner promoted me to assistant manager, where I boosted sales another 15%. So make sure you think about your proudest accomplishments and rehearse giving specific examples so you will be ready to nail this question during the interview process. What is your greatest achievement? I was given the position after just four months and have since learned that it was because of my reliability, consistency, and strong leadership abilities. Whenever possible, connect the achievement to key skills needed for the position. 3. Highlight both your relevant " soft skills " (leadership, conflict resolution, decision making, etc.) They needed volunteers, so I took the initiative. Sample Answer 4 - Paying For College Myself Achievement. I'm proud of this accomplishment and I feel that what I learned is going to give me a big advantage in my . ACTION: We decided to upgrade our ingredients and showcase them in all of our marketing. My marketing ideas brought in an additional $800,000 in income for the company. A simple way that you can show a potential employer what youre capable of is to quantify your accomplishment. As an experienced professional, you have a wealth of professional achievements on your resume. A few more tips from HEC Montreal for students seeking jobs. Answer (1 of 19): A few things; removing unnecessary code is extremely satisfying. During an interview, a hiring manager is evaluating not only a candidates skills and abilities but also their personality to determine how well they will fit within the organization. Even though . In addition to showcasing their strengths, a job seeker should be effective in mirroring a companys core values and fitting in with the company culture in their answer to this behavioral interview question. So, I didnt really have a lot of instructions. Self-reflections gives you opportunity to look back on your life and see how it brought you to where you are today. If you want to become successful in life, you must help yourself first. In my previous role as a health-focused restaurant manager, customers always complained about food having ingredients they did not eat and not knowing about it until they tasted it. I started a blog last year on a topic I was passionate about, but it did not do as well as I had expected. Check out our full guide on achievements here: 100+ Achievements to Write in Your Resume [2023 Examples]. New graduate interviewing for an entry-level marketing job -. Accomplishing any task requires a set of values. Like the examples above, this story focuses on what the candidate did to create real results. If so, why mention this example specifically? Give an answer demonstrating your abilities as the best candidate for the job. Applying for a position with numerous qualifications? Obviously the most important thing about the accomplishment to you was the way that it affected your own life, but an interviewer is going to be wondering how youre going to benefit them and their own company in the future. How hard do you routinely work? I started making short, funny videos around the office, showing what we did as a company while humanizing the brand. In this article we break down what interviewers want to hear when they ask you about your greatest achievement, and how to answer this question the right way. The best answer to this tough interview question will entail a real accomplishment thats free of BS and includes a specific example. Sample Answer 2 - Continuous Learning Professional Achievement. Win over hiring managers with our expert tips. https://passmyinterview.com/50-interview-questions-and-answers/#interviewquestion. Applying for work where you might need to wear a suit? My scholarship only covered half of the tuition, and my family was unable to support me financially. Finally, when answering this question, use a show and tell approach. He then went home and continued reading. Within two months, I had introduced a new onboarding process, introduced and incentivized managerial training, and adopted a new recruitment software. Achievements also provide tangible evidence that colleagues, competitors and the wider world use to judge a person as more or less successful. When asking this question, the HR manager wants to learn about your professional and personal sides. At MatchBuilt, we believe in empowering individuals to pursue their passions and reach their career goals, regardless of industry experience or formal education. Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working in a team. RESULTS: We took a month to find the right suppliers and implement the plan, but after that, lunches were less than 30 minutes, and work output was never affected again. For example, if you notice that taking ownership of projects and exceeding expectations is a core value for the company youre interviewing with, you might choose to tell the hiring manager about a time you stepped up to take responsibility for something, even when it may not have been your responsibility. When answering questions about your accomplishments, you need to highlight and elaborate your successes. There are other interview questions about conflict and challenges, but your answer for this question should be overwhelmingly positive. It's a reflection of my hard work and discipline, as well as my ability to work well with others on group projects while also shining on independent work. "What is your biggest accomplishment at work?". Read the full guide here: Customer Service Resume - Examples & Guide. Task: "As a senior member of the team, I was tasked with being both the content strategist and the overall project manager. How To Respond To A Recruiter Email (With Examples), How To Answer Why Are You Interested In This Position? (With Examples): Job Interview Question, Topics: Get The Job, Guides, Interview Questions. Be concise, avoid rambling and don't lie or embellish the truth. I was very passionate about these Olympiad exams. For the next three months, I was able to begin a weight training program and hitting lessons. At MatchBuilt, weve counseled 1000s of job seekers on how to answer common behavioral interview questions just like this one. 1 How ambitious you are, and what drives you. Situation: "My greatest accomplishment was when I was a content leader at a local design agency. Do not focus on other people in your answer. My part of the project was [your duties]. Common phone interview questions and answers, How to ask for feedback after an interview the right way, Why are you suitable for this job? sample answers, How to answer Walk me through your resume, How to answer What are your weaknesses?, How to answer What is your greatest strength?, How to answer Where do you see yourself in 5 years?, Tell me about a time you had a conflict at work example answers. There's not much risk in screwing this one up, other than the fact that you might be missing out on a lot of free points if you don't take full advantage of this interview question. Learning how to play an instrument. Then use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to clearly show how your skills resulted in a valuable achievement. e. Be honest. In addition, your great achievement can show how well you communicate and display your creativity, leadership skills, and other useful skills that the job requires. Situation - Well, as a recent graduate of XYZ University, I think my greatest achievement was what I managed to accomplish during my time there. Plus, I learned time management skills that will serve me well throughout my career. I recently moved to a different country, and the first few days were so hard because I could not understand what anyone was saying. ACTION: I was still new to the job and had no car, so I could not stay late in the office for safety purposes. Its the inverted version of tell me about a time you failed, but theyre both behavioral interview questions, meaning youll need good stories to tell the hiring manager for each. 1. Your first travel experience. 5 Tips for Your Answer. Let's begin! Your greatest accomplishment could be like Gennifer's, Morgan's or Asha's or it could be completely different. Dont lie. The accomplishment that Im most proud of is how rapidly I was promoted to the team lead position for our sales team. Training for and completing a marathon. RESULTS: Our client was so happy at the end of the project that he decided to give us another contract and refer two more clients to the company. Failure; The Unsuccessful Accomplishment. Utilize the STAR Method, Situation Describe the situation in your personal life or professional career that led to the achievement; Task talk about the task you had to do to accomplish the achievement; Action describe the actions you implemented to achieve the accomplishment; Results discuss the results. Training for and completing a marathon. How you answer an interview question is almost as important as what you say. One of the common interview questions a recruiter may ask a potential candidate is, What is your greatest accomplishment? Potential employers prefer this question as it gives them insight into what you consider important parts of a job and how motivated you are to reach your career goals. Companies . Mastering a new skill. By the end of the year, his reading scores had gone up by over 15%, but the real accomplishment for me was getting him interested in learning something that had previously frustrated him. My parents could not afford the tuition fees initially for me to attend college, but I knew I wanted to further my education no matter the circumstances. This is your moment to really connect to the interviewer by mentioning details that are related and relevant to the company . TASK: The only way to keep the region open was for sales to improve. 12 Example Answers to What Is Your Leadership Style? Interview Question, Vice President of Purchasing in Sarasota, FL, Highlight your best qualities and values in your answer. Here is how the STAR approach works: Situation: Provide some context for your accomplishment in the initial portion of your response. We were understaffed and needed to complete projects on time to retain our only clients and attract more. Just keep in mind: No matter how few jobs youve had before the one youre interviewing for, you should always have an answer to this question. If youre having trouble choosing just one example for your greatest accomplishment, keep the following things in mind: Stick to work examples. In fact, they had talked of stopping supply to that market due to the limited sales volume. Remember, the interviewer called you knowing this might be your first job interview. You should answer such questions by following the S.T.A.R method in a reverse manner, meaning you'd start with the result and end with the . What is your greatest accomplishment? Recently graduated college with not much work experience to speak of? This one is career-relevant and has a dollar value attached. While this project wasnt revolutionary, Im proud of it because I learned [skill or concept you learned that relates to the job]. This question essentially forces a full S-T-A-R behavioral answer, since it puts the "R" (results achieved) first, which makes it easy to trace the trail for how you got there. ACTION: I would use all my breaks to do assignments or write some code, which was exhausting but very helpful. The sweetest and best achievement.be made of nothing .something important My achievements as a teacher: 1. Shows resourcefulness, teamwork, and leadership qualities. What is Your Greatest Accomplishment? Tell Me About A Time When You Made A Mistake On The Job, How To Answer Tell Me About A Time You Disagreed With Your Boss. When an interviewer asks you about your greatest accomplishment, one of the things they are trying to understand is what motivates you into action. I finished my course and went on to learn more programming languages, and I am now about to graduate as a software engineer. Looking for a job-winning customer service resume you could use as inspiration? R [RESULTS] What were the results of what you did? Acquiring Skills. A: Action The actions you took alone or your specific contribution as part of a team to obtain the objective. What is your greatest accomplishment as an accountant? This could include the tasks you're in charge of, your position in a particular issue . Whats your greatest accomplishment? might sound like an awfully complicated question. Put emphasis on your writing rather than your cover letter's design. Dont hold back here include even small achievements. We were losing customers and getting brutal reviews online. Why Are You The Best Person For This Job? Make a list of all your professional accomplishments. 1 people already answered this question. As with all behavioral interview questions, choosing a relevant example and using the STAR . Wondering how to answer the question modestly (while at the same time, showing off how awesome you are)? Follow the STAR method as an answering format for a comprehensive reply. I was assigned the task of reworking how we onboarded remote hires, since it was taking a long time to bring them up to speed. Try to stick with professional career or job-related strong answers. Choose something recent, if you can. I attribute this accomplishment to my willingness to work overtime and help out wherever needed while learning all I can about the business. Sometimes, the hardest problem youll face in answering this question wont be coming up with a single answer: Itll be choosing between several different ones. What is your greatest accomplishment example answer? Its known as a behavioral interview question, which means the hiring manager is looking for an example of your past behavior that will indicate success in the future. While academics is the basic scale of measuring success for students, what they do and learn beyond their textbooks also plays a vital role in forming their personal attributes. Regardless of how true it is, I dont really have any greatest accomplishments is just bad optics all around. However, you could refer to school, volunteering or even your hobbies, so long as you demonstrate transferable skills and prove you are the best person for the job. It blew my expectations out of the water, and my company went on to assign me more marketing tasks in the future. What three things should I say for accomplishments? The best way to answer this job interview question is by incorporating a great achievement that includes a work ethic that mirrors the companys culture. Reflect on your time in education, extra-curricular activities and hobbies to identify something you accomplished that made you feel proud. They expect to hear about an accomplishment from your education, volunteerism, or part-time work. ACTION: I took a second job to help with the extra bills, maximized my time so I could continue with a rigorous college curriculum, and leveraged help from neighbors and friends. TASK: To get back on the field in time for the high school season, I had to physically and mentally prepare to endure a rigorous therapy process. Further, great answers about your proudest accomplishment can show how well you communicate and display your creativity, leadership skills, and other useful skills that the job requires. "What is your greatest accomplishment? Heres a sample answer from a professional interviewing for a Chief Human Resources Officer position: "What is your greatest professional achievement?". The company promoted me from a mid-level position and tasked me with improving retention and recruitment. This saved me a lot of time, and eventually, the document got repurposed to its own web page. Over the following year, I got promoted to the Customer Support Team Lead, and helped with scaling up the overall customer service efforts (consulted with hiring, training new reps, communicating issues and questions with the product, and so on). Using this method, you talk about the situation or problem you . Your interviewers will assess how well your work style and values fit with the company culture. 1. If thats not possible which it often isnt at this level you can still pick something that impacts others. Read the job description closely. Your greatest accomplishment is a significant event or achievement that you are proud of and that has had a meaningful impact on your life. The more prepared you are, the better it will go. I was promoted to sales manager in charge of the region and ensured that we hit the set target every month. When asking this question, the interviewer wants to learn 3 things: Now that weve got that out of the way, lets talk about how to answer this question. The company was taking a loss every time we entered a new market. Your response provides them with insight about your personal and professional achievements, and your ability to establish and achieve goals. Learning the best way to answer What is your greatest accomplishment? or What is your greatest professional achievement? is extremely important when interviewing with a potential employer. Boost your application with an effective cover letter. How do you answer what are your key achievements? Try to stick with professional career or job-related strong answers. " My most outstanding achievement is completing my Bachelor's degree in 4 years with a 3.8 GPA. Dont make anyone else look bad in your story; just talk about a time you were really proud of something impressive you did. Sample Answer 1 - Sales Achievement. Not to mention that your other accomplishments may come up when youre answering a different interview question. Here are some techniques to answer questions about your greatest accomplishments: Start off by telling the interviewer a story. ACTION: I decided to actively look for answers on why my blog was not growing by talking to experts in the field and researching techniques for growing my audience. I set the goal of reducing turnover by half and cutting cost-to-fill by 10%. One final note from Idealist is to keep track of your achievements as they happen at work. In my previous position as a sales representative, our team produced at lower levels than in other regions. Like with all good interview questions, when an interviewer asks you about your greatest accomplishment, theyre not just taking that answer at face value. Ensure your greatest accomplishment is work-related or demonstrates skills which can be directly applied in the workplace. There was no more lag-time between sharing documents with HR, Payroll, and supervisors. Try our creative templates to highlight your personality. Get a sense of the candidate's nursing skills and experience. This research can help you to identify a story thats targeted to what the company needs. If youre a mid-level professional, you should have several accomplishments to choose from. Beating sales targets. That way, you can choose an accomplishment that best aligns with the duties of the new job. Use the opportunity to relate what you've accomplished to the position you're applying for. Create a connection. My experience taught me time management, habits and prioritization. By taking initiative, I earned myself a senior developer position and a company car to help me navigate from home to work. They will be looking at your response to see if you have the skills and experience necessary to do the job. Says a lot about the candidates values (i.e. I earned the top GPA in my class of more than 1,500 students while maintaining a part-time job on campus. 4. Concrete examples of your work. I needed to know my list of tasks, when each was due, and how long they would take. Find the example below that best mirrors what stage you are at in your career, and consider how youd adjust it to describe your biggest achievement. Soon after, I started a summer landscape business where I earned over $10,000 in my sophomore, junior, and senior years. Describe the challenge you were up against, your plan of attack, and the success you saw on the other side. TASK: Find a way to let customers know what was in the food before eating it. As a sales manager, I saw my coworkers struggle to find information about leads and accounts, sometimes at the cost of a new client. But what do you say? No matter how you frame up your answer to this sometimes tricky question, you should have a prepared answer to maximize an opportunity to showcase why youre a good fit. "What is your greatest professional achievement" Answer example "My greatest achievement at my last company was when I designed and implemented a loyalty card scheme for customers.
