But at a job interview, your job is to be anything but humble. 2. What is your greatest accomplishment? is one of the most common job interview questions, but particularly for someone fresh out of college or high school it can be daunting to answer. Use the STAR method. 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. Choose an answer related to your professional or academic life. For example, if your greatest achievement is 100% customer retention, the values behind this accomplishment can be humility and service. You can start by describing the problem that your team or company faced. 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. Prepare your answer in advance, so you don't have to think up an accomplishment on the spot. So, to help you learn how to answer behavioral job interview questions better, were going to cover 3 more examples and sample answers below: Other common behavioral interview questions include: Check out even more common interview questions, and sample answers here: 35+ Common Interview Questions and Answers. Use your strongest accomplishment in your answer to make sure that you tell your best story. What you choose as your greatest assignment depends on your background. What is Your Greatest Accomplishment? Follow these steps to help you respond to questions about your greatest accomplishments: Start by making a list of all your accomplishments in the workplace. Do not focus on other people in your answer. Be the first to rate this post. When answering questions about your accomplishments, you need to highlight and elaborate your successes. 1. Answer (1 of 19): A few things; removing unnecessary code is extremely satisfying. Agent of Change (pushing change forward) Artistic Expression. I wrote up a five-question survey and sent it to a selection of people on our list of potential donors. While he had a tough time reading the words, I knew that he loved drawing and fantasy movies like Lord of the Rings. Situation: "My greatest accomplishment was when I was a content leader at a local design agency. What did you do? Never miss an opportunity thats right for you. I started a blog last year on a topic I was passionate about, but it did not do as well as I had expected. Sample Answer 2 - Cashier Job at a Fast Food Restaurant. This was a win-win as not only did the food taste better, but we broke even with the change. However, if you cant quantify your accomplishment, avoid the temptation to stretch the truth or claim that you did something you didnt. 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. Your goal is to convince the interviewer that you're the right candidate for the job. I was newly hired as a junior developer in a small tech company that had just started a branch in my area. Tips on how to answer "tell me what your proudest accomplishment is". This could include the tasks you're in charge of, your position in a particular issue . SITUATION: One of my greatest achievements at work was wearing numerous hats and working long hours to achieve a huge goal. Try to determine if your involvement made a difference, such as creating a new website, a fundraiser, or a department restructuring. 1. Sometimes, its not easy to talk about ourselves and our past experiences but practicing for this, and other key behavioral questions will pay dividends in the long run. This question is a behavioral interview question. RESULTS: I rebuilt within a year after the ordeal and learned much about what I can accomplish and how resilient I can be. It could be something you're proud of from your work, from home or a combination. There was no more lag-time between sharing documents with HR, Payroll, and supervisors. Create a connection. S [SITUATION] Describe the situation that led to the achievement, T [TASK] Talk about the task you had to do to accomplish the achievement, A [ACTIONS] Describe the actions you implemented to achieve the accomplishment. Get ideas from our in-house career coaches. Avoid saying you do not have any accomplishments, even if you are recently out of school. Learn more: 7 Situational Interview Questions to Prepare For. Why Are You The Best Person For This Job? 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. Summary of How To Answer What Is Your Biggest Achievement? Highlight your most notable publications and research with one of our research-focused CVs. Failure; The Unsuccessful Accomplishment. Make sure you prepare for this question ahead of time. That way, they can frame their answers in a way that is helpful. Interviewers ask this question to gain insight into your proven work and what achievements you view as most valuable and important. The importance of salary expectations Whether you are currently filling out a job application or preparing for an in-person interview, you may be asked A Guide to Delivering an Irresistible Elevator Pitch Picture this: You step into an elevator, and right after you steps in a well-dressed woman. Glassdoors Blog provides valuable content to the conscious job seeker and employees who are passionate about furthering and deepening their careers. 3 A little about your problem-solving skills, if possible. 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. Trying to be funny - For example: " My greatest achievement was when I managed to get to work on time for once. The whole experience taught me how to effectively manage and prioritize my time. It could be something personal, such as completing a difficult project or achieving a personal goal, or something professional, such as receiving a promotion or winning an award. This student succinctly explains a challenge they overcame and the skills they used to do it. The following answer to "what is your greatest achievement" can help you grasp what exactly employers are looking for when they pose this key question: "I believe my greatest achievement came seven months ago in my previous job as an advertising consultant. Mastering a new skill. Download one of our 2-page CV. 4. TASK: I made a commitment to myself that I would find a way to finance and pay to attend the college of my choice. Learning how to play an instrument. Sample Answer 2 - Continuous Learning Professional Achievement. 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. Not only did I graduate with minimal debt, but I also was able to gain practical experience that many of my peers dont have. I earned the top GPA in my class of more than 1,500 students while maintaining a part-time job on campus. Your Greatest Achievement In Life As A Student Is Beyond Academics . The more prepared you are, the better it will go. There is no standard answer to the question, What is Your Biggest Achievement? similar to discussing your greatest strengths because people come from different backgrounds and have different levels and ideas of success. Your qualifications: Some accomplishments help employers establish . However, the content wasnt interesting and no one was engaging with us online. Spend Time Reflecting (and Taking Notes) Sometimes, the hardest part of answering this question is remembering what you've achieved over the years. RESULTS: After one month of the new demonstrations, that region was our biggest market, and our sales as a company increased by 10%. One final note from Idealist is to keep track of your achievements as they happen at work. What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation? Refrain from including confidential information from previous employers in your own answer. Find out what they're saying. The, To structure your answer, we recommend using the. Moving out of your parents' house. When I took on the position, turnover was high and our cost-to-fill was skyrocketing. Answering the interview question 'what is your greatest accomplishment?' SITUATION: My biggest managerial achievement was maximizing team effort and reducing lateness. 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. Mistakes continued, even after teaching the waitresses all of the receipts so they could explain the ingredients clearly to the guest. 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. Action - I decided to start learning as much as I could about our product (a social media automation tool) by talking with the other employees when I could, and reading up on everything I could get my hands on that was related to the product. This is your moment to really connect to the interviewer by mentioning details that are related and relevant to the company . 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. (S) Situation - Describe the situation and the context in which the event took place. ACTION: I was still new to the job and had no car, so I could not stay late in the office for safety purposes. R: Result Was the outcome successful? It mentions transferrable skills focus and time management and subtly mentions that they could keep up when others couldnt. Do not enhance your part in group achievements or take credit for a team effort on projects. When Have You Made A Split Second Decision? Check out our professional templates. Weve also continued to use the same strategy for new products, which has cut down the time it takes them to reach customers significantly. How to Choose Your Greatest Achievement for Interviews: 1. Sample Answer 4 - Paying For College Myself Achievement. Organizing a successful charity event. can be challenging, regardless of where you are in your professional career. After all, odds are pretty good that if youve worked long enough to have one big accomplishment, its not the only accomplishment that youve had. is a common behavioral interview question, so be sure to practice your answer ahead of time. ". When answered properly, youll be able to share what you value most, demonstrate your work ethic, and showcase why youre the best person for the job. Dont go negative. Concrete examples of your work. Let them know you are curious because you want their help in answering this interview question. Running your first marathon. Research the job and company and tailor your answer accordingly. By reading and understanding the job description, you should know what the job requires. 30 Life Accomplishments You Want to Remember. Try our cover letter generator and make a cover letter fast. Learn why employers ask this question, how you can answer, and some sample answers that can be useful as you craft your own response. At my current job as a fifth-grade teacher, my greatest accomplishments always involve watching my students achieve something. send our content editing team a message here, 25 Best Why Do You Want to Work Here Sample Interview Answers, 21 Best Describe a Challenge You Faced and How You Overcame It Examples, 50 Most Asked Nursing Interview Questions with Answers, 20 Best Answers to Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Job, 10 Best Answers to Why Do You Want to Be a Manager, 11 Best Answers to What Does Leadership Mean to You Interview Question, 50 Most Asked Front Desk Interview Questions with Answers, 10 Best Ways to Answer Sell Me This Pen in an Interview, 10 Most Asked Integrity Interview Questions with Answers, 25 Most Asked Confidentiality Interview Questions with Answers, 50 Most Asked Phone Interview Questions with Answers, 10 Best Answers to What Are Your Interests and Hobbies. Remember, the interviewer called you knowing this might be your first job interview. Looking For More Information About Common Interview Questions? Follow the STAR method as an answering format for a comprehensive reply. Try to stick with professional career or job-related strong answers. Using this method, you talk about the situation or problem you . If youre a mid-level professional, you should have several accomplishments to choose from. Whenever possible, connect the achievement to key skills needed for the position. Whats your greatest accomplishment? might sound like an awfully complicated question. Shows resourcefulness, teamwork, and leadership qualities. Making a resume is easy with the right tool. Charitable work or volunteering. In a nutshell, you want to stick to a single example if you can unless they ask you for more and you want to make sure that this example represents the best work youve done in the past while simultaneously being an interesting story. 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. While finding an accomplishment thats relevant to what the company is looking for is an important first step, how you structure your story is also something you should consider. "What is your greatest accomplishment?" is one of the most common job interview questions, but particularly for someone fresh out of college or high school it can be daunting to answer.We'll cover why interviewers ask about your greatest accomplishment, provide tips for giving the best answer, and tie it all together with a few . Now we have one of the highest retention rates in the company and pay 25% less to fill each position. Ideally, the greatest accomplishment you answer with should be from the last two to three years. Acquiring Skills. It blew my expectations out of the water, and my company went on to assign me more marketing tasks in the future. You cant borrow or copy an accomplishment, but you can borrow structure, style, and delivery. Choose a career achievement even if they don't specifically ask for it. Results - In the end, we managed to decrease the average monthly ticket count by around 25%. Recruiters and hiring managers dont just want to hear that you know how to work they want specifics. This candidate describes initiative, organization, and insight into the teams needs. Unfortunately, he had been leading a client project that was due in a week and no one else was as familiar with the client or could code at his level. At MatchBuilt, weve explored other common interview questions, such as Why do you want to work here?, Why do you want this job?, Tell me about yourself, What are you passionate about?, What areas need improvement? and Why should we hire you? and we invite you to review them as well. 5 Tips for Your Answer. 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. Shows relevance to the specific workplace. Your greatest accomplishment is a significant event or achievement that you are proud of and that has had a meaningful impact on your life. Dont make anyone else look bad in your story; just talk about a time you were really proud of something impressive you did. I knew automating the process would make things easier and help us close more sales. Since I had led similar projects before, I offered to help get it finished. . When answered properly, youll be able to share what you value most, your level of ambition and drive, your views on success, and whether you have the soft skills they are looking for. Use our modern templates if you'd like to give your application a newer, more contemporary aesthetic. 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. When interviewers ask this question, theyre usually looking for three things: To come up with a great answer, think of your greatest professional accomplishments and choose one that demonstrates these key components. A change in your condition or outlook. Beating sales targets. There are times when having no answer is still an appropriate response to a question youre asked. Lets take a look at another sample answer. Look for actions you took that made it possible for you to be in the position to interview for this job. This way, you are sure to construct the best answer and help the recruiter take notice of your specific skills and abilities. I lost everything in a fire two years ago, and it couldnt have come at a worse time as I was also supporting a sick family member and was trying to finish my degree. The achievements that matter most combine to form a version of success that has meaning and substance for the individual. It could be from a previous job, volunteer position, or another event. And oftentimes, the question can distinguish the perfect candidate from an OK one. Theyre hoping to gain some sort of insight about you from the way you choose to answer the question. " My most outstanding achievement is completing my Bachelor's degree in 4 years with a 3.8 GPA. TASK: The only way to keep the region open was for sales to improve. RESULTS: Between saving in those summers, working during college, and applying for scholarships, I graduated from Michigan State University debt free. Your hard skills might be on display while you answer this question, and your soft skills certainly will be. Building Relationships. Training for and completing a marathon. Ensure your greatest accomplishment is work-related or demonstrates skills which can be directly applied in the workplace. Out of the 4 months I spent there, 3 of them were a total nightmare. Describe the situation and in which context it happened. Basic templates are perfect for job seekers looking to send out applications fast. It was tiring at times, but I scheduled pretty much everything I had to do in my personal calendar. All your greatest accomplishments relate to an outcome that drives the organization forward. I noticed that we hadnt secured any new donors for a while. My first job out of school was as a customer care agent at a fast-paced tech company. This is a compelling way to share a big accomplishment with potential employers. Well show you how to nail this common question and impress your interviewer with our expert sample answers and tips below. Tell me about a time where you set a specific goal for yourself. How to answer "What is your greatest accomplishment?" I am incredibly proud of this accomplishment, as it . SITUATION: My greatest achievement was being promoted through self-motivation and learning. I wanted to improve, and a lot of the other employees were often too busy to help me out. What happened and how did you handle it? Building Support. Task: "As a senior member of the team, I was tasked with being both the content strategist and the overall project manager. His parents called to tell me that they had never seen him excited to do homework before, especially when it involved reading. Topic Ideas for Writing the Greatest Accomplishment Essay. Training for and completing a marathon. The company had instilled fines for that, but certain employees still came in late regardless of multiple fines. By taking initiative, I earned myself a senior developer position and a company car to help me navigate from home to work. Look for keywords and the primary responsibilities of the position. We've got a lot more example answers for the most common interview questions: If you want to read up on interview tips instead, check out our in-depth guides here and ace your next interview: To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. 2. Spend a little time reflecting on your career. 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. I wanted to increase productivity and efficiency, and in the end, save time spent on looking for documents., Action - I decided to take initiative and implement a new team HR document management software. Mentoring a coworker or fellow student. I also set up in-person meetings with three donors who had expressed interest but had not donated. Business Recovery. A few more tips from HEC Montreal for students seeking jobs. When they ask about your greatest accomplishment, they're interested in learning about three main things: Work ethic: Interviewers may want to know what you view as an accomplishment and the work you completed to . To answer just about any behavioral job interview question right, we recommend using the STAR method. 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. 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. It's something you're proud of and shows what you're capable of. When asking this question, the HR manager wants to learn about your professional and personal sides. Dont hold back here include even small achievements. Your greatest accomplishment reflects your values, goals, and aspirations. My marketing ideas brought in an additional $800,000 in income for the company. Then you can determine to what extent you made this change happen or contributed to it. There are other interview questions about conflict and challenges, but your answer for this question should be overwhelmingly positive. But with our CV maker, you can create a CV in the same timeframe. I was part of a small team assigned to redesigning the agency website in hopes of attracting new regional clients.". When I left that role, 97% of new hires gave positive reviews for the training program. ACTION: I started working toward this goal in high school and took any job that was a skill match, no matter how much I hated it. I asked team members what features they wanted and needed and discussed budgeting with my higher-ups. We were losing customers and getting brutal reviews online. Generally, the best full proof . Win over hiring managers with our expert tips. Your choice should also be appropriate and relevant to the responsibilities of the job your are interviewing for. TASK: Find a way to let customers know what was in the food before eating it. Within two months, I had introduced a new onboarding process, introduced and incentivized managerial training, and adopted a new recruitment software. 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. Whether or not you have such an incident which you consider to be the greatest achievement in your life up till that point, be honest about it. 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. And if not, what made it an outlier? The main idea here behind the STAR method is that every answer should cover the following topics: Now, lets take a well-written behavioral job interview answer using the STAR method, What is a professional achievement youre most proud of?, Situation - Well, my last role was as a manager at a seasonal restaurant in Nantucket. However, in the end, we completed the project a day in advance and the client was thrilled with the end result. 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. When Is the Best Time To Interview for a Job for Optimal Results? For example, if theres a big focus on customer service in the role youre interviewing for, you might select a story that showcases your people skills over your technical abilities. The company was taking a loss every time we entered a new market. Talking about your own achievements can be pretty uncomfortable for some were taught not to brag from an early age. I came up with a new marketing strategy involving social media campaigns that increased our sales by 155%. There were times that I had to put in 18-hour days to get everything done. Summary. 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]. The accomplishment that Im most proud of is how rapidly I was promoted to the team lead position for our sales team. In fact, they had talked of stopping supply to that market due to the limited sales volume.