Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc, How to Answer 'What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment? 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". 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. Recently graduated college with not much work experience to speak of? Mistakes continued, even after teaching the waitresses all of the receipts so they could explain the ingredients clearly to the guest. 4. ResumeGenius.com is owned and operated by Sonaga Tech Limited, Hamilton, Zweigniederlassung Luzern with offices in Luzern Switzerland. your challenge or responsibility). How To Answer The "What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment" Interview 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. When I got to my previous company as a human resources manager, employees spent so much time on lunch breaks, which would interfere with the working hours and the teams output. Be sure to check out our career blog for more actionable guides and the latest job-hunt tips and tricks. 1. Mentoring a coworker or fellow student. Use the opportunity to relate what you've accomplished to the position you're applying for. Highlight both your relevant " soft skills " (leadership, conflict resolution, decision making, etc.) Learning the best way to answer What is your biggest accomplishment? or What is your best professional achievement ? job interview question is a great way to show an interviewer and prospective team members more information about you and your capabilities. Answer (1 of 6): While working for the chemistry necessary in the Human Genome project I have synthesized the most difficult fluorescent base in the project, in a contest with a group of PhD chemists. At the beginning of the summer, I created a very strict shift schedule, which we adhered to 100%. Well show you how to nail this common question and impress your interviewer with our expert sample answers and tips below. Be respectful of your current, or previous, employer's "confidential" information. My greatest accomplishment was when I helped save a patient's life. 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. 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. If you have questions about resumes, cover letters, or CVs, we answer hundreds of them here. Ideally, the greatest accomplishment you answer with should be from the last two to three years. Yes, this has been tested. Then work on building out the supporting examples for these accomplishments. Sample Answer 2 - Continuous Learning Professional Achievement. SITUATION: My biggest achievement was persevering and thriving following an injury. 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. Try our cover letter generator and make a cover letter fast. Focus on your best qualities and what makes you stand out. 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. The company had instilled fines for that, but certain employees still came in late regardless of multiple fines. This response is focused, specific, and goal-oriented. Second, this is a classic behavioral interview question, so a strong answer starts with a strong success story. I would get to the office at 5 am by hitching a ride on one of my neighbors cars and managed to work extra four hours each day for a month. can be challenging, regardless of where you are in your professional career. Learn every detail about making a resume. Sample Answer 1 - Sales Achievement. Honesty is the best policy. Be clear in your description and avoid any vague generalizations. The fact that you ran a marathon after eating an entire box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts is impressive, but maybe not pertinent to how good of an engineer you are. As an experienced professional, you have a wealth of professional achievements on your resume. I collected feedback from various people for about two weeks, then used the other two weeks to create awareness about the product in the area, with specific demonstrations on how to use the product. (S) Situation - Describe the situation and the context in which the event took place. Improved cold lead response time by 20% VS Improved sales., Greatest achievement sample answer for mid-level professionals, Greatest achievement sample answer for fresh graduates, Greatest achievement sample answer for the service industry. 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. But with our CV maker, you can create a CV in the same timeframe. Through focus and time management, I excelled in my classes and even filled in for student co-workers when they were struggling to keep up. Dont lie or embellish too much, but think about which of your examples makes the best story. TASK: The only way to keep the region open was for sales to improve. Revenue Directly or indirectly achieving revenue. Example Answer #1 - For Entry-Level worker. As the founder of MatchBuilt, a premier career coaching and recruiting firm, I am passionate about helping individuals transform their professional lives. Make a list of all your professional accomplishments. What is your greatest achievement? Use a recent and relevant accomplishment. The question is among the most common interview questions asked because it gives the interviewer and prospective team members more information about you and your capabilities and allows them to see how well you communicate. and your relevant "hard skills" (computer technologies, project . Just kidding, my real greatest achievement is. 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 Are Achievements in Life? Definition and Examples Youre one step away from getting the job. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment - Maximum Career 1. Be specific in details, but make it short and to the point. 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. My experience taught me time management, habits and prioritization. You know you need to ace this common interview question. Set your story up with a brief description of the situation that led to your accomplishment. Says a lot about the candidates values (i.e. Check out our full guide on the topic here: Student & Graduate Resume Guide & Sample [Plus 10 Skills for Savvy Job-hunters]. All Rights Reserved. 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. It mentions transferrable skills focus and time management and subtly mentions that they could keep up when others couldnt. This can help you have specific accomplishments in mind that you could refer to based on what youre discussing in the interview. TASK: Find a way to still deliver each project on time per customer expectations. Working with a good team means open communication, high trust . Office of Personnel Management Structure Interviews, Harvard Business Review 10 Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them. Your response provides them with insight about your personal and professional achievements, and your ability to establish and achieve goals. Shows resourcefulness, teamwork, and leadership qualities. One final note from Idealist is to keep track of your achievements as they happen at work. What if I dont have any accomplishments? However, I decided to find a way to get to the office at least four hours before opening to pull in my weight and help with the extra work. Follow the STAR method as an answering format for a comprehensive reply. A great answer includes a real accomplishment thats free of BS, includes a specific example, and is concise in a way that entices engagement from the interviewer. Regardless of how true it is, I dont really have any greatest accomplishments is just bad optics all around. "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 sample answers. 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. SITUATION: My greatest achievement was learning a new language by living abroad. A: Action The actions you took alone or your specific contribution as part of a team to obtain the objective. 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. List your accomplishments. The employees have spoken. Heres an example from a student who put themselves through college: I believe that my greatest achievement so far was funding my own education at [ University]. Choose something recent, if you can. e. Be honest. I started making short, funny videos around the office, showing what we did as a company while humanizing the brand. If you find it difficult to think of specific accomplishments, consider times that youve been recognized for your work. 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. The achievements that matter most combine to form a version of success that has meaning and substance for the individual. (JOB INTERVIEW TIPS and SAMPLE ANSWERS!) 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. There were times that I had to put in 18-hour days to get everything done. Your answer should serve as another opportunity to talk yourself up and let hiring managers know why you should be their top choice. The company was taking a loss every time we entered a new market. While behavioral questions may make you nervous, there are ways to prepare the best answer and come out ahead of other qualified candidates who are interviewing for the same position.