Being asked ‘what is your greatest achievement?’ during a job interview is an opportunity to showcase your skills, capabilities, and the impact you’ve made in your professional journey. Your response should showcase your ability to identify challenges, take initiative, and implement effective solutions. It demonstrates how you handle obstacles in a professional setting.
Employers want to gauge your skills, competencies, and capabilities. By asking about your greatest achievement, they are looking for concrete examples of your abilities in action. This helps them evaluate how well your skills align with the requirements of the position.
Your choice of the greatest achievement also reveals your values and priorities. Employers are interested in understanding what you find fulfilling and what you consider to be a significant accomplishment. This insight helps them determine if your values align with the company’s culture.
Here is how to answer ‘what is your greatest achievement?’ during a job interview:
Understand the question
Before delving into your achievements, take a moment to understand the underlying purpose of the question. Interviewers ask this to gain insights into your work ethic, problem-solving abilities, and the value you can bring to their organization. Tailor your response to align with the specific job requirements and the company’s values.
More Like This: How to answer ‘why did you choose to study your degree?’ during a job interview
Reflect on your career
Start by reflecting on your career journey. Identify a professional accomplishment that you are genuinely proud of and one that demonstrates your skills and qualities relevant to the position. Look for instances where you overcame challenges, led a successful project, or made a significant impact.
Choose an appropriate achievement
Select an achievement that is not only noteworthy but also aligns with the job you’re applying for. Ideally, it should showcase skills such as leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, or innovation. The more relevant your achievement is to the prospective role, the more impactful your response will be.
Be humble and collaborative
While showcasing your individual achievements is essential, emphasize the collaborative aspect of your success. Acknowledge the contributions of your team or colleagues, showcasing your ability to work well with others and contribute to a positive team dynamic.
Structure your answer
Craft a structured response to clearly convey your achievement. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide a comprehensive and organized answer.
a. Situation: Set the stage by briefly describing the context of the achievement.
b. Task: Outline the specific tasks or challenges you faced in the given situation.
c. Action: Detail the actions you took to address the tasks or challenges.
d. Result: Conclude by highlighting the positive outcomes and the impact of your actions.
Example answer
“One of my most significant achievements was spearheading a project to streamline our client onboarding process. Recognizing the need for efficiency, I led a cross-functional team, implementing new procedures and leveraging automation tools. As a result, we reduced onboarding time by 30%, leading to increased client satisfaction and a 20% improvement in overall operational efficiency. This experience showcased my project management skills, ability to collaborate across departments, and commitment to delivering tangible results.”
Follow us on Twitter @BeInTheKnow_UK
