For most of us, job interview preparation is intimidating. Often, candidates second-guess themselves when they present themselves and do not know how to respond to certain questions. Perhaps the question that interviewers will ask you when they want to know what your contributions were is, “What is your biggest achievement?” It’s a prime opportunity to stand out and demonstrate your problem-solving skills, suitability for the position, and what you can do.
Answering this biggest achievement interview question well will not only present your past success but leave a good impression to help you stand out in a competitive job market. This article will help you to answer this question effectively so that your response to the interviewer will be resonant and relative to the job you are applying for.
Why Do Interviewers Ask About Your Biggest Achievement?
This may sound like just another question about what you’ve accomplished, but actual interviewers are after more than just your past. By asking about your biggest achievement, interviewers are trying to assess several key aspects of your professional abilities such as:
- Problem-Solving Skills: They want to know how you resolve challenges and obstacles in the workplace. You should be able to show how you identify a problem and derive a good solution.
- Results-Oriented Mindset: Your efforts are important to employers, and they want to see if they are producing tangible, measurable results. Focusing simply on achievements that led to results allows you to demonstrate that you can drive success in your role.
- Cultural Fit: What achievement you wish to highlight can either be in line with your values, work ethic, and personality. Employers want to see whether they mirror the company’s culture and goals.
- Motivation and Work Ethic: Interviewers gain insight into what drives you and what you value in the professional journey, but also an understanding of what you consider an achievement.
Thus, this seemingly simple question provides insight into your skills, how you can contribute to the company, and how your past experiences align with the organization’s needs.
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How to Identify Your Biggest Achievement
Choosing the right achievement to talk about can be a particularly important decision. Here’s how you can identify a memorable accomplishment that will resonate with interviewers:
Reflect on Your Career Journey
Imagine when you created a major difference in your career. Examples of these would be times when you figured out how to solve a complex problem, introduced a new process, went over budget or head out of hand goals, or even when you were formally acknowledged for your efforts.
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Ensure Relevance to the Job
Choose an achievement that meets the requirements for the position that you are about to interview for. For example, if you are applying for a leadership position, whatever your example was, emphasize how you were able to lead teams and how you managed complex projects.
If you’re sending out your application for a technical position, throw in one or two achievements that prove you have crucial technical expertise and problem-solving capabilities.
Be authentic
If it does not resonate with the job, you don’t need to pick the biggest (or certainly most flashy) achievement. Don’t sell yourself short by wanting to share a huge achievement.
If you share a smaller achievement with a clear head and a lot of passion, it can be way bigger. If you inflate your accomplishments rather than show you for what you really are, authenticity usually leaves a bigger impression.
Focus on the Challenges You Overcame
Best stories happen when overcoming huge hurdles is involved. Think about the times you have surmounted an obstacle, whether that came at the hands of a deadline, personal struggle, or the obstacles blocking your way as an industry.
How to Answer “What Is Your Biggest Achievement” with the STAR Method
The STAR method (Situation/Task/Action/Result) is an extremely powerful framework for answering behavioral interview questions, including the “What is your biggest achievement?”. It guarantees that you respond concisely, in a structured, and compelling way.
- Situation: First, explain the context or the challenge you were facing. Give them a two-paragraph description of the achievement. That is the setting for the rest of your answer.
- Task: Tell them why you were there or what you needed to do. Cut out what doesn’t need to exist.
- Action: Describe what you did to handle the challenge. Here’s where you write about all the strategies, techniques, or solutions you used.
- Result: End by including what came as a result of your actions. Unfortunately, if you can’t put a number to it, or a percentage, you won’t really make your achievement super impactful. Say, if possible, how the result helped the company, team, or stakeholders.
Example:
- Situation: “In my previous role as a marketing associate, we were tasked with increasing brand awareness for a product that was underperforming in the market.”
- Task: “I was responsible for leading a social media campaign that could re-energize the product’s presence online and attract a broader audience.”
- Action: “I analyzed audience behavior, tailored our content strategy to appeal to our target demographic, and collaborated with influencers to reach a wider audience.”
- Result: “The campaign was a success, boosting our social media engagement by 50% and increasing website traffic by 35% in just three months. This led to a significant increase in sales for the product.”
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Common Mistakes To Avoid
It’s also easy to fall into several traps when addressing this biggest achievement interview question that can deter your answer. Be aware of the following common mistakes and strive to avoid them:
- Being Vague: Ambiguous responses such as “I’ve always done my best” or “I’m proud of my hard work” are too vague to be of any use. Your response is more memorable if you give specific examples of what you did, how you did it, and the impact it had on the company.
- Over-explaining: Context is important, but don’t overdo it. Don’t provide too much extraneous information so people are sidetracked. Make it clear what the key elements of the achievement are, and what the outcomes are.
- Focusing Solely on Personal Achievements: Personal achievements are great until interviewers stop being impressed by personal achievements and switch to professional accomplishments. When speaking of personal achievements, make sure it is something transferable to the job.
- Undermining Your Role: Don’t underestimate your contribution in describing your achievement. Feel good about the role that you played and the part that you played, but don’t reference things in a boastful, arrogant, or self-interjected way. You want to prove you offered something while not patting yourself on the back.
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How To Craft Multiple Responses
If you care to share your biggest achievements based on the diverse positions you’ve held and how significant they were, these tips will guide you.
- For Leadership Roles: Understand that whenever you did something ‘above and beyond,’ you can and should call one out. They’ll want to know how you motivate and manage people.
- For Technical Positions: While what you’re known for is important, stress the technical expertise, problem-solving, or innovation you have made milestones. They could be things you created or improved systems or tools for.
- For Customer-Facing Jobs: Share examples where you played a significant role in customer satisfaction, e.g., resolving conflicts, improving service processes, or handling important customer dealings.
Answering as a Recent Graduate or Entry-Level Candidate
- For Leadership Roles: Understand that whenever you did something ‘above and beyond,’ you can and should call one out. They’ll want to know how you motivate and manage people.
- For Technical Positions: While what you’re known for is important, stress the technical expertise, problem-solving, or innovation you have made milestones. They could be things you created or improved systems or tools for.
- For Customer-Facing Jobs: Share examples where you played a significant role in customer satisfaction, e.g., resolving conflicts, improving service processes, or handling important customer dealings.
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Preparing Supporting Documents
While it’s not always necessary to bring evidence of your achievements to the interview, it can add credibility to your answer. Consider carrying:
- Performance reviews or appreciation emails: These documents can substantiate your claims of success.
- Certificates, awards, or recognitions: If you have formal recognition for an achievement, bring it along.
- Portfolios or work samples: If applicable, showing tangible examples of your work can leave a strong impression.
Following Up After Sharing Your Achievement
Once you’ve shared your biggest achievement in the interview, make sure it doesn’t fade into the background:
- Reiterate in Your Thank-You Email: Mention your achievement again in your post-interview thank-you note to reinforce its importance and relevance.
- Tie It to Future Contributions: When asked about how you can contribute to the company, refer back to your achievement. Show how the skills you demonstrated in the past will help you make similar, impactful contributions in the future.
Practicing Your Answer
Preparation is key to delivering a confident and coherent response. Here’s how to refine your answer to the biggest achievement interview question:
- Record Yourself: Speaking your answer aloud will help you refine your delivery. Record yourself and listen to how your response sounds.
- Seek Feedback: Practice with friends or mentors who can provide constructive feedback. Ask them if your answer is clear and compelling.
- Stay Adaptable: Be prepared to tweak your response based on follow-up questions or changes in the direction of the interview.
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Sample Answers To The Question, “What Is Your Biggest Achievement”
Sample Answer 1
Question: “What is your biggest achievement?”
Answer:
“In my previous role as a marketing associate, I spearheaded a social media campaign to boost engagement. By analyzing data trends and tailoring content to our audience, I grew our follower count by 50% in three months and increased website traffic by 35%. It was a rewarding experience that showcased the value of strategic planning and creativity.”
Sample Answer 2
Question: “What is your biggest achievement?”
Answer:
“As a software developer, I worked on a critical project to optimize our internal tools. By automating manual workflows, I reduced processing time by 40%, saving the company significant resources. The recognition from my team and management for this effort remains one of my proudest moments.”
FAQs on Biggest Achievement Interview Question
Choose achievements that are relevant to the job, demonstrate key skills, and have measurable outcomes.
Unless explicitly asked, focus on professional accomplishments. Personal achievements can be mentioned if they showcase transferable skills or values.
Aim for a concise yet detailed response.
Yes, but clarify your role and contribution to the team’s success.
References
- indeed.com – Interview Question: “What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?”
- forbes.com – Answering ‘What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?’ In An Interview
