How to Answer ” What is Your Greatest Achievement?” [5 Examples and Tips]

Have you ever wondered what your greatest achievement is? As the years go on, we tend to achieve many milestones. However, if we were asked to quote one single achievement, what would it be? The answer to this question can speak a whole lot about your personality. It is quite challenging to tackle this situation, but don’t worry! This blog will guide you to give a perfect solution to How to Answer ” What is Your Greatest Achievement?”

Why Would an Interviewer Ask About My Greatest Achievement? 

An interview will be held after all the technical rounds. After that, an interview is conducted to test your overall personality. Such questions are imposed to check about:

1. Definition of Success 

Every individual has a unique definition of success and achievement. However, an interviewer looks for work ethics that would align with the company’s core values.

2. Behavior Patterns 

A company always needs employees who would make things easier. Hence, understanding your behavior as a potential job holder is a key task for any interviewer.

3. Description of Work 

This question is more of asking how well you will manage and arrange your skills to achieve some goals. An achievement can be the accomplishment of a few minor projects or assistance in a major project. The answer to such questions can be how you describe these tasks.

Understanding the Question

Before speaking out the answer, there are some important points you can note down to make the situation – 

1. Read about the Company

Relevancy can play a major part. Check for the achievements of the company and their reactions towards it. If the company gives you a seat to appreciate the talent and their work, your answer can align a lot with them. 

Go through the company’s website and social media platforms. Analyze and understand their work culture and create an answer accordingly.

2. Structure the Answer 

A good practice being followed is the STAR ( Situation – Task – Action – Result ) technique. Every achievement can be broken down into this structure and answered simply. Also, an interviewer would always appreciate a clear response. Take your time to answer the question.  Also, take preference in discussing your most recent achievement.

3. Set the Tone 

A confident answer will always win hearts. A clear and crisp voice driven by confidence can make a standout candidate for the interview. This will create an impact that you take proper in achieving goals and also appreciate your achievements. 

Adjust your tone accordingly. Implement the points where you can show your skillset and strengths. Use simple and precise language to convey the message.

Some Sample Answers for ” What is Your Greatest Achievement?”

Here are some samples for ” What is Your Greatest Achievement?”

Example 1: Working Despite Rigid Circumstances 

Situation: I would say my greatest achievement would be working ABC project and achieving positive results within a four-week deadline. As our company was a startup, we used to lack the human resources to accomplish each task. The ABC project is a challenging task in such a situation. 

Task: However, we accepted the challenge and began to search for possible ways for better outcomes. 

Action: With good leadership and great teamwork, we were able to complete the task successfully. As a part of the team, I suggested dividing the work according to their capabilities.

Response: This created a smooth workflow among our team and lead us towards the specified target. “

Example 2: Improving Sales / Launching New Product

Situation: My biggest achievement in recent times is uplifting the sales of the company by launching a new product. XYZ is a renowned company in …….. industry for over 20 years. In recent times, the sales of the company are taking a downfall. We have found that the company is lacking enough feedback from its customers. 

Task: Our management is ready to improve its sales in all the possible ways. We were asked to improve customer-company communication. 

Action: We increased engagement with the audience through social media platforms. As part of the team, I suggested taking feedback from other companies. Adding to that, I suggested the launch of a new product with modern approaches. 

Response: This made us build healthy competition between our competitors. Also, our new product saw good openings and our sales got increased by 30%. In due time, I was promoted to Sales Manager.

Example 3: Guiding Subordinates

I would say my greatest achievement is guiding my juniors toward their personal best. As a Team Lead at ABC company, I got a lot of space to interact with my team members. Few of them are new joiners/ recent graduates. 

I took time and care to make them understand the work and give the best out of their skills. I made enough efforts to make them understand the industry and suggested to them trending technologies that would aid their future.

We created a good team and our targets were reached with good teamwork. Also, with their efforts, they gained enough appreciation and promotions. This gave me immense satisfaction both as a professional and a person.  

Example 4: Challenging Tasks

I have achieved several achievements in my career. A recent one was when we were working on an XYZ project regarding customer service in ABC products. We have found out that there was a bug in the code written about the delay in response to the customers. 

I was the Technical Support in the project and was asked to rectify the problem within 48 hours. 

I realize the emergency of the situation and immediately began the process. It took me time to analyze the situation and found out that it need a skillset beyond my expertise. With enough planning, I referred few courses and took guidance from my colleagues. I took my time and started to work sincerely to rectify the situation and I was successful in handling it. 

I was appreciated for the work I have done and got a few bonus points. This gave me enough confidence and motivation to further lead a few more projects to success. 

Example 5: For Fresh Graduates

As a recent graduate, I believe my greatest achievement is managing my time in every aspect of development. My scholarship filled only 30% of my tuition fee and my family worked hard to fulfill the remaining. So, I decided to work for my daily expenses. 

I realized the importance of time management and dedication to the work I am going to do. 

I managed my time to work part-time, study for my academics and make efforts to learn code. Meanwhile, I never neglected my physical fitness and gave enough time to it. I  was regular to every class and made efforts to balance my schedule. 

In the end, I managed to score a good GPA, am certified in various domains, and have experience in many extra-curricular activities.

Tips For a Better Answer

• Keep the answers relevant to work. 
• Give your answers that can aid the job description. 
• Include numbers wherever possible to improve the authenticity. 
• Prioritize answering the most recent achievements in your career. If you are a graduate, make your answer regarding your accomplishments as a student. 
• Don’t give a lengthy answer. Make your answer in such a way that it can convey the message as well as be convenient to listen to. 
• Your answer should align with the skills and strengths that are given in the resume. This shows that you are stating real information about yourself. 
• Deliver a success story.

Conclusion

Behavioral questions are always important in any kind of interview. These prove the personality of the candidates and help in choosing the right person. It is important to prepare for such questions to stand out from the public. Answering about your achievements can boost your confidence in the interview. Well, who can speak better about your achievements other than you?