What the Hiring Manager Is Really Asking…

When you go into a professional interview, the hiring manager may ask, “What is your greatest achievement outside of work” Interviewers ask this question because your response will reveal much about what motivates and inspires you. Hiring managers are not just interested in your resume. They want to find quality individuals that they can invest in and rely on. This question helps them find out if your mindset will work well with the company policies and your potential coworkers. View the achievement question as an opportunity to show your passion for personal growth and development.

• Why do you think interviewers are looking for when they ask this question?
• What do you consider milestones in your life? How did you manage to achieve them?
• What key things have you learned from personal success?

Points to Emphasize

When you recall a good memory, you will naturally relive the emotions you experienced when the event took place. This genuine response will shine through in the form of excitement. This real emotion is engaging, so don’t be afraid to let it show.

• Choose something that you’ve done in the last 5 years.
• Emphasize how the experience will help you be a good employee.
• Include your motivation for accomplishing your goal.
• Highlight qualities such as tenacity, focus and positive attitude.

Remember to stay positive and keep it professional. Even if your achievement was difficult, focus on the good to come out of the situation.

• Was this achievement a personal accomplishment? How does it relate to your professional goals?
• How did this achievement make you a better employee?
• Think of five main qualities that contributed to this success

Mistakes You Should Avoid

In retrospect, people remember how you make them think and feel as opposed to your exact words. Thus, it is very important to be honest about which past event is most important to you.

• Do not pick a work place achievement.
• Do not choose an event that took place more than 5 years ago.
• Do not focus on the negatives from the road to your past accomplishment.
• Do not tell an anecdote that did not actually happen in your life.

Always keep your response professional. You are sharing a personal experience, but remain cognizant of where you are and the type of details that are appropriate in such a setting.

Activities

• To keep things concise, decide on one or two main steps to highlight when recounting your path to success
• What inspired you to pursue success? How will you bring that into the workplace?
• What is it about your success story that makes you stand out?

Sample Answer

Here is an example of a good answer to the greatest personal achievement question:

“In an effort to be healthier, I recently lost about 40 pounds and started training for a marathon. Over the past two years, I’ve changed everything from my diet to my hobbies. It was difficult initially, but now, I’m ready for my first marathon next month. I’ve never had a problem with accomplishing a goal, but now I know I intimately understand the power of determination.”

Remember, the hiring manager wants to find a good fit for the company, so don’t forget to sell what you bring to the company.

• Write the first draft of your answer with your tutor.
• Are there any words or phrases that you are not comfortable pronouncing?
• Now rehearse with your tutor until you are comfortable answering the question without the script.