WHEN YOU GO IN FOR A JOB INTERVIEW, ALONG WITH LEARNING ABOUT YOUR personality and skills, the prospective employer will be very interested in learning about your accomplishments. Your accomplishments give him insight into what you are capable of doing for him and his company. An accomplishment, also known as an achievement, can be defined as something that was successfully completed as a direct result of your efforts.
Prepare a list of your accomplishments prior to your job interview. The accomplishments you choose to highlight should demonstrate your skills and abilities. Remember to use examples of things that came about as a direct result of your efforts. The accomplishments you include on your list should be realistic and verifiable. That's not to say you should be modest on a job interview; go ahead and brag about yourself. However, don't consider stretching the truth — not even just a little. The interviewer may be suspicious of something that sounds too good to be true, and if she tries to verify something you told her and cannot, it will certainly reflect poorly on you.
Try to quantify your accomplishments when possible. Use actual numbers or percentages when you are discussing anything that can be expressed in quantifiable terms, such as increases in profits or decreases in costs. Being able to say that you increased sales by 20 percent or cut your department's costs by 35 percent is much better than saying “I increased sales a lot” or “I cut costs greatly.”
When deciding which achievements to discuss on an interview, always remember to choose the ones that best demonstrate your ability to do the job you are interviewing for. Highlight skills that you think the prospective employer is looking for in a new employee. The best thing about accomplishments is that they can be examples from your professional career, academic years, or personal experiences. Use the following examples to highlight your achievements.
Q: Tell me about a major accomplishment in your life.
How to answer it: As the publicity director of a tiny, alternative publishing house, it can be difficult to get major sources to review our books. Because the subjects we cover are often far from the mainstream, many television shows and review publications find our topics a bit too controversial. Last year, we published a book that I really thought could be a number one bestseller. Though I always put forth alot of effort to publicize all of the books we published, I was particularly interested in seeing this little gem find its way from obscurity to popularity. Because of my efforts, coverage of this book was astronomical, and the book became a New York Times bestseller, with both the author and the book becoming household names.
Talk to the interviewer about an accomplishment in your life that you are most proud of. The accomplishment should be work related, but it doesn't have to be. Be honest and be specific. Don't just throw out a general statement (“I won an award”); describe the steps you took to accomplish this goal and how all your hard work paid off in the end. One job seeker brought along a picture of herself receiving a prestigious award from a well-known celebrity at an industry awards dinner. It stimulated conversation and made an impression on the interviewer, who would be likely to remember the candidate after the interview was over. Don't stretch the truth, as interviewers have ways of finding out whether your story is true. Don't be long winded; instead, focus on your actual accomplishments and the steps leading up to them. The interviewer wants to know whether you will be able to contribute something to this company; this is a great opportunity to prove that you can.
Q: Tell me about a project you completed ahead of schedule.
How to answer it: I was in charge of anew product rollout. In general we completed each phase without a major setback — which was partially luck — but I also systematically called two days ahead of every deadline to check the status with all groups involved. I believe that is what made the real difference. The launch took place two weeks ahead of plan — a very significant period of time in our industry, where shelf life for products is generally less than one year.
In discussing how you were able to complete a project ahead of schedule, make sure that you are not forcing the interviewer to question the integrity of the project, or the attention to detail you displayed while working on it. Focus on how you set goals and schedules, measured results, and championed the outcome of a project. This question is aimed at your diligence in accomplishing tasks and, assuming the project required group effort, at your leadership skills.
Q: Can you tell me about your greatest accomplishment at work?
How to answer it: I'm particularly proud of the mentoring program I started about five years ago. I noticed that new employees were having trouble getting acclimated to the company, causing a very high turnover rate during the first year of employment. I developed a program that allowed us to assign each new employee to an employee who had been with the company for at least three years. This allowed new hires to make a smoother transition. Now, 90 percent of new employees are still with us after their one-year anniversaries, up from 50 percent before we started the mentorship program.
The interviewee provides a specific example in response to this question. She also highlights the fact that she took initiative in developing it; she saw a problem and found a solution. She also shows the result of her efforts with actual numbers.
Q: Describe how you accomplished a work-related goal.
How to answer it: When I started working for Daylight Publications, I discovered that I had inherited a huge file cabinet full of photographs. We used photographs in our magazine but usually wound up purchasing stock photos, because our own collection was so disorganized it was impossible to find anything. I designed a filing system and set about putting things in order. I set aside fifteen minutes each day and was able to work my way through the whole collection in about seven months.
This answer demonstrates how the interviewee took the initiative to set a goal in order to save her employer money. She then talks about how she went about reaching that goal by using her organization and time management skills.
Q: Can you describe how you accomplished a personal goal?
How to answer it: I wrote a short story and my goal was to get it published. I went to the library and researched which magazines accepted short story submissions. Then I sent my story to the magazines that published stories in the same genre as mine. My story was accepted by one of them and was finally published a little over a year ago.
This candidate talks about the steps he took to reach his personal goal. He used his research skills to find out where to send his story.
Q: What has been your greatest accomplishment as part of a team?
How to answer it: I worked on a team that developed a program for children who were going home to an empty house after school because their parents worked. We had volunteers who would help the kids with their homework and give them time to just burn off energy after sitting in a classroom all day. By the time we actually opened the center, we had seventy-five children enrolled. That told us we were providing a service that was clearly needed.
This candidate describes in detail the project she considers her greatest accomplishment as part of a team. She talks about what was needed, what they did to fill that need, and what the end result was.
Q: Name the two work-related accomplishments that you are the proudest of.
How to answer it: I converted a manual payroll system to a computerized system, which cut down the amount of time we spent on payroll each week. I wrote a manual that explained all bookkeeping department procedures in our company. New employees receive a copy of this manual, which helps them learn their job faster.
Each of the accomplishments this candidate discusses has had a positive result on the company and highlights his many skills.
Q: Tell me about the personal accomplishment that you are the proudest of.
How to answer it: Last year Iran a marathon for the first time. I've been a runner for years, but I never ran more than four miles at a time. I began training four months before the big day. It was hard, but I kept going and I ended up finishing in just over four hours, which I've heard is pretty good for a first-time marathoner.
By discussing running a marathon, this candidate demonstrates that she will work hard to reach her goals. She also shows that she is not afraid of a challenge, something her prospective employer should appreciate.
Q: What accomplishments have you made so far in reaching your long-range goals?
How to answer it: My long-range goal is to be a school principal. I've been teaching for ten years, first at PS 118 and then at PS 114. After five years of teaching second grade at PS 114, I was asked to be grade leader. My experience working with faculty and developing new programs for students has prepared me for the position of assistant principal. I look forward to using my skills to work on some of the projects we discussed earlier.
This candidate has demonstrated how he has taken steps to reach his goal and plans to continue to do so. He also makes a point of talking about the contributions he plans to make in the job that he's interviewing for.
Q: What motivates you to go above and beyond the call of duty?
How to answer it: Honestly, I don't have a sense of what is above and beyond the call of duty. It's not like I can just do enough to get by and then stop. When I work on a project, I do my very best, always.
This statement shows that this job candidate is truly a hard worker who cares about her work. It's more than just a job to her. She can't justify giving less than her best effort to any project entrusted to her.
Q: Have you ever been asked to take on a project because of your unique skill or ability?
How to answer it: Our senior developer regularly asks me to troubleshoot new programs. I've been very successful at figuring out why programs a ren't working properly, and I can usually do it pretty quickly, allowing the team to move forward.
This candidate chose to talk about a skill that will be as valuable to his prospective employer as it is to his current one.
Q: Tell me about a contribution you've made to a team accomplishment.
How to answer it: In my current company, all projects are group projects. My last work group was made up of five very intelligent and very creative people. However, the overall technical skills were a bit lacking. People knew how they wanted our presentation to look, but they didn't know how to go about achieving it. I am an avid computer user and have taken several classes in graphic design. I think our group's final product was a good mix of creativity and technology. I used my computer skills to help our team come up with a fantastic presentation that the client accepted without hesitation.
Even if you spend most of your time working independently — or work independently because you choose to — the interviewer wants to be reassured that you deal with other people well. When placed within a group setting, do you immediately try to take control or do you offer up a certain expertise? Think about the kinds of tasks you've performed before in group settings, and the skills that you have mastered. What would the other members of your team say about your contributions? Would they want to work with you again? Would they consider your skills vital to the team's success? Offer proof, using specific examples, that you delivered more than the team expected and that the team would compliment your contributions to the group's efforts.
Q: Are there any special contributions you feel you've made to your employer?
How to answer it: For the past four years, I have run a Walk for Hunger campaign at my company as part of our corporate social responsibility program. I believe that it is a very important cause, and I know it can be difficult for a company to find volunteers, so I stepped in to help. Each year has been more successful than the last, and coworkers have told me it's one of the things they look forward to most throughout the course of the year, which obviously makes me very happy.
Convince the interviewer that you are ready to go the extra mile for your employer. Tell her about a specific time when you delivered more than the employer expected. If you were hired, what situations would you handle especially well? What unique contributions can you make to the organization? How would you go the extra mile?
Q: Tell me about a quantifiable outcome of one of your efforts.
How to answer it: I reorganized inventory planning and was able to automate the inventory-recorder function. A task that used to take forty hours to complete now only takes five!
One truth — in business, especially — is that numbers don't lie. One of the easiest ways to showcase your accomplishments is to quantify them. But remember, unless you're talking about sales dollars or company profits, don't talk dollar amounts or the earnings of colleagues. Describe a specific accomplishment that produced a clear benefit. Offer proof, using real examples, that you deliver more than what's expected.
Q: Tell me how you were of value to your previous employer.
How to answer it: My previous employer valued my ability to deal with difficult clients. Whenever we had a client who was very demanding, my boss would ask me to be the one to work with him. She said she knew I was so levelheaded that I would always stay calm, even when a client was really trying my patience.
With this answer the candidate not only says why he thinks his boss values him, he talks about it from her perspective. He presents a skill that will be valuable to this employer as well.
Q: Have you ever had to take over an assignment at the last minute?
How to answer it: I've had to do that more than once — actually several times. The most recent was when a colleague was scheduled to attend a meeting out of town and came down with the flu two days before he was supposed to leave. My boss asked me if I could attend the meeting and make the presentation my colleague was supposed to make. I had two days to learn everything about the project. I went over pages and pages of notes and put together a presentation of my own, incorporating input from my colleague, who I spoke to on the phone several times a day.
Not only does this interviewee say he has taken over an assignment at the last minute, he talks about a specific case. He shows how he stepped in and learned what he needed to learn to make a successful presentation.
Q: If I asked your current employer to tell me about your accomplishments, what do you think she would say?
How to answer it: She would probably talk about the time she asked me to present anew marketing campaign to one of our more difficult clients. I spent over a week preparing for that presentation. Since I knew this client was hard to please, I had to make sure I anticipated every objection he might have. He actually loved the presentation, and the campaign increased sales by 50 percent.
This question gives the candidate a chance to talk about an accomplishment he is proud of. He talks about anticipating possible difficulties and the end result, an increase in sales.
Q: If I asked a college professor about one of your accomplishments, what would he or she say?
How to answer it: I worked on a major research project under the supervision of my psychology professor. We collected data over the course of a year and after analyzing the data, we wrote up the results as an article that we submitted to the Journal of Kangaroo Psychology. It was accepted, and it was published a month before I graduated.
This candidate chose to talk about something that had a tangible result — publication in a professional journal.
Q: Have you ever come up with new ways to solve a problem?
How to answer it: Yes, I have. We had a problem with dismissal from our after-school program. Too many children were leaving at once, causing a bit of chaos in our parking lot. I developed a system for releasing children alphabetically so that parents could pick up siblings in different grades at the same time. If we had released children by grade, parents would have had to wait around for children who were in different grade levels. That would have added to the chaos.
The candidate states a specific problem and then discusses the steps she took to solve it. She even mentions how she anticipated and then prevented a potential problem.
Q: What situations do your colleagues rely on you to handle?
How to answer it: Whenever we're faced with a difficult or dissatisfied client, my coworkers come to me. Unlike some of my coworkers, I never lose my temper in front of customers. My ability to remain objective has proven extremely important, especially when dealing with an irate client.
Even within a strictly team setting, there are obviously situations that you are better at handling than your colleagues are. Even though you may not be singled out to deal with each of these situations, tell the interviewer about the situations that you excel in. Which situations are you more qualified for (or better at handling) than your peers? This question provides a good opportunity for you to showcase your dependability, strength of character, and professionalism.
Q: Have you ever “saved the day” for your employer?
How to answer it: Yes, I have. It was the afternoon before our company was hosting a big luncheon. We called the caterer to confirm some of the details, but her number had been disconnected. We found out she had gone out of business and didn't bother to let us know. I called some friends at other companies and got a list of caterers together, called them, and got someone to do the job. My boss couldn't believe I managed to hire someone on such short notice.
The interviewee, by giving this example, shows how her resourcefulness helped her solve her employer's problem.
Q: Have you ever done something that directly helped your employer either increase profits or decrease costs?
How to answer it: I recently found away to help my employer save money on office supplies. For years, they bought office supplies from the same place. It was several blocks away, so it was pretty convenient. I have found that shopping online is almost always less expensive than shopping in a store, so I did a little comparison shopping and I found an online source for our office supplies at a savings of 40 percent from what we were paying for the same items. Plus, the items are delivered, which is even more convenient. As long as we order several items at once, delivery is free.
This interviewee's answer illustrates how she looks out for her employer's best interests.
Q: Tell me about an accomplishment you had a difficult time achieving.
How to answer it: Years ago, when I first began working for my current company, part of my job required meeting with our technical support staff once a week to find out about any technical problems or issues we faced. As part of the human resources team, it was my duty to voice any concerns to the right people and get the problems fixed. I didn't have very much experience with computers. For the most part, I didn't understand their complaints. Back then, I didn't even know what a modem was, and I certainly didn't know how to increase the speed of one.
I decided that to do a great job, I would need to learn more about what it was that each of our departments did. Whenever I could find the time, I would go down to the technical department and sit in for awhile. When I had questions, I would ask them. The staff was always very happy to answer and seemed pleased that I had taken so much interest in learning more about their job. Although I definitely struggled for the first month or so, I now make a consistent effort to keep pace with new technology because I have seen first hand how it impacts employee satisfaction and overall productivity.
Be careful what you are implying when you answer this question. Citing an instance in which the problem was a coworker can make you sound as though you're not much of a team player, a bit of a know-it-all, or worse, a dinosaur who won't change with the times. Talk to the interviewer about a time when you accomplished something despite obstacles, lack of training, or inadequate experience. Focus on your ability to overcome this problem and achieve successful results. Express your willingness to accept challenges and triumph over them.
Q: Tell me about something you accomplished that required strict discipline.
How to answer it: When I was a fulltime graduate student, my one goal was to avoid accruing any more student loan debt. In addition to working toward an advanced degree in journalism, I spent twenty hours a week as an intern at a local magazine and another twenty-five hours a week as a waitress. Juggling these three hectic, very demanding schedules was certainly a challenge, but it makes me appreciate all that I have achieved.
Here's another opportunity for you to discuss a skill you have had to work hard to develop and have been successful doing. This is also an opportunity to discuss a time when the amount of work you had and the time you needed to finish it were a challenge. Discuss your strong time management skills and how you are able to prioritize to accomplish your goal. How did you remain focused? What were the results? What did you learn from the experience?
Q: Tell me about the most difficult work or personal experience you've ever had to face.
How to answer it: A coworker with whom I was very close was going through a very difficult time and had begun toabuse drugs and alcohol. With our firm's support, he decided that the best thing for him was to attend are habilitation center. For the next six months, I had to take on much of this person's work in addition to my own. While the long hours and added pressure were not the ideal situation, I know that he would have done the same for me, so I never once regretted my decision. It's very important to me to have that kind of trust among the members of my work group, and I am glad that I was able to help a friend in need. It is certainly something I will always be proud of.
The ultimate goal of this question is to find out how well you handle pressure. Ideally, you want to describe a situation — personal or professional — that involved a great deal of conflict and challenge and, as a result, placed you under an unusual amount of stress. Explain, specifically, what the problems were and what you did to resolve them. What was the result? Is it something you would do again?
Q: How have you handled criticism of your work in the past?
How to answer it: The first time I ever had a client complain to me, I was devastated. The client was upset about the downtime in ATM machines. Though her complaint had nothing to do with my professional service of the account, I did take it a bit personally. However, rather than dwell on my own disappointment, I began to work very closely with this client to see whether there was something I could do about her suggestion. While I couldn't change our ATM system, I was able to learn a lot from the experience. I learned that showing empathy usually calms an unpleasant situation. I also learned that no client is going to be happy with everything, even if that client's overall experience is positive. I know that I should not take things personally and, instead, focus on initiatives that will yield customer satisfaction without distracting from my core duties.
The interviewer is trying to learn something about your accountability and professional character. Talk about a time when you were engaged in a specific project or work habit that caused you a problem. Then discuss how you finally faced up to the problem and overcame it. Alternatively, you might describe a time you responded objectively and professionally to particularly harsh or unreasonable criticism of your work. In either case, finish the comment by talking about what you learned from this experience. Remember: Always keep things positive, and refrain from complaining or slandering any past work associates.
Q: Tell me about one of your projects that failed.
How to answer it: I've always been somewhat of a workaholic and have the attitude that I can tackle anything and achieve good results. After a rather destructive hurricane, my insurance company was inundated with claims. I really believed that I was completely capable of handling all the claims in my area and dove right into a series of eighteen-hour workdays. Even when others in the office would offer to help, I reassured them that I had it all under control. After about a week and a half, I realized that there was no way I could complete all of the claims on time and on my own. I had to begin delegating some of the responsibility to my investigators. What I learned was that no matter how efficient and competent you are, there are always situations in which you need to ask for help from others.
Make sure that you demonstrate the ability to be humble when answering this type of question. One of the worst answers you can come up with in a situation such as this one is “I can't think of anything I've ever failed at” or “I've never had a project that failed.” Everyone has failed at one time or another, and it's okay to admit it. Show the employer how much you can learn from your mistakes. In hindsight, what do you think you could have and should have done differently? How have you altered your leadership or professional style as a result of this experience?
Q: Tell me about a time when you had a real problem getting along with one of your work associates.
How to answer it: I have always thought of myself as an easygoing person; I tend to get along with most people. However, I do remember one time when we brought in anew associate who was very bossy — bossy to the point where his attitude really offended one of our interns. As this was not the type of management style that our employees were used to, I took it upon myself to pull the new associate aside and explain that I found it more productive to ask people for help than to give orders. Unfortunately, he seemed more offended by my concern for our employees and about the sour relationship he was beginning to form with them than pleased with or grateful for my attempt to help him. The advice didn't change anything with his attitude, but we were much more careful with our hiring process after that experience.
The best way to answer this question is to discuss a difference in work ethic between you and an associate, not an all-out hatred for each other. Avoid discussing a personality clash between you and a coworker. Instead, speak about a situation with which the interviewer is likely to empathize. For example, you might describe someone whose standards of excellence were perhaps less stringent than yours. Be sure to talk about the steps you took to mend this problem and the end result was.
Q: Have you ever had to work with a manager who you thought was unfair to you or who was just plain difficult to get along with?
How to answer it: Fortunately, I've never really run into that problem. Of course, my current boss has to work under time constraints — just like everyone else — and she sometimes has a tendency to answer things rather bluntly to push our department to meet its goals. But I've never considered that unfair or hard to handle; it's just part of the job. My supervisors and I have always gotten along quite well.
Again, no matter how many times an interviewer gives you the opportunity to do so, never criticize a current or former employer! The interviewer is not really interested in finding out whether or not you have worked for difficult people in the past — we all have. What he is trying to discover is whether or not (and how easily) you are willing to badmouth these people.
Q: How do you handle tension with your boss?
How to answer it: The only tension I've ever felt occurred only once, when we both got too busy to keep each other informed. My boss over committed me with a short deadline, not knowing I was bogged down with another client problem. I believe firmly in the importance of staff meetings to keep coworkers aware and respectful of the demands on each other's time, and I worked closely with my boss to develop a formalized meeting schedule.
Though the question itself is set in the present tense, your best bet in answering it is to use the past tense. The safest ground here is to describe an example of a miscommunication in your early relationship with a boss and how you resolved it. Talk about the problem itself, but focus more on how the two of you handled the problem. Describe the steps you have taken since that incident to ensure that a similar problem does not reoccur.
Q: Have you ever received formal recognition for something you accomplished?
How to answer it: Yes. I won Salesperson of the Month four times when I was working for Ace Stereo. Those with the largest increase in sales over the previous month were rewarded in this way.
This candidate chose to discuss being rewarded for something that would be valued by any company — high sales volume.
Q: How has your employer rewarded your accomplishments?
How to answer it: My employer initially rewarded me by trusting me enough to give me additional responsibility. This gave me a chance to prove myself, and I was ultimately rewarded with a big promotion.
This candidate discusses how at first his reward was simply being asked to do more. Did he object to that? No. It only gave him the opportunity to further prove himself so that he received the reward of a promotion.
Q: You seem to have accomplished a lot in your current job.
Do you know why you weren't promoted?
How to answer it: I wasn't promoted because unfortunately there wasn't a position to promote me to. JFR was a very small family-owned firm. The boss's two sons held the top positions, which were right above my position.
The candidate explains why he couldn't move beyond his current position in spite of his accomplishments. He doesn't seem resentful, but rather accepts this fact.
Increases in profits
Growth of sales
Realistic
Direct result of my efforts
Put forth a lot of effort
Because of my work
I was in charge of a product rollout.
Ahead of schedule
I'm particularly proud of
I developed a program.
I designed a system.
Put things in order
Took the initiative
Set my goal
Worked on a team that developed a program
Service that was needed
Did what was necessary
Filled a need
I wrote a manual.
I kept going.
Not afraid of a challenge
My experience working with
I look forward to using my skills.
I always do my best.
Troubleshoot
Allow the team to move forward
Use my skills to help the team
Vital to the team's success
Volunteer
Go the extra mile
Reorganize
Benefit
I'm levelheaded.
I always stay calm.
Take over an assignment
Anticipate objections
Make suggestions of my own
Learn what I needed
Worked on a major project
I developed a system.
I prevented a potential problem.
I never lose my temper.
Remain objective
Resourcefulness
Comparison shopping
Decrease costs
Voice concerns
Fix problems
Look out for the employer's best interests
Juggle demanding schedules
Strong time management skills
Build trust among my group
Work closely with clients
Learn from the experience
Empathy
Accountability
Professional character
Situations in which you need help
Get along with people
Work ethic
Get along with supervisors
Importance of meetings
Worked closely with the boss
Rewarded
Praised
A chance to prove myself