Behavioral Question: "What is your greatest achievement/accomplishment?"

This is the perfect opportunity to talk about your most impressive experience. Most candidates waste this wonderful opportunity because they aren’t prepared and/or don’t feel comfortable “bragging.”

Most people don’t have a lot of practice talking about their accomplishments.

Don't rely on the interviewer to read between the lines or notice how great you are from just your resume, a few questions or a little chit chat. However, you don’t want to come across as full of yourself or entitled.

Prepare in advance so you’ll feel comfortable talking about yourself, and your work in a positive, natural, enthusiastic way that conveys confidence. Ultimately, the interviewer really wants to know what sets you apart from other qualified candidates, to get a better sense of your talents and what value you can bring to the position.

Make it easier for them by cutting to the chase and leading with your best material. Additionally, keep in mind that you’re not limited to talking about teamwork or leadership.

Start the process by identifying at least 3 of your “greatest hits” stories. Your “greatest hits” are your most impressive, interesting, and relevant accomplishments.

See Interview Question: "What applicable experience do you have?" (How to give examples to demonstrate experience) for more information on preparing your stories.

A well crafted greatest hit story can be used in a variety of different ways and to answer different behavioral questions. For example, one story about a successful project could be used to demonstrate leadership, problem-solving, or the ability to deal with conflict.

Your GREATEST greatest hit story is the one that you want to use for a question about your proudest accomplishment. Choose the story that you think best represents why you would be a great fit for this opportunity at this company.

The STAR framework will help you focus on the key details so you can tell a story that’s genuine, memorable, and concise.

Example:

Situation - “Well, my last role was as a manager at a seasonal restaurant in Nantucket. Out of the 4 months I spent there, 3 of them were a total nightmare. The restaurant was completely packed 90%+ of the time, and we barely had any breathing room.”

Task – “We had to be very efficient at work to make sure that we wouldn’t get overwhelmed.”

Action - “The most important part of making this work was being proactive. If we had just rolled with the punches and focused on putting out fires, the whole thing would’ve turned into a mess real fast. At the beginning of the summer, I created a very strict shift schedule, which we adhered to 100%. I also started a reward system - if someone called in sick, you’d get rewarded if you filled in for them. In case no one was available, I personally filled in for them.”

Results - “Overall, the summer went pretty well with minimal incidents. 99%+ of the customers were happy, and we didn’t receive a single bad review.“

Overview of Behavioral Questions About Your Accomplishments:

• Lead with Your Strongest Examples Don’t be shy. Be proactive about making sure your best stories get told. You want to leave that interview feeling like you said everything you could to show you’re the very best candidate.

• Be Specific Don’t fall back on a generic overview of a project. To be memorable, you need to provide enough detail to give a sense of who you are and how you approach your work. Don’t rush through and leave out the most interesting details - these are what you unique in your delivery. Remember that good stories give you an opportunity to connect with your interviewer. Give them some details they can relate to.

• Be Concise It is SO easy to ramble if you haven’t prepared your stories in advance. Outlining with STAR helps you identify the most important details so your story stays focused and interesting.

• Practice Don’t skip the practice. We know it’s tedious, but it WORKS. We've seen the magic firsthand – especially when it comes to behavioral questions.