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What Was Your Greatest Accomplishment?

What Was Your Greatest Accomplishment?

February 27, 2014 by Justin

What was your greatest accomplishment? It sounds like one of the inane interview questions! Your answer is supposed demonstrate a skill that the employer is wants. Depending on your stage in life, it may relate to school, work or personal life. Your answer is not as important as why you think it is your greatest accomplishment. How does it relate to the position you are interviewing for? What do you do? 

Research interview questions

Interviews are tough because you can only prepare so much for any interview! In this economy, there is a lot of competition for every opening. Now the best jobs have developed some really difficult questions. Recognize you cannot know every possible question a perspective employer may ask you. Most of the questions are similar to learn about you judgment. Can you persuade the interviewer that you are the right person for this position? It usually starts with this question and how you answer it.

Be specific and persuasive

Employers want to know if you can do the job, will you fit well on the team and in the company, and do you have a sincere interest in the job and company to make it and you a success? Now that you understand what they are looking for, what can you do to persuade them? Make your answers relevant to the job description and requirements. This is not easy! When I interviewed, I used a portfolio of my professional work. It was a series of documents or electronic copies of projects which demonstrate my skills.

Portfolios are an extension of your resume or tangible examples of what you have done professionally. Artists, architects, fashion designers used them for decades and now they are almost commonplace! I used the portfolio concept thirty-five (35) years ago! I used a past budget to demonstrate my skills. Suddenly, we were discussing my skills specifically and it never failed to impress the interviewer. Obviously many things have changed in thirty-five (35) year and you could show more online.

Portfolios are no longer hard copies or flat examples of your skills. You can show videos, computer games, programs, pictures, events, products, services, performances, and much more. Only your imagination will limit what you can use to persuade the interviewer of your skills. Now you have the additional task of how to present it? It goes back to interviewing skills. You need to tell a story and how well you tell it will either help or hurt your message. This works for new graduates and experiences workers.

Why does it work?

Your portfolio should represent your best work which you want to discuss and proves your skills and knowledge. Your portfolio may represent work performed in school, part time jobs, internships or class projects, it could be individual or group work, but you can explain your contribution and outcome. Most importantly, it should relate to the job you are interviewing for. It works because you are proud of your accomplishment and you are talking about your accomplishment.

You still need to plan how you will use what is in your portfolio! It is not enough to just pull it out and show it. You need to make the right choices and explain why it is a good example of your skills. That requires planning! If you start with the outcome and work backwards,, you will probably will find the right items to make your case. The outcome is a successful interview which means probably another interview. It starts with research of the company and the job description.

Some examples: 

  • Published articles
  • Computer programs’
  • Lesson plans
  • Projects
  • Websites
  • Presentations
  • Graphics/pictures
  • Products/services
  • Video/audio
  • Documentation
  • Transcript

These examples do not cover every career or instance because there is always something you can use to support or demonstrate your skills and knowledge.

Final thoughts

Interviews are the ultimate sale! Yes, you are selling yourself to the employer as the best solution for the job opening. Interviews are usually a lot of questions and answers, but you can make it much more persuasive if you bring creditable evidence of your skills and knowledge.  A portfolio is one of the best ways to do that. Next it is how you use that evidence successfully. You should plan your responses to include your evidence based on the job description. Use your greatest accomplishment to get the job!

Photo by:  Flickr

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Use your greatest accomplishment to get the job!

Filed Under: Careers Tagged With: Budget, Budgeting, Career, Careers, financial decisions, Goal setting, Goals, information, interesting, Interviewing, Interviews, Job Search, Personal Finance, Planning, Resume, Values

Comments

  1. Michelle @fitisthenewpoor says

    February 27, 2014 at 10:31 am

    Great interview tips! So many times we ask this to students applying to our graduate program and they list off a couple of things they think are impressive. We do not know why they are impressive unless you can back it up and explain why it’s meaningful.

    • Krantcents says

      February 27, 2014 at 12:44 pm

      Interviews are opportunities to market yourself and connect with someone. Most young people never learn how to do it effectively. This, along with other articles, will help some of them.

  2. Money Beagle says

    February 27, 2014 at 10:54 am

    I was on a project a few years back that was a defining moment of my career. Not only was it successful for me, but the entire project was great, it was a brand new facility that redefined our industry, at least from a local perspective. I remember the day the facility opened was one of the best feelings of my life, and knowing that I was a part of it has stayed with me since.

    • Krantcents says

      February 27, 2014 at 12:47 pm

      We all have those moments or experiences. It is so important to use them to sell our skills to an employer. Employers wants skills that will help their business grow and flourish.

  3. Poor Student says

    February 27, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    Great tips! I’m a college student looking for job so I think it will help a lot! I’m sometimes confused on what kind of answer the interviewer is looking for, but I think the meaning behind it is what is more important.

    • Krantcents says

      February 27, 2014 at 4:16 pm

      The interviewer is looking for what you think is important to discuss. It tells a great deal about the candidate. It should relate to the job you are interviewing for though!

  4. Barbara Friedberg says

    February 28, 2014 at 9:27 am

    I think being a mom and wife trumps all of my professional accomplishments.

    • Krantcents says

      February 28, 2014 at 11:30 am

      No doubt, but I was thinking of an interview situations.

  5. Mr. Utopia says

    February 28, 2014 at 12:27 pm

    Showcasing your talent and results through a portfolio seems like very effective strategy. Although, I would caution, be careful when sharing accomplishments you’ve done from past jobs. You don’t want to use any proprietary or confidential information!

    • Krantcents says

      February 28, 2014 at 4:22 pm

      I used excerpts and removed any names when I used it.

  6. Alex says

    March 3, 2014 at 11:45 am

    I would always mention writing as an accomplishment as well as other employment related experience, but I’ve only taken a portfolio once and I must admit it changed the whole outlook of the interview. I remember it becoming an interview about the array of things I may be capable of, instead of just an interview to decide whether I was capable at all. They were interested in me, especially when I play the published poet ‘card’ (it was only in a college anthology but I always make it sound momentous).

    • Krantcents says

      March 3, 2014 at 3:51 pm

      A portfolio allows you to take control or focus the interview on the skills you have and it provides credibility too.

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