What is the hiring manager looking for?

Hiring managers ask this question to assess your problem-solving skills, your ability to set and achieve goals, and your overall attitude towards your work. They want to know what you’re most proud of and why, as this can provide insight into your values and priorities.

How to structure your answer

A great answer should follow this structure:

1. Start with a brief overview of your achievement. What project, initiative or task did you work on, and when did you do it?
2. Describe the challenges you faced. What obstacles stood in your way, and how did you overcome them?
3. Explain the impact or benefit of your achievement. How did your actions positively affect your company, team, client or industry?
4. Conclude by highlighting what you learned from the experience. How did this achievement contribute to your professional growth and development?

Tips to answer this interview question

Tips:

* Be specific and avoid generalizations.
* Highlight your role in the achievement and how you made a unique contribution.
* Use numbers or quantifiable data to demonstrate the impact of your achievement.
* Be enthusiastic and passionate when discussing your achievement.

Things to avoid:

* Rambling or dwelling on unrelated details.
* Focusing on tasks or achievements that are part of your job description.
* Being overly modest or downplaying your role.
* Being negative or complaining about your experience.

Example interview answers to this question

Sample answers:

1. Achievement: “As a project manager at XYZ Company, I led a cross-functional team in developing a new product that was launched on time and under budget. The product was a huge success, exceeding sales projections by 20% in its first year.”

_Why it’s strong:_ This answer provides a clear overview of the achievement, the challenges faced, the impact on the company and what the candidate learned from the experience.

2. Achievement: “In my role as a marketing consultant, I developed a social media campaign that generated a 30% increase in website traffic and a 20% increase in sales leads for my client. The campaign was also featured in several industry publications.”

_Why it’s strong:_ This answer quantifies the impact of the achievement, highlighting the candidate’s ability to generate results. It also demonstrates the candidate’s ability to get recognition for their work.

3. Achievement: “As a customer service representative, I received the company’s ‘Employee of the Year’ award for my outstanding performance in resolving customer complaints. I was able to resolve 95% of complaints within 24 hours and consistently exceeded customer satisfaction goals.”

_Why it’s strong:_ This answer demonstrates the candidate’s ability to consistently exceed expectations and their commitment to providing excellent customer service. It also highlights the recognition the candidate received for their work.