"One achievement I am proud of is graduating from University as an honors student while working full time. This accomplishment showed me that I could dedicate myself to my career and reach the goals that I set for myself. It felt great to accomplish so much and earn recognition for my dedication."

Remember to think of a situation that highlights your strengths and qualities that will be helpful for the job for which you are interviewing. Try to keep your answer as career-relevant as possible.

"I was hired at a junior level in my last role. I had recently graduated and lacked experience. I worked a lot of hours to learn about my customers and their business through shadowing. I learned all of the systems available to me. I did a lot of research and sought out mentors to learn from. I was able to jump in and be effective in my role quickly as a result. Over a year, my customers started coming to me directly instead of the senior-level co-workers on my team. My manager began assigning me their work and letting me lead initiatives.

I set up a meeting to discuss my progress and a possible promotion. My manager said she wasn't quite ready to promote me because people in my position usually only get promoted every few years. She said I was still lacking experience. I let her know I understood and respected her position but felt I had demonstrated a commitment to the work and my customers beyond the usual and customary level of effort. I gave her examples of my excellence despite my time in the role and reminded her that she had even asked me to lead initiatives because my work had been outstanding. I thanked her for listening and assured her I would respect her decision.

A month later, review time came around. I was shocked to learn she promoted me to two levels in my role. She said she appreciated my humble response to our last conversation and that I gave her a lot to think about. She talked with several of my peers and customers, and they all agreed I would be able to continue to perform well and that I should be rewarded for working so hard to get up to speed and add value. She said I exemplified the type of spirit she wanted members of her team to have and that she was willing to make a compelling case to HR for the double promotion in my favor. I was proud of myself for standing up for what I felt I deserved."

"I am the most proud of being selected as a BAE Systems intern last year. BAE Systems has a reputation for recruiting top talent. Landing an internship was a goal for most of the talented people in our junior class. I worked really hard in school to get excellent grades and learn as much as possible. I also invested a lot of time researching this company and the types of responsibilities I would have as an intern prior to my interview.

The most challenging part was to make sure that I gave my coursework the attention it deserved. I worked part time and volunteered while I was in college, and my schedule was hectic at times. I used a number of time management techniques to make sure that I stayed on top of everything.

I am so thankful that all of my hard work was rewarded with the opportunity to learn from the experts here at BAE Systems. I am looking forward to becoming a permanent part of the team soon if I am extended an offer for this position."