Accomplishment Interview Questions

Master 15 Accomplishment interview questions covering achievements, impact metrics, and career highlights.

Question 1 of 15

Tell me about your greatest work related accomplishment.

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Example Answer
Community Answers

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.

"I have many accomplishments of which I am proud. Overall, I would say that my greatest work accomplishment is the positive reputation that I have in the marketing industry. Marketing is a full industry, with many professionals fighting to find their voice. I'm so proud to have carved a distinct career path for myself, despite those challenges."

Rachelle Enns

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.

"My greatest career accomplishment is the fact that, in my current company, I gained a promotion faster than anyone in the organization's entire history. I received accolades from the VP of Sales in front of the entire company, which was an extraordinary moment. Exceed expectations, being promoted, and then financially ahead of where I initially expected, was exhilarating."

Rachelle Enns

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.

"As an administrator, I can stand out by continuing to educate myself in unexpected ways, which will benefit my employer. This year alone I committed to additional coursework in Excel, PowerPoint, and QuickBooks. My boss was impressed with my high level of initiative and gave me a raise, along with additional responsibilities, because of it."

Rachelle Enns

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.

"My greatest accomplishment was reducing departmental costs by 25% by thoroughly reviewing packing slips and comparing them to invoices and contract terms for accuracy. I then trained my team to do the same so that these savings could become the new status-quo for our department."

Rachelle Enns

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.

"As a teacher, my greatest accomplishment is in helping students who are falling behind. I have been a teacher for eight years and in that time have found I have at least one student who needs extra attention and mentorship, each year. To mold the lives of my students is the most gratifying action I can take as a teacher."

Rachelle Enns

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.

"When I was the manager of XYZ shoe store, my location had 100% inventory accuracy for 16 months straight. I created a spreadsheet and implemented regular inventory counts, above and beyond expectations from corporate head office. My tracking method was so successful that the company implemented it nationally."

Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown created and launched MockQuestions in 2008.

The interviewer would like to know which career accomplishment you value the most. Talking about your most significant achievement will give the interviewer a definite idea of where you place your values. It will also show the interviewer more about your personality, how you like to be motivated, and how to coach you in the future. It is okay to brag a little bit when answering this question. Show that you are proud of yourself and your career accomplishments!

Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown created and launched MockQuestions in 2008.

"The greatest accomplishment in my career was graduating University as an honors student while still working full time in a related field. I was top of my class, and working full time. This achievement 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."

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Anonymous Answer

My greatest accomplishment in my last job was our team increasing our overall standings from number 3 to number 1 in less than 14 months in an established market. We also met our year-end goal.

Kevin's Feedback

Your answer includes very specific numbers, goals, percentages, and achievements. That sounds like quite the achievement. However, this question asks you what your greatest accomplishment was, not that of your team. In the way you’ve phrased your answer, it comes across as not having any accomplishments of your own. Try to reframe your answer so that it speaks to your individual experience.

My greatest accomplishment in my last job was when I lead our team on a very involved, multi-tiered project to increase our overall standings. I was proud of how I motivated our team and got everyone on the same page with our vision. Ultimately, we increased our standings from number 3 to number 1 in less than 14 months in an established market. We also met our year-end goal.

Anonymous Answer

The greatest accomplishment in my career was when I started my own catering business and become successful in the past 6 years. This achievement 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.

Stephanie's Feedback

Starting your own business is a significant accomplishment! I'm glad you were able to capture the importance of this.

Anonymous Answer

"S: In my final year, I Co-led weekly mentoring sessions to 15 first-year economic students were aimed at easing them into the various aspects of university life.
"T: Leaving home, moving to a new city, starting a new chapter of your life can be challenging to settle into.
"A: I wanted to reflect on my journey and help, and this was a great opportunity.
"R: It was very satisfying to see them grow as people, and even more so that 10 out of 15 decided to become mentors the next year.

Cindy's Feedback

Ok, fantastic example, and your heading in the right direction with the STAR format. Expand on the "action" you took. What action did you take to assist your mentees?

Anonymous Answer

My greatest work-related accomplishment is as follows:
Background/situation: During my previous role as a project manager, I managed an Environmental Assessment (EA) Study to identify and protect a corridor for the extension of a road, which was required to support economic development in the area. It was a prominent corridor through the Business Park, and the extension of the road was expected to generate significant interest from local business groups. Adjacent landowners within the subject area were interested in developing their lands for residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial purposes. Thus, accessibility for existing and future land developments and to support/promote alternative modes of travel (i.e. walking, cycling, transit) were the goals of the project. A thorough consultation program was required to solicit, receive and address comments and input from those individuals and groups.

Task: My key role was to follow the minimum mandatory public consultation, as per the planning requirement in the Environmental Assessment Act. Thus, starting from advertising the Notice of Study Commencement through the Notice of Study Completion, I was proactively monitoring project key stakeholder engagement. Two local developers had a greater interest in the project and were not ready to buy in the preferred roadway alignment option, especially on the preferred option. Thus, the conflict posed a great risk to the project's success.

Action:
It was very important to negotiate with both developers for a win-win solution prior to going for the POH. I met one-on-one with both and listened to their concerns and needs. After some negotiations with each, I proposed a solution for further discussion and it was acceptable to both.

Result:
The negotiation with key stakeholders was a great success as both had their interest in land development. The POH went smoothly through the end.
I effectively managed the main component of the planning process, i.e., Consultation, using my interpersonal skills. I successfully resolved conflicts and closed the project on time and under budget.

Chad's Feedback

This is an excellent answer! You use the STAR method perfectly, and the highly detailed example you describe is certainly an accomplishment to be proud of. It is evident from the example that you are a skilled negotiator and have strong interpersonal skills. Great job!

Anonymous Answer

My greatest work accomplishment was being on the top 10 sales rep list within my first year in pharmaceuticals.

Stephanie's Feedback

Wow! That's a significant accomplishment. While this is a great start, I'd like to see you develop this answer a little more. What steps did you take to achieve this goal? How did it impact profits for your company? What are you most proud of? Adding a few additional details will allow your interviewers to learn more about this accomplishment, making your answer more memorable!

Anonymous Answer

When I started working for this company, I noticed that my department struggled with cash flow. 20% of revenue was not able to collect within 45 days per the company policy.
I was the account receivable then and recognized the need for a stronger collection payment initiative.
I did some research and found out the root cause of the delayed payment. After I addressed it and worked with the IT team, we implemented the changes (Result) After three weeks, we reported a 20% increase in cash on hand.

Marcie's Feedback

Nice! You've used the STAR method here to effectively describe the situation, your task/actions, and the end result. What was the root cause of the delayed payments, and how did you fix this issue? Adding these details will make your answer much more memorable and meaningful to the interviewer. Otherwise, good job!

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Accomplishment Interview Questions

Tell me about your greatest work related accomplishment.

15Accomplishment Interview Questions & Answers

1.Tell me about your greatest work related accomplishment.

2.Tell me about a contribution you made to the last team you worked on.

3.Give me an example of a time when you went above and beyond.

4.Tell me about an organization or group outside of work that you contributed to.

5.If you were hired today, what would you accomplish first?

6.What accomplishment do you believe was the most difficult for you to achieve?

7.How do you like to be recognized for your accomplishments?

8.Tell me about a time that you have helped a co-worker accomplish an important goal.

9.Tell me about a project you completed recently that was ahead of schedule.

10.Describe an ongoing problem at your current or former employer, that you were able to overcome.

11.When have you significantly contributed to obtain a corporate goal?

12.When were you able to resolve a problem within work?

13.What was the greatest cost-cutting measurement you accomplished at your previous employer?

14.What will you accomplish in the first 90 days of working here?

15.What is the most significant achievement you have on the horizon?