“What Accomplishment Are You Most Proud Of?” Sample Answers and Tips

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“What accomplishment are you most proud of?” is one of the most common interview questions.

When interviewers ask this question, they’re trying to get a sense of:

your idea of success
what motivates you
how compatible you are with the role
how you speak about yourself

1. Make a list of all your greatest achievements

Start by preparing a list of all your professional achievements, even if they’re not directly related to the job you’re interviewing for. This will give you an opportunity to reflect on your past accomplishments and boost your confidence going into the interview.

It’s also a good idea to prepare more than one example so you can tailor your answers for different interviews and roles.

Think of times when you were thanked for your work or recognized for contributing to a project. Perhaps you introduced a new idea for a marketing campaign or had a contact for a new supplier that saved the company money and time.

Then, write down the impact of your contributions. By focusing on concrete outcomes, you’ll be better prepared to articulate your value and stand out in an interview.

2. Choose a relevant accomplishment

The most compelling answer to “what is your greatest achievement?” is always the most relevant answer.

Choose an accomplishment on your resume or from your academic life. Whenever possible, connect the achievement to key skills the employer is looking for. If you have multiple relevant accomplishments, choose one that demonstrates measurable results for the company.

Check the job listing to see what skills the company is looking for in a candidate, and tailor your answer accordingly.

2. Use the STAR method to structure your answer

How you answer an interview question is almost as important as what you say. To keep your answer focused on the right information, use the four-part STAR method, which includes the:

Situation you faced
Task you identified in response
Action you took to perform the task
Result of your actions and how it benefited the company

Here’s a brief example of how to use the STAR method in an interview answer:

Situation: Shortly after starting my last barista role, I noticed people weren’t buying our new salted caramel latte drink.
Task: I decided to experiment with new ways to promote it in-store.
Action: With my supervisor’s permission, I created promotional posters and asked everyone to suggest the drink to people who seemed indecisive.
Result: Sales of the drink doubled and the store owner promoted me to assistant manager, where I boosted sales another 15%.

“What accomplishment are you most proud of?” sample answers

Here’s a video that explains how to answer “What accomplishment are you most proud of?”

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You can’t borrow or copy an accomplishment, but you can borrow the structure, style, and delivery of effective answers. Find the example below that best mirrors what stage you are at in your career, and consider how you’d adjust it to describe your biggest achievement.

Student answers

This question can be stressful for students and new graduates but it’s helpful to remember the interviewer called you knowing this might be your first job interview.

They expect to hear about an accomplishment from your education, volunteer work, or a past part-time job.

Sample answer from a student who put themselves through college

I believe that my greatest achievement so far was funding my own education at Southdown University. My family doesn’t have the means to contribute to my education, so I made sure to secure scholarship funds based on my grades and community service. I also accepted a work-study position as a laboratory assistant to gain relevant work experience. Not only did I graduate with minimal debt, I was able to gain practical experience that many of my peers don’t have. Plus, I learned time management skills that will serve me well throughout my career.

This student succinctly explains a challenge they overcame and the skills they used to do it. The interviewer knows the candidate is motivated, independent, and possesses relevant career skills.

Sample answer from a student graduating top of the class

My greatest achievement was becoming valedictorian of my senior class at Columbia University. I earned the top GPA in my class of more than 1,500 students while maintaining a part-time job on campus. Through focus and time management, I excelled in my classes and even filled in for student co-workers when they were struggling to keep up.

This response highlights the student’s top grades and work experience. It also mentions transferrable skills — focus and time management — and subtly mentions that they could keep up when others couldn’t.

Entry-level answers

If you don’t have much professional experience to draw from, consider accomplishments from your academic career and any internships or volunteer work you’ve done.

Sample answer from an undergraduate student

While studying marketing as an undergraduate, I volunteered with my community orchestra to raise funds for a scholarship program and while there I noticed that we hadn’t secured any new donors for a while. I wanted to discover how our outreach was missing the mark, and what types of new donors we should focus on pursuing. I wrote up a five-question survey and sent it to a selection of people on our list of potential donors. I also set up in-person meetings with three donors who had expressed interest but had not donated. I learned that younger potential donors found our materials out-of-touch. So, I mobilized my fellow interns and created a new campaign targeting donors under 35. We raised $20,000 from that cohort by the end of the year.

Volunteer jobs like these are ideal sources for “greatest accomplishment” answers for entry-level candidates. This one is relevant to the job and has a dollar value attached. If that’s not possible — which it often isn’t at this level — you can still pick something that impacts others.

Sample answer from an entry-level copywriter

During my internship at Dentsu Creative I was tasked with improving engagement on a client’s social media platform. I needed to create content that would increase user interaction and brand visibility. I developed a series of creative, engaging posts and a content calendar for TikTok and Instagram. My manager approved my plan and within three months engagement on the client’s social media increased by 40%.

This response highlights the applicant’s ability to contribute value through creativity, strategic planning, and achieving tangible results in a team setting.

Mid-career answers

If you’re a mid-level professional, you should have several accomplishments to choose from. Pick one that highlights how you can benefit the employer.

Sample answer from a sales manager

I see my greatest accomplishment as implementing a new customer relationship management system at my previous job. As a sales manager, I saw my coworkers struggle to find information about leads and accounts, sometimes at the cost of a new client. I knew automating the process would make things easier and help us close more sales. I wanted to ensure our prospects and leads would feel understood, knowing our sales team cared about their success.

I took the initiative to research potential customer relationship management solutions. I asked team members what features they wanted and needed and discussed budgeting with my higher-ups. I finally went with the Zoho CRM system and worked with the IT team to implement it. A year later, we had increased our close rate by 26% and our renewal rate by 17%.

This candidate describes initiative, organization, and insight into the team’s needs. They close with a measurable positive impact on the company, placing the focus back on the benefit for the employer.

Sample answer from a supply chain professional

After COVID my company faced significant supply chain delays that impacted production timelines. I was responsible for finding a solution to streamline the supply chain process. I made sure to have regular calls with our vendors to understand the reasons for these delays and I incentivised finding alternative route chains and solutions. Together we proposed changes to speed up deliveries, and I optimized inventory management and implemented a new tracking system. Delivery times were reduced by 15%, and production delays were cut by 16%.

This answer shows the candidate’s problem-solving skills and ability to adapt under pressure, and clearly states their role in addressing the problem, showing leadership and initiative.

Experienced professional answers

As an experienced professional, you have a wealth of professional achievements on your resume. To answer this question effectively, choose the accomplishment that best demonstrates the relevant skills and qualifications needed in the role you’re applying for.

Sample answer from a vice president of a human resources dept.

The top achievement of my career has been the transformation of my former department as vice president of human resources. When I took on the position, turnover was high and our cost-to-fill was skyrocketing.The company promoted me from a mid-level position and tasked me with improving retention and recruitment. I set the goal of reducing turnover by half and cutting cost-to-fill by 10%.

Within two months, I had introduced a new onboarding process, introduced and incentivized managerial training, and adopted a new recruitment software.A year later, we had met and exceeded the goals I set when I took on the position. Now we have one of the highest retention rates in the company and pay 25% less to fill each position.

This response is focused, specific, and goal-oriented. The candidate proves their ability to meet and exceed HR objectives on a large scale, while focusing on what they did to get there.

Sample answer from a teacher

Our school’s science department struggled with low test scores and student engagement and I was tasked with improving both engagement and performance. I revamped the curriculum, introduced hands-on activities, and set up peer tutoring and STEM clubs. As a result, test scores improved by 15%, participation in science-related extracurricular activities doubled, and many students expressed newfound enthusiasm for the subject, and the program was adopted by other departments.

This teacher uses the STAR method to outline how they addressed a pressing need, and backs up the results with hard numbers.

Answers for someone switching careers

Sample answer from a customer service agent transitioning to UX/UI

My greatest achievement was being promoted through self-motivation and learning. My first job out of school was as a customer service agent at a large digitech company. I noticed frequent calls came in about issues with logging complaints and after doing some research I realized I could use my calls to collect user feedback. I collected feedback and presented my suggested changes to my manager and the director of Customer Service. I was asked to collaborate with the web development team and assisted them for over a month. During this process I realized how much I enjoyed UX/UI design. The changes we made reduced customer complaints by 14% and inspired by this, I completed an online UX/UI course and was promoted to work as a junior designer in the WebDev team.

This answer demonstrates the candidate’s self-motivation, problem-solving skills, and ability to recognize opportunities for improvement. It shows how they took initiative to gather user feedback, worked cross-functionally with the web development team, and successfully transitioned into a new career in UX/UI design.

Sample answer from a writer transitioning to a chef

My greatest achievement was making a transition to do my dream job. While working as a freelance marketing writer, I found myself consistently drawn to food content and I would offer to cook for my food-focused clients. I wanted to turn my passion for cooking into a more formal career so I began hosting pop-up dinners and completed several cooking courses to hone my skills. Over the last year I’ve built a loyal following for my pop-ups and am now 1 year into culinary school to become a chef.

This answer shows the candidate’s passion, initiative, and dedication to career growth. It highlights their proactive approach in pursuing their dream, demonstrating both commitment and adaptability.

What to avoid when describing your major accomplishments

It’s easy to get carried away talking about your proudest accomplishment. Concentrate on following the STAR method and avoid the following:

Bragging: Stick to the facts and remain humble about your achievements, no matter how impressive they are.
Indecisiveness: Choose one big accomplishment and expand on it. Don’t change your mind mid-story.
Blaming or putting others down: Criticizing others as part of your story is unprofessional, so keep it positive.

“What is your greatest accomplishment? ” is a common behavioral interview question, so be sure to practice your answer ahead of time. The more prepared you are, the better it will go.

Frequently asked questions about answering “what is your greatest achievement?”

We’ve answered a few questions about how to describe your greatest achievement in a job interview.

What if I don’t have any professional achievements?

If you don’t have any professional achievements, you can focus on personal accomplishments, relevant skills, or experiences that demonstrate your strengths. For example, you can highlight:

Academic achievements
Volunteer work or extracurricular activities
Transferable skills

By focusing on personal experiences that display qualities like leadership, problem solving, or dedication, you can still make a strong case to interviewers, even without professional achievements.

Is it okay to discuss a team achievement?

Yes, discussing a team achievement is completely acceptable. Just make sure to highlight your individual contributions to the team’s success. Explain how you collaborated with others, what specific role you played, and how your efforts impacted the outcome.

How recent should the achievement be?

Ideally, your achievement should be from the last 1-3 years, especially if it’s relevant to the role you’re applying for. However, if you have an older achievement that is highly significant or aligns well with the job requirements, it’s okay to mention it.

Should I use the same achievement for every interview?

No, it’s better to tailor your achievement to the specific role you’re interviewing for. Highlight different accomplishments that showcase skills or experiences most relevant to each position. This shows that you’ve prepared and understand what the employer is looking for.

Additional interview resources

For more help preparing for your interview, check out some of our other articles below:

Leora Joy Jones

Career Expert & Content Writer

Leora Joy Jones is a multidisciplinary creative who writes career content for job seekers. She is passionate about empowering people to invest in personal development. From recent graduates to career changers to DIY freelancers, she aims to cheerlead her readers to make informed choices. Born in the USA and raised in South Africa, Leora now lives and works in Taiwan. She has a BFA in Fine Arts, an MA in Art Curation, and over 10 years experience writing and editing words on many topics. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

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