Interview Tips: What Are Your Achievements?

By Jane Okoth

You did the hard work by ensuring that you were invited for a job interview. It is not yet over until you figure out how to nail the interview so as to be a step closer to the job.

Let us pick a common but tricky interview question and the best way to handle it; what are your achievements?

Whether you a fresh graduate or a professional with years of working experience, it is always important to have an achievement.

In this question, the interviewer wants to know what you were able to accomplish in your current or previous position.

So how do you handle the question?

The best way to go about it is to talk about something you did over and above the employer’s expectation.

Confine yourself to the job you are being interviewed for by giving an example of something you accomplished which helped the company to succeed.

Assuming you worked as an administration assistant at Xyz Company, stating that your achievements included maintaining office files will only count as a job description.

Another mistake job seekers make is counting their educational experience as an achievement.

No matter how proud you are having an MBA; it does not count as an achievement. A significant number of applicants have an MBA so possessing it is hardly going to make you stand out.

However, if you were able to accomplish something that benefited the company, that would count as an achievement.

Here is a related sample of an achievement.

During my tenure as administration assistant, i always ensured the proper running of processes which enabled other departments to operate smoothly.

Communication was a major challenge in the company. To counter this, i ensured the proper flow of communication which enabled other departments to perform better, resulting in the company making huge profits.

It is also always recommended to give figures or statements that are quantifiable and believable.

Still on the administration assistant job, we can come up with a sample achievement in terms of figures.

As an administration assistant in a local law firm, i noticed that a lot of important files were misplaced or damaged permanently because of poor storage.

I was then able to introduce and create an organized  system which enabled the company to adopt an efficient record keeping system. This resulted in the law firm having more satisfied clients.

The above two samples are perfect examples of achievements which are actually believable.

If you are able to structure your achievements in the best way possible, chances are that you will convince the interviewer to consider you.