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My Greatest Accomplishment

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Published: Mar 25, 2024

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Greatest accomplishment essay example and topic ideas.

Developing a college essay on accomplishment may seem easy on the surface, but a hard nut on the inner. Why? Most students have not developed the necessary skills and tactics needed to give such an essay a perfect look it deserves. Nevertheless, we are here to help you develop that and make your essay one of the best achievements ever made. At the end of this post, you will be more proud that Isaac Newton, who saw a mango falling from a tree.

An accomplishment essay should have the following components :

The challenge
The outcome
The significance

First things first, we will start with an accomplishment essay example, which will form the basis of our discussion. Let’s do this!

The Greatest Accomplishment Essay: How I Made it in Life “When I was growing up, I had one purpose in mind, to be my boss. Well, many may find it absurd that a young lad who barely knew all the letters of the alphabet would dream of such. As crazy as it may sound, that was my dream, and I had no intention of looking back. The same urge still burned in me ten years later. No doubt that my passion for leadership was in my DNA, and nothing could stop me from achieving it. What is success? One person defined it as the accomplishment of a purpose or an aim. We create success on our own, and this is how I made my success story. I grew up in a humble background, with my mother taking both parental roles. We lived from hand to mouth, and there are times when we would go for two or three fortnights without a meal. Being a single mother, she had to ensure that her two children were well fending for with the little that she could afford. She would take up any job position; a cleaner, a homemaker, a cook, and even one time, a garbage collector. All these were for the best of her children. Don’t think that I was blind to all these sufferings. There are times that she would take me on these jobs, and I had a first-hand experience of how difficult they were. That is where I started developing a longing for a better life. Not just for me, but my family and all the others who were going through the same ordeal. From the little pennies I collected, I began my little savings account. A bank wouldn’t accept my little coins, and so I had a metallic tin, which I dubbed, “my treasure box.” As time went by, my little treasure box began being heavy. One day I decided to open it when I counted the amount; it was kind enough to buy a few packets of sweets. I bought the first three packets, and lucky enough, all of them sold out. The urge to buy more packs of sweets developed, and within no time, I had a small kiosk. Through several ups and downs, I managed to open a small shop with not just sweets but also other essential commodities. The shop did well, and I moved to a mini-market where I would do wholesale and retail services. I eventually opened a supermarket, and that is where my fortune came. Due to the excellent progress of this supermarket, I opened another branch, and the business began expanding. From a sweet seller to the director of a supermarket with branches nationwide! That is how I became my boss by creating opportunities for people like me who did not have a source of income.”

A personal accomplishment essay is as simple as that. You do not have to hustle for the so-called “great” stories. Look for that one achievement in your life and give it your best shot.

Topic Ideas for Writing the Greatest Accomplishment Essay

Show the great strides you made in your education and the accolades you received for the same.

Describe how your interest in medicine drove you to become a doctor

How does one not achieving a specific goal contribute to his/her failure?

The Importance of Accomplishment Discuss the privileges, results, and social impact of an accomplishment

Things to Avoid in an Accomplishment Essay

A good essay on accomplishment should not:

Be of an ancient achievement
Involve a friend, family, or marriage unless the story is genuinely distinctive and has a substantial impact.

To sum up, writing one of the most significant accomplishment essays bears a couple of requirements in mind. You should critically ask yourself specific questions and, after that, reflect on the experiences that answer those questions. If you have a problem on how to do this, we have experts with years of experience who can help you navigate through.

We also offer professional wring assistance with more essay samples for your inspiration. Contact us today.

Essay About Achievements: Top 5 Examples and 6 Prompts

Are you having problems writing your essay about achievements? Then, continue reading this article for samples and prompts to guide you in your writing.

Achievement influences our expectations and self-growth. It’s also often connected with an individual’s progress in life. It gives way for recognition in attaining a goal through standards.

Achievement acknowledges successes, productiveness, and involvement. But sometimes, achieving doesn’t result in a feeling of satisfaction. Writing an achievement essay is usually based on experiences from yourself or others. You can explore different viewpoints, such as what they consider an “achievement,” how to overcome weaknesses, or why they want a specific achievement. Below are 5 examples and 6 writing prompts to assist you in your essay:

1. The Greatest Achievements In Life by Gerard Reese

2. greatest professional or academic achievement by james taylor , 3. essay on achievements from my professional life by bdoan, 4. my accomplishment by taylor wood, 5. when my weakness became my greatest accomplishment by jay merrill logan, 6 writing prompts on essay about achievements, 1. ways to achieve within different settings, 2. achievements in the small things, 3. how to build confidence, 4. the power of overcoming fear, 5. steps to be successful, 6. guide to building a strong character.

“Nobody succeeds on the first try, we take our mistakes and learn from them. Mistakes are the things that help us strive for greatness, which is why failure should not be viewed as something negative, but more as something we can use to attain [what] we want in life.”

Reese’s piece on achievement talks about learning from failure and trying again until you reach success. Time and failure are contributors to our achievements. He emphasizes that failure can be a steward and teacher to help us get where we want to be. He also provides lists of individuals who encountered crises in their lives until they reached their most successful phases.

“My father always instilled in me the importance of education. He knew very well that in order for his children to be successful he needed to set them up for success and place them in a position where we would be afforded the opportunity to succeed.”

Family significantly impacts one’s interpretation of what achievements are about. Taylor’s essay highlights the idea of what his father taught him about education and success. He mentions how he embarked through life while keeping his father’s acknowledgment of his potential in the field he has chosen. His essay shows that family shapes one’s belief about what’s considered a successful life.

“I consider the experience in Japan as a big achievement and an important step in my career. The fact that I could master the complex situation gave me much self-confidence and showed that I could manage people successfully even in difficult situations. Today, this unique ability of handling teams attributed me as a strong leader for my people.”

Bdoan’s essay focuses on past experiences and how she handled cultural differences and beliefs, leading to her successful professional life. To achieve fulfillment in work, she breaks the barrier, communicates effectively, and embraces Japanese culture, which she set as a significant setting stone in her career life.

“Through the influence of my best friend, I have motivated myself to spend two hours during the night before I go to sleep to master the lessons the teacher has discussed in class. This helped me greatly since I would no longer have to cram and study everything for the exams later.”

Wood’s essay highlights the external factors that contributed to his achievements. External factors can lead a person to success or frustration. Through a piece of great advice, he changed his lifestyle by allowing himself to move forward and build a quality life. He compares this to Newton’s First law of motion, which he quoted and put at the beginning of his essay.

“…the more I thought about my own greatest personal academic achievement, I realized it was simply getting an A in a college history class my freshman year. Succeeding in this upper-level history class set the tone for all my future college courses and gave me the confidence I needed to achieve greatness, and I am not even a history major.”

Logan talks about his worst subject, History. He recounts how he approached his professor and overcame his weakness. This essay points out that words from others can influence self-growth and confidence. He says he developed faith in his study during college and attained his most outstanding accomplishment.

Are you having problems connecting your ideas smoothly? See this guide on transition words for essays.

After reading through the samples above, it’s time to explore your desired achievement subjects. Here are six prompts about achievements you can use:

Everyone sets expectations for themselves, dependent on the environment they’re in. It can be at work, school, or home. In these cases, the result is just as important as the process.

You can focus your essay on a relatable viewpoint, such as a student who wants to get A+ grades or an office worker who wants to get the Employee of the Month Award. Discuss ways they can excel in their surroundings. Your essay will serve as a guide to help them grow personally and professionally.

Achievements don’t need to be grand. Sometimes, simply getting out of bed is an achievement, especially for those suffering from mental illnesses such as depression. Center your essay on the simple things that can be considered achievements in their way.

Your essay will not only serve as a reminder that it’s essential to appreciate the small things. It will also comfort those who are going through a hard time.

This topic asks you to highlight the relationship between confidence and achievements. You can interview someone confident in themselves. Ask for tips on building confidence and relay them to your readers while explaining the opportunities they can get by believing in themselves more.

In this busy world, fear is one of the most significant setbacks for people in accomplishing their goals in life. In this essay, you can explain to your readers how acknowledging their fears will help them advance.

You can also conceptualize the effect of anxiety in achieving your desires and help you set your standard in developing self-growth. Feel free to share your experience with fears and how you plan to deal with them.

To be successful is everyone’s goal. However, sharing steps and tips on how to achieve success is general prompt many writes about. To make your piece stand out, you can tailor it to a group of individuals. For example, a student’s image of success is going on stage and graduating with honors.

Essay About Achievements: Guide to building a strong character

Someone’s character is critical to achieving achievements. You can write about a well-known individual who went against the usual route of how success is reached. Such as Steve Jobs, who founded Apple but was a college dropout.

There are many ways to reach a goal. Tell your readers that they don’t need to follow the conventional method of accomplishing things to get their hands on the achievements they crave.

Do you want to be more confident with your writing? Here are 11 essay writing tips you need to learn today!

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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Free My Greatest Accomplishment Essay Example

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Family , English , Parents , Father , Proud , Learning , Learning English , Man

Words: 1000

Published: 03/30/2023

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As a person from Saudi Arabia, I never learned English. Recently, however, I graduated from the English Language Program (ELP), which was part of the curriculum at the University of Dammam. Learning the English language was one of my dreams, and I felt so fortunate and grateful for the opportunity to finally learn English. Not only is learning English important for academic achievement, but it fulfilled a personal goal of mine, one that I will never forget. The school arranged an excellent event, and my parents flew to North Florida to attend my graduation ceremony. It filled me with tears of joy to graduate from the program, and my parents were very proud of me. At the graduation ceremony, I could see my father nearly cry for his son, as I walked on the stage to accept my degree. Finally, after years of work, I had accomplished what I thought was impossible, at one point in my young life. Thus far, learning English is one of the most significant accomplishments of my life. In addition, I had never seen my father cry. Although he did not show his tears to me, I could tell that he was very proud of his son the day I completed the ELP. In the past, I wondered why my father rarely expressed his emotions towards me. However, fathers are usually not direct or emotional with their children. To me, my father is a great man, but he never went out of his way to tell me how proud of me he was during my childhood. However, on this special day in North Florida, my father cried, but also told me that all of the family was very proud of me, including him. Learning English was a challenging endeavor, and it was painstaking. Receiving the ELP meant a lot to me because it capped off my high school career. In a certain way, it made me a man. To come to the United States, live on my own, and learn a great universal language made me feel independent. Moreover, this accomplishment made me feel as if I could accomplish anything in my future. Thus, I feel that this process, and graduation ceremony, gave me a type of confidence in myself that I never thought I could attain. Nonetheless, as I accepted my diploma on that very hot and humid day, I looked out at the crowd, and saw my mother taking pictures of me, but I also noticed my father nearly in tears. This event was as important to him as it was to myself. My stern father seemed like a child on that fateful day. Finally, I knew that he was very proud of something that I had accomplished. I want to clarify that English is a very difficult language. From my experience, I have learned that most English speakers consider Chinese or Arabic to be the most difficult languages to learn. As a native Arabic speaker, I soon discovered that English was very difficult to learn. I can only imagine how difficult English will be to master, over time. For me, the reason that English is so challenging is writing. Writing can be extremely arduous because the grammatical rule of English are inconsistent. Also, there are no stable rules for spelling a lot of words. For example, although the “c” is receive sounds like an “s”, the “c” is school sounds like a “k”. This is a minor example, but Arabic is very consistent, and Arabic is really an easier language to master than most people think. In addition, English has a lot of slang terms, and in writing, many slang terms are unacceptable. They are usually called colloquialisms in English academic writing, However, many times, it is difficult to know the difference between slang, and more formal academic tones when writing an essay – such as this one. Moreover, almost everyone speaks English differently. Therefore, understanding each person’s dialect can be very challenging. When I first learned how to converse with others, I found this to be one of the most difficult aspects of verbal communication. However, as challenging as learning English was, it was just as challenging to view my father in anew light. Suddenly, my stern, strict father became different. My father may have always been a compassionate man, but he did a very good job of hiding his true emotions – especially about his family – just below the surface. As I mentioned, I never saw my father express much emotion, especially joy, until that very special day, the day I could officially say I graduated. The ceremony was also beautiful. Afterward, I recall my father coming up to me, and he even spoke to me in English! He told me that I am a great son, and that he loves me more than English words can say. Then, he hugged me. I was about to cry myself, but I held back my tears of joy. My father had become a softer, more gentle man on that day. Thus, learning English was a major accomplishment in my life. In addition, by learning English, I also developed a stronger, more authentic relationship with my parents, especially my father. For one of the few times in my life, I saw my father show that he is not only humble, but he can show pride in his son’s accomplishments as well. My father is a hard-working man, and I want to be a hard-working man as well. I learned a great deal during the entire experience in North Florida. I learned independence, English, and I learned how much my father loved me, and that manhood is defined differently by various cultures. Thus, not only was my father proud of me, but I was proud of him. I was so proud of my farther because he let hi guard down, and showed his emotional side, his genuine love for his children,

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What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment? [3 Proven Answers]

‘ What is your greatest accomplishment? ’ is one of the most challenging and common questions you can expect during a job interview.

Your answer says A LOT about you as a candidate.

And oftentimes, the question can distinguish the ‘ perfect ’ candidate from an ‘ OK ’ one.

Wondering how to answer the question modestly (while at the same time, showing off how awesome you are)?

Why interviewers ask the “What is your greatest achievement?” job interview question
How to reply with the perfect answer using the STAR method
3+ “What is your greatest achievement” sample answers

Let’s begin!

Why Interviewers Ask “What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?”

Let’s start with the basics: what’s the point of this job interview question?

When asking this question, the interviewer wants to learn 3 things:

If you’re down to earth . If you brag endlessly about your accomplishment (especially if the achievements aren’t that impressive), the interviewer will think that you’re not the most pleasant person to work with.
What YOU think is success, and how you associate it with your job and career. If you’re applying for a job as an accountant and your greatest achievement is baking the best cake ever at your office party, you’re not making the cut.
If you’re success-oriented and if you’ve gone above and beyond in your work. E.g. If your greatest accomplishment is that you were always on time and left work on the dot at 5 pm, you’re not it. That’s not an achievement - that’s a minimum job requirement.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about how to answer this question.

How to Pick the Perfect Answer with the STAR Method

“What’s your greatest accomplishment?” is a behavioral job interview question.

What that means is, the interviewer wants to understand your past performance, and how you handle specific situations (for example, under pressure).

To answer just about any behavioral job interview question right, we recommend using the STAR method .

The main idea here behind the STAR method is that every answer should cover the following topics:

(S) Situation - Describe the situation and the context in which the event took place.
(T) Task - Talk about the tasks you had to complete (i.e. your challenge or responsibility).
(A) Action - Explain the actions you took to address the above-mentioned challenges or responsibilities.
(R) Results - Explain the kind of results you achieved. When describing the outcome, if possible, mention numbers and quantifiable facts. E.g. “Improved cold lead response time by 20%” VS “Improved sales.”

Now, let’s take a well-written behavioral job interview answer using the STAR method

Behavioral Interview Question:

“What is a professional achievement you’re most proud of?”

Sample Answer:

S ituation - “Well, my last role was as a manager at a seasonal restaurant in Nantucket. Out of the 4 months I spent there, 3 of them were a total nightmare. The restaurant was completely packed 90%+ of the time, and we barely had any breathing room.”

T ask – “We had to be very efficient at work to make sure that we wouldn’t get overwhelmed.”

A ction - “The most important part of making this work was being proactive. If we had just rolled with the punches and focused on putting out fires, the whole thing would’ve turned into a mess real fast. At the beginning of the summer, I created a very strict shift schedule, which we adhered to 100%. I also started a reward system - if someone called in sick, you’d get rewarded if you filled in for them. In case no one was available, I personally filled in for them.”

R esults - “Overall, the summer went pretty well with minimal incidents. 99%+ of the customers were happy, and we didn’t receive a single bad review.“

See what’s done right?

The whole story follows the STAR method down to the T.

It uses numbers and data to describe the context and shows relevance .

Now, your answer is obviously going to vary depending on your background and where you are in your career right now.

So, to help you learn how to answer behavioral job interview questions better, we’re going to cover 3 more examples and sample answers below:

Greatest achievement sample answer for mid-level professionals
Greatest achievement sample answer for fresh graduates
Greatest achievement sample answer for the service industry

So, read on!

Other common behavioral interview questions include:

Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working in a team. What happened and how did you handle it?
Have you ever failed to meet a client’s expectations? What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?
Tell me about a time where you set a specific goal for yourself. How did you ensure that you would meet your objective?

Check out even more common interview questions, and sample answers here: 35+ Common Interview Questions and Answers .

3+ ‘What’s Your Greatest accomplishment’ Sample Answers

Are you a mid-level professional in your field?

Your answer could look something like the following:

“What is Your Greatest Accomplishment” Sample Answer for Mid-Level Professionals

S ituation - “I think my greatest accomplishment was during my last job as an HR administrator. The hiring department had difficulty locating specific files and managing documents, especially during busy periods, and this ate up too much time.”

T ask – “So, I thought there was room for improvement with employee file management. I wanted to increase productivity and efficiency, and in the end, save time spent on looking for documents.”

A ction - “I decided to take initiative and implement a new team HR document management software. One that could also centralize file management within the department, streamline onboarding, and also help with other small tasks (like bulk document importing, automated backfile conversions and so on).”

R esults - “In the end, our timesheets indicated that the time spent looking for files and documents had been reduced by 5-10 hours. There was no more lag-time between sharing documents with HR, Payroll, and supervisors. Each team or individual could instantly access the files they needed in one HR filing system, and increase their overall productivity.”

This answer is good because it:

Shows relevance to the specific workplace.
Shows resourcefulness, teamwork, and leadership qualities.
Shows how the project was successful in the end.

Are you wondering what are some other accomplishments you can mention during your interview? Check out our full guide on achievements here: 100+ Achievements to Write in Your Resume [2024 Examples]

“What is Your Greatest accomplishment” Sample Answer for Fresh Graduates

Recently graduated college with not much work experience to speak of?

Let’s take a look at another sample answer.

S ituation - “Well, as a recent graduate of XYZ University, I think my greatest achievement was what I managed to accomplish during my time there. My scholarship only covered half of the tuition, and my family was unable to support me financially. I also wanted to gain some work experience during my time there, so that I could start working directly after graduating.”

T ask - “So, I learned early on that I had to manage my time down to the hour in order to be efficient and on top of everything.”

A ction - “Through hard work and dedication, I managed to balance studying, working part-time, and even volunteering to gain some experience. It was tiring at times, but I scheduled pretty much everything I had to do in my personal calendar. I needed to know my list of tasks, when each was due, and how long they would take. This way, I never missed a deadline, assignment or any other responsibility.”

R esults - “In the end, I graduated with a GPA of 3.8, almost no student loans, and also interned as the university social media assistant during my last 2 semesters. There, I also learned a lot about marketing, how to communicate with our followers, and managed to organize the biggest university event where up to 300 students showed up.”

Here’s what’s done right:

Sets the scene and what the challenge was straightaway.
It’s relevant to a fresh graduate who might not have a lot of work experience .
Says a lot about the candidate’s values (i.e. education, discipline, etc.).

Wondering what a job-winning resume might look like as a recent graduate? Check out our full guide on the topic here: Student & Graduate Resume Guide & Sample [Plus 10 Skills for Savvy Job-hunters]

“What is Your Greatest accomplishment” Sample Answer for the Service Industry

Work in the service industry?

Here’s what your greatest achievement might sound like.

S ituation - “My biggest achievement was during my internship as a customer support representative at Company X. I was the first custom support intern there, so I didn’t have a lot to go off of and had to learn a lot by myself. A lot of it was fast-paced too, and at first, I wasn’t even sure if I was doing things right.”

T ask - “I felt out of place and I had to think fast if I wanted to move up in the company. I wanted to improve, and a lot of the other employees were often too busy to help me out. So, I didn’t really have a lot of instructions…”

A ction - “I decided to start learning as much as I could about our product (a social media automation tool) by talking with the other employees when I could, and reading up on everything I could get my hands on that was related to the product. After a while, I started noticing a trend with the questions I was getting from our customers. First, I decided to create a document of the Frequently Asked Questions I was getting, for personal use. This saved me a lot of time, and eventually, the document got repurposed to its own web page. Over the following year, I got promoted to the Customer Support Team Lead, and helped with scaling up the overall customer service efforts (consulted with hiring, training new reps, communicating issues and questions with the product, and so on).

R esults - “In the end, we managed to decrease the average monthly ticket count by around 25%.

Looking for a job-winning customer service resume you could use as inspiration? Read the full guide here: Customer Service Resume - Examples & Guide

Key Takeaways

So, let’s recap.

“ What’s your greatest accomplishment? ” might sound like an awfully complicated question.

But it’s not.

It’s the perfect example of a behavioral job interview question , and as a refresher, here’s what you need to know when answering:

When asking this question, the HR manager wants to learn about your professional and personal sides. The perfect answer here can set the ‘perfect’ candidate apart from an “ OK ” one.
Interviewers look for insights and examples from your answer. There’s a difference between taking pride in your work and bragging about your achievements. So, make sure to use examples and describe your thought process when answering.
Make sure you sound down to earth , and think how your reply reflects your approach to success and working hard .
To structure your answer, we recommend using the STAR METHOD . Ideally, your answer should include the following topics: S - Situation, T - Task, A - Action, R - Results.
And finally, if you’re looking for inspiration , you can always consult the examples above to see what good answers look like.

Looking for more ways to prepare for your job interview? Be sure to check out our career blog for more actionable guides and the latest job-hunt tips and tricks.

We've got a lot more example answers for the most common interview questions:

35+ Interview Questions and Answers [Full List]
21+ Behavioral Interview Questions
19+ STAR Interview Questions - Complete List
10+ Situational Interview Questions & Answers [Complete List]
Why Do You Want to Work Here?
Why Should We Hire You?
Tell Me About Yourself
Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?
What Are Your Career Goals?
What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?
What Is Your Greatest Strength?

If you want to read up on interview tips instead, check out our in-depth guides here and ace your next interview:

Video Interview Tips
Phone Interview Questions & Tips
26+ Biggest Interview Mistakes
How to Ace Interviews with the STAR Method
Thank You Email After Interview

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August 8, 2022

Writing a Powerful Leadership/Achievement Essay [Sample Essay]

Essays that ask you to write about significant achievements fall under the category of

what are known as behavioral or experiential questions . The basic assumption behind these questions is that past behavior is a great predictor of future behavior . They are all varieties on the theme of “Tell us about a time when you…” These questions are meant to take the measure of your managerial potential.

Let’s look at how one candidate effectively addressed this essay question from Stanford GSB (*this question is not from the current application):

Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.

This writer avoids writing about leadership in any generic way and zeroes in on the specific aspects of his contributions and their impact:

Leadership essay example: The Change Agent

When I was invited to become the Vice President and General Manager at Third Way Associates (TWA)* two years ago, the company was in financial and administrative disorder. Employee retention was poor, and TWA took too long to pay vendors because of poor communication and accounting processes. Cash flow was managed based on immediate needs rather than by the logic of budgets planned by project and city. Sloppy expense reports that were turned in with no receipts were reimbursed to employees.

TWA founders Scott W ____ and Glenn L ____ had good intentions, but spent most of their time selling sponsorships and getting new clients rather than directing and managing the company. As we begin 20XX, TWA is much healthier in every way. Under my direction, vendors are paid in an average of 20 days from date of invoice, instead of 60 days or more. Our cash flow is better administered since I introduced very specific detailed area budgets with over 125 budget lines per city. Because I can give the company founders much better stability and macromanagement vision, the three of us are able to look more to the future rather than simply put out fires.

Despite the difficult economy in 20XX, we not only retained our same clients but also signed several new client agreements for three years or more, including a two-year contract with Big Shoe Company worth $1.3 million. I’ve brought fresh accounts and industries into TWA, including ____ Airlines and Drink Y, among others. Combined, these accounts generated more than $500,000 in 20XX, and we estimate close to $1 million dollars in the following year.

Since my arrival, we have a much wider and broader sales menu which has been crucial to generate more revenue. I’ve expanded our most popular sports events to 25 cities, giving our clients new investment opportunities. These events range from recreational soccer clinic tours to professional soccer games broadcast on TV.

I also expanded our field staff, and at present we have 25 strong and reliable managers who report directly to me from each city. Despite the economy, 20XX was not a bad year for TWA, and this year promises to be even better if we continue our current strategy and continue to work as a team.

Leadership essay analysis

In every paragraph, this writer mentions concrete measures he took to introduce order to a chaotic company that was trying to grow. From instituting budgets with line items, an improved accounts payable system, and recruiting additional big-name accounts, the writer proves how his efforts strengthened the organization.

How can you maximize on your thought leadership experiences?

As you choose among your own experiences as essay material, think about these questions to help you frame answers of substance:

What was the obstacle, challenge, or problem that you solved in this accomplishment? A tight client deadline? A complex merger transaction? A new product launch amidst fierce competition?
What did you do to rise to the challenge you are writing about? Motivate your team to work overtime? Sell senior management on the deal’s long-term upside? Identify a marketing profile for your product that no competitor can match?
What facts demonstrate that your intervention created a happy ending? Did your team submit the project deliverables three days early despite being 20% understaffed? Your client approved the $500 million merger, the largest ever in its industry? Your new product has 20% market share after only one year? What was the impact of your leadership?

Don’t forget about your people leadership skills

What we’ve spoken about until this point revolves mostly on skilled problem-solving, or “thought leadership.” But respected businesspeople need to be equally or even more talented at something we didn’t have a formal name for: people leadership. By effectively leading the thinking of client firms’ problems as well as motivating them to work long hours to develop solutions to these problems and collaborate with clients on implementing them, these businesspeople prove to have what it takes to be exemplary leaders.

So don’t forget to include strong elements of people leadership in your essays. Here are several to keep in mind:

Rallying others around a vision. Did you convince your team or group to follow a specific path/solution? How did you do it? Successful clients have talked about handling dissenting opinions diplomatically or presenting their teams’ detailed quantitative evidence for a recommendation. The more you can show that you understood your audience and tailored the content and form of your message to them, the better.
Harnessing others’ strengths – and expanding them. Did you provide team members tasks they could handle comfortably based on their capabilities, as well as opportunities to broaden their skills? For example, you may have handed your quant jock teammate the most complicated operations analysis as well as responsibility for leading a key client meeting. In this way, you leverage teammates’ strengths while helping them develop new ones.
Getting through tough times. Did you model for your team enviable cool in pressure-cooker situations, maybe helping them keep the big-picture goal in mind or lightening the mood with humor? Did you reward teammates with praise, pizza, or both for working long into the night? Did you pitch in on others’ responsibilities as deadlines loomed? Helping your team handle stress while managing your own is a cornerstone of strong leadership.

Use your words

Another tip: Look for opportunities to incorporate strong verbs that illustrate your strengths in these areas. Good examples of leadership might incorporate several of the following:

Establishing a goal or vision
Obtaining buy-in
Taking responsibility

The old adage, “Show, don’t tell,” remains a classic bit of wisdom in the writing process. Make that a guiding principle not only in your leadership/achievement essays, but throughout your application.

For personalized advice tailored just for you, check out our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing services and work one-on-one with a pro who will help you discover your competitive advantage and use it to get accepted.

Download Leadership in Admissions today!

Related Resources:

• School-Specific MBA Application Essay Tips • Tone Up Your Writing: Confidence vs Arrogance • “I’m Smart, Really I Am!” Proving Character Traits in Your Essays

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“What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” Top Sample Answers

By Status.net Editorial Team on July 18, 2023 — 18 minutes to read

How to Structure Your Answer Part 1
Sharing Your Successes Part 2
“What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” Example Answers Part 3
Example Answers by Career Stage Part 4
Showcasing Soft Skills Part 5
How to Avoid Common Mistakes Part 6
“Can you share an example of a personal goal you achieved?” Part 7
“How did you overcome a major challenge?” Part 8
“What was your role in a significant project?” Part 9
“What was a difficult problem you solved at work?” Part 10
“How have you contributed to the growth of a company?” Part 11
“What is a unique skill or expertise you have…?” Part 12

Part 1 How to Structure Your Answer

When asked about your greatest achievement in a job interview, it’s important to understand what the interviewer is looking for in your answer. This question is an opportunity for you to showcase your skills, accomplishments, and qualities that make you an excellent candidate for the position. It’s essential to provide an answer that highlights your best abilities, preferably one related to the job for which you’re interviewing.

To answer this question effectively, you should select an example of an accomplishment that demonstrates your capabilities, your ability to overcome challenges, and your dedication to your work. Be sure to explain the situation, the actions you took, and the positive results of your achievement. It’s also essential to express how this achievement has contributed to your personal growth or career development.

The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) is a helpful way to organize your response:

Begin by describing the situation you faced, providing enough context for the listener to understand your initial challenge. Be specific about the circumstances and the environment, whether it was a demanding project at your previous job or a personal milestone.
Next, explain the task you had to accomplish. Tie this to your job description or responsibilities when possible, making sure to highlight the relevance of this accomplishment to the role you’re interviewing for. Keeping the focus on your past will help demonstrate that you have a history of success.
After setting the stage, move on to the action you took and the steps you followed to overcome the challenge. Be specific, as this shows your problem-solving abilities and thought process. Take this opportunity to emphasize the qualities that enabled you to achieve this outcome, like perseverance, creativity, and teamwork.
Finally, detail the results of your actions. Use specific numbers or quantifiable achievements to illustrate the impact of your success. Showcase how your accomplishment positively affected your team, organization, or even yourself personally. This will emphasize your ability to make a meaningful difference through your efforts.

By employing the STAR method, you’ll effectively highlight your greatest professional accomplishment in a way that showcases your strengths and adds credibility to your application.

Remember that your greatest achievement doesn’t have to be world-changing – it just needs to showcase your own growth and abilities.

Part 2 Sharing Your Successes

When asked about your greatest achievement, it’s important to share a success story that highlights your relevant skills, experience, and qualities. Consider a recent achievement that showcases your abilities as a candidate and relates to the job description you’re applying for.

For instance, if you’re applying for a team lead role, you could talk about how you guided your team through a tough project. Describe the challenges you faced, the strategies you employed, and the results you achieved. Make sure to emphasize the teamwork and leadership skills you developed along the way.

In case you have a strong educational background or an impressive feat in your field, don’t hesitate to mention it. Your academic accomplishments are worth noting, especially if they align with the strengths required for the job you’re pursuing.

Always try to demonstrate how your achievements translate into potential value for your prospective employer. To do so, relate your successes to the job description and show how your skills and experience make you the ideal candidate. This proves your capability to handle tasks and challenges with confidence and expertise.

While sharing your successes, try to remain clear, knowledgeable, and neutral in your tone. Avoid making exaggerated or false claims and keep it brief by focusing on the essential aspects of your achievement.

Part 3 “What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” Example Answers

“My greatest achievement was completing a challenging project ahead of schedule while working as a project manager. I organized and motivated my team, resulting in a successful and timely project completion. This accomplishment showed my ability to lead and manage a team under tight deadlines.”

“In my previous role as a marketing coordinator, I increased social media engagement by 40% within six months. Through strategic planning and constant analysis of our campaigns, I was able to boost our brand and effectively engage with our target audience.”

“As a sales representative, my greatest achievement was consistently exceeding my sales targets for three consecutive quarters, resulting in a promotion and a recognition award from my company. I believe my dedication to understanding clients’ needs and my proactive approach to problem-solving helped me achieve this success.”

“One of my greatest achievements was completing a marathon. This was a personal goal of mine that required months of training and dedication. I had to push myself physically and mentally to cross the finish line, but the feeling of accomplishment was indescribable. It taught me the importance of setting goals and working hard to achieve them.”

“My greatest achievement was starting my own business. It was a risky move, but I had a vision and was determined to make it a reality. I had to navigate through various challenges, such as securing funding and building a customer base, but the hard work paid off. Seeing my business grow and thrive was incredibly fulfilling.”

“One of my greatest achievements was when I successfully led a team of X members to complete a project that had been delayed for months. I created a detailed plan and delegated tasks based on each team member’s strengths. I also held regular meetings to ensure everyone was on the same page and motivated to complete the project. As a result, we were able to finish the project on time and within budget, which impressed both our clients and our manager.”

“My greatest achievement was volunteering for a humanitarian organization. I spent several months working in a developing country, helping to build infrastructure and improve the lives of local communities. It was a challenging experience, but also incredibly eye-opening. Being able to make a positive impact on people’s lives was a humbling and rewarding experience that I will never forget.”

“One of my proudest achievements was when I organized a charity event that raised over X amount of dollars for a local nonprofit organization. I worked tirelessly to reach out to potential sponsors, coordinate volunteers, and promote the event through social media and other channels. It was a rewarding experience to see the community come together and support a great cause, and I learned a lot about leadership, communication, and event planning in the process.”

“My greatest achievement was writing and publishing a book. It was a project that I had been working on for years, and finally seeing it in print was a dream come true. The process required a lot of discipline and perseverance, but it was worth it in the end. Being able to share my ideas and stories with others was a rewarding experience.”

“I consider my greatest achievement to be when I was able to increase sales by X% in my previous role. I accomplished this by analyzing customer data to identify areas of improvement, developing new marketing strategies, and training the sales team on effective communication and customer service. I also maintained strong relationships with key clients and followed up on their feedback to continuously improve our products and services.”

Part 4 Example Answers by Career Stage

Entry-level sample answer.

As an entry-level job seeker, your greatest achievement might be related to your academics or internships:

“During my final year of college, I led a team of students for our capstone project, which focused on creating a marketing campaign for a local non-profit. Our campaign resulted in a 20% increase in donations for the organization. This experience allowed me to develop my communication skills and demonstrated my ability to create a real-world impact.”

Mid-Career Sample Answer

At the mid-career stage, your greatest accomplishments likely center around your work experience and professional development:

“One of my proudest moments was when I was promoted to Team Lead after just one year at my current company. This was a recognition of my hard work and dedication, and it gave me the opportunity to mentor and support the career growth of the junior members of our team. This role has reinforced my passion for helping others succeed and has driven me to continuously improve my leadership skills.”

Experienced Professional Sample Answer

As an experienced professional, your greatest achievement often showcases your significant contributions to the success of your organization:

“In my previous role as Project Manager, I successfully led a team to complete a high-visibility project under tight deadlines and within budget. This project helped the company secure a prestigious new client, resulting in a significant increase in annual revenue. My ability to coordinate a diverse team, prioritize tasks, and communicate effectively with stakeholders was crucial to the project’s success.”

Part 5 Showcasing Soft Skills

When discussing your greatest achievement, it’s important to highlight your soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and creativity. These skills are often highly valued by hiring managers and can help you stand out as a job candidate.

Communication Skills: Think of an accomplishment where your communication skills played a key role. For example, perhaps you successfully negotiated a deal between two disagreeing parties or presented a complicated project in an easily digestible manner to a diverse audience.

Teamwork: Reflect on a time when you collaborated well within a group to achieve a shared objective. You might have led a team in completing a project on time and under budget, or resolved conflicts among team members to achieve a common goal. Showcasing your ability to work in a team environment can highlight how well you’ll fit into the company’s culture.

Creativity: You can highlight your creativity by describing an achievement that required innovative thinking or problem-solving. This could be a marketing campaign that generated significant results due to its unconventional approach or a solution you developed to improve a process within your organization.

Related: What Are Soft Skills? (and How to Showcase Them)

Part 6 How to Avoid Common Mistakes

Keep in mind these tips to avoid common mistakes:

Avoid lying about or exaggerating your achievements. Recruiters can usually spot false claims, which will damage your credibility. Instead, focus on being genuine and authentic in sharing your accomplishments. Using specific details and examples will help convey your achievements in a more meaningful way.
Avoid coming across as arrogant or bragging about your success. Instead, express your pride and gratitude for the opportunity you were given to achieve your goals. Keep a humble and realistic attitude when discussing your accomplishments.
On the other hand, don’t downplay your achievements by only talking about your greatest strength. While your strengths may be related to your accomplishments, focus on providing a well-rounded view of your overall success.
Avoid focusing only on personal successes. Remember that recruiters seek candidates who can contribute to the success of the company. Emphasize how your achievements have benefited others, such as your team, clients, or the organization you were working for.
Ensure that you are well-prepared for the interview, as stress and nerves can cause you to lose focus and become less articulate. Take the time to thoroughly research the company and reflect on your professional experiences, so you feel ready to discuss your achievements.

Tips on Preparation

Before the interview, research the organization’s mission, culture, and goals. This will allow you to tailor your response to align with the company’s values. It’s essential to understand what hiring managers are looking for in an ideal candidate.

Create a list of potential achievements and practice talking about them. This will make it easier for you to recall the details during the interview. However, be careful not to memorize your responses word-for-word, because you want your answer to sound natural and genuine.

When sharing your achievement, keep the focus on the positive impact you made and the outcomes you achieved. However, don’t forget to mention any challenges you faced and how you overcame them. This will help you come across as resilient and determined.

Try to acknowledge any team effort involved in your accomplishment. While you want to highlight your role, it’s essential to show that you are a team player and can collaborate well with others.

Confidence is key when discussing your greatest achievement. Speak with conviction and pride, communicating the significance of your accomplishment and its relevance to your potential performance in the role.

Additional Questions: Example Answers

Part 7 “can you share an example of a personal goal you achieved”.

When discussing your personal goal, explain your motivation for setting it, the steps you took to reach it, and any obstacles you faced along the way. This will demonstrate your ability to set ambitious targets and work diligently to achieve them.

Reflect on a time where you set a goal for yourself and successfully achieved it. It could be an educational milestone, physical fitness achievement, or a creative pursuit.

Example Answer 1

“One personal goal I achieved was learning a new language. I had always been interested in learning Spanish, so I enrolled in a language course and practiced speaking with native speakers. I also watched Spanish movies and listened to Spanish music to immerse myself in the language. After several months, I was able to have conversations in Spanish and even travelled to a Spanish-speaking country to practice my skills.”

Example Answer 2

“One personal goal I achieved was completing a volunteer project to renovate a community center. While I was the project leader, I was grateful to have a dedicated team of volunteers who worked tirelessly to complete the project on time. We faced several challenges, such as limited resources and unforeseen construction issues, but we worked together to overcome them. Through our efforts, we were able to provide a safe and welcoming space for members of the community to gather and participate in activities.”

Part 8 “How did you overcome a major challenge and achieve success?”

Give a brief overview of the challenge you faced: explain the context and why it was a challenge.
Next, describe the steps you took to overcome the challenge. Be specific and highlight any innovative or creative approaches you used.
Finally, explain how you were successful in overcoming the challenge. Describe the positive outcome and any lessons you learned from the experience.

“One major challenge I faced was during my previous job, where I was leading a team that was struggling to meet its targets. I realized that the team lacked clear communication and direction, so I took the initiative to schedule regular team meetings to discuss our progress and identify areas of improvement. I also provided individual coaching to team members who were struggling. Through these efforts, we were able to improve our performance and meet our targets.”

“One major challenge I faced was during my college years when I struggled with time management and procrastination. I realized that I needed to develop better habits and discipline to succeed, so I started using a planner to schedule my tasks and set daily goals. I also joined a study group to stay accountable and motivated. Through these efforts, I was able to improve my grades and graduate with honors.”

Part 9 “What was your role in a significant project or accomplishment?”

Your role in a significant project could vary depending on your experience, skills, and the nature of the project itself. Consider a time where you successfully managed a project, led a team, or played a crucial part in developing a new product or service. Describe your specific responsibilities in that role, the challenges you faced, and how your actions ultimately contributed to the project’s success.

“In a previous job, I was part of a team that was responsible for implementing a new customer service program. My role was to lead the training and development efforts. I developed training modules and provided ongoing coaching to customer service representatives to ensure that they were equipped to provide excellent service to our customers. I also worked closely with the IT team to develop a new customer service platform that streamlined our processes. Through these efforts, we were able to improve customer satisfaction ratings and reduce customer complaints.”

“In a previous job, I was part of a team that was responsible for organizing a charity event. My role was to lead the marketing and outreach efforts. I developed a social media campaign and reached out to local media outlets to promote the event. As a result, we were able to attract a record number of attendees and raise a significant amount of funds for the charity.”

Part 10 “What was a difficult problem you solved at work and how did you do it?”

This answer can be an opportunity to showcase your analytical and problem-solving skills. Think about a situation where you identified a difficult issue, analyzed its root cause, and implemented an effective solution. Related: What is Problem Solving? (Steps, Techniques, Examples)

Describe the problem, the steps you took to analyze it, and the methods you used to solve it. Highlight how your solution improved the situation or resulted in a positive outcome for your team or company.

“One difficult problem I solved was a technical issue that was affecting our company’s website. I worked with the IT team to identify the root cause of the issue and develop a plan to resolve it. I also communicated regularly with stakeholders to provide updates on the status of the issue and manage their expectations. Through our efforts, we were able to resolve the issue and minimize the impact on our customers.”

“One difficult problem I solved was a conflict between two team members who had different work styles and personalities. I facilitated a meeting between the two and encouraged them to share their perspectives and concerns. I then worked with them to develop a communication plan and set clear expectations for their roles and responsibilities. We were able to resolve the conflict and improve collaboration within the team.”

Related: How to Manage Conflict in the Workplace [with Examples]

Part 11 “How have you contributed to the growth of a team or company?”

Contributing to the growth of a team or company can take many forms, from increasing sales to improving internal processes. Reflect on specific actions you took that had a measurable impact on an organization’s development.

Mention the context in which you made these contributions and the outcomes that resulted from your actions. Did you help secure a crucial client, streamline a process, or mentor junior team members? Show how your skills and expertise played a role in the company’s growth.

“In a previous job, I contributed to the growth of the company by developing a new sales strategy. I identified areas where we could improve our sales processes and developed a plan to implement changes, such as introducing new sales incentives and improving our customer relationship management system. I also worked closely with the sales team to provide training and coaching to improve their performance. We were able to increase our sales revenue and improve our market share.”

“In a previous job, I contributed to the growth of the company by implementing a sustainability program. I identified areas where we could reduce our environmental impact, such as reducing energy consumption and waste. I then developed a plan and worked with the facilities team to implement changes, such as installing energy-efficient lighting and composting food waste. Through these efforts, we were able to reduce our environmental footprint and improve our reputation as a socially responsible company.”

Part 12 “What is a unique skill or expertise you have that contributed to an achievement?”

Everyone has unique skills or expertise that can contribute to their accomplishments. Consider the specific abilities that have allowed you to excel in your field or achieve noteworthy successes.

Examples could include a specialized knowledge or proficiency in a specific technology, a talent for building relationships with clients, or strong presentation skills that have helped you win over stakeholders. Describe a situation where your unique skill played a vital role in achieving a desired outcome.

“One unique skill I have is my ability to adapt to change and learn quickly. In a previous job, I used this skill to transition to a new role that involved working with a new technology platform. I spent time learning the platform and working with the development team to identify areas where we could improve its functionality. As a result, we were able to improve the user experience and increase adoption of the platform, which had a positive impact on the company’s productivity.”

“One unique skill I have is my ability to think creatively and outside the box. In a previous job, I used this skill to develop a new product line. I researched market trends and identified a gap in the market for a specific type of product. I then worked with the design team to develop a unique and innovative product that met the needs of our target audience. Through these efforts, we were able to launch a successful product line and increase our market share.”

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How To Answer “What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?” (With Example Answers)

How To Answer Tell Me About Yourself?
Elevator Pitch
Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?
What Are Your Career Goals?
When Can You Start?
How Do You Define Success?
Describe Your Work Ethic
Where Are Your Current Duties?
What Are Your Learning Goals?
Intrinsic Vs Extrinsic Motivation
What Is Your Desired Salary?
What Makes You Unique?
Why Are You The Best Person For This Job?
Reasons For Termination
What Are Your Work Values
How To Make A Hard Decision?
What Are You Most Proud Of?
Personal Code Of Ethics
Problem Solving Interview Questions
Taking Initiative Example
How Do You Prioritize Your Work
Explain Gaps In Employment
Most Rewarding College Experience
What Is Your Work Style
Tell Me About A Time When You Made A Mistake On The Job
Tell Me About Gaps In Employment
What Are You Passionate About
What Skills Would You Bring To The Job
Who Is Your Mentor?
How To Answer Tell Me About A Time You Disagreed With Your Boss
How To Answer Common Screening Questions
How Do You Handle Stress
Are You Willing To Travel?
Do You Work Well With Others?
Why Do You Want To Work Here?
What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
Where Else Are You Interviewing?
Tell Me About A Time You Failed
How Do You Like To Be Managed?
Do You Have Any Questions For Me?
What Gets You Up In The Morning?
What Do You Know About Our Company?
What Is Your Greatest Strength?
What Is Your Dream Job?
What Is Your Ideal Work Environment?
Why Are You Looking For A New Job?
Why Should We Hire You?
What Motivates You?
What Else Should We Know About You?
When Have You Made A Split Second Decision?
Tell Me About A Challenge You've Faced At Work
What Sets You Apart From Other Candidates?
What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
Situational Interview Questions
Promotion Interview Questions
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Tough Interview Questions
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Find a Job You Really Want In

Knowing how to answer “What is your greatest accomplishment?” is essential because it’s a common job interview question . Using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) can help you clearly show how your skills resulted in a valuable achievement.

In this article, we’ll cover why interviewers ask about your greatest accomplishment, provide what is your greatest achievement sample answers, go over tips for giving the best answer, and tie it all together with a few sample answers.

Key Takeaways:

When answering questions about your greatest professional achievement, you’ll want to make sure you prepare your answer, read the job description, and use the star method in your answer.

It’s known as a behavioral interview question , which means the hiring manager is looking for an example of your past behavior that will indicate success in the future.

Talking about your greatest accomplishment can be pretty uncomfortable for some — we’re taught not to brag from an early age. But at a job interview, your job is to be anything but humble.

How to answer “What is your greatest accomplishment?”

Example answers to “what’s your greatest accomplishment”, why interviewers ask this common interview question, how to choose just one example for your greatest accomplishment, tips for answering “what is your greatest accomplishment”, greatest accomplishment faqs, final thoughts.

To answer “What is your greatest accomplishment?” you should prepare your answer, reread the job description, and use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to help you answer. Below is a more detailed list on how to answer this common interview question:

Preparing an answer. Make a list of all your professional accomplishments. Don’t hold back here — include even small achievements.

The more examples you have to pull from, the better you’ll be able to tailor your stories for multiple interviews . Not to mention that your other accomplishments may come up when you’re answering a different interview question.

Read the job description closely. Look for keywords and the primary responsibilities of the position. That way, you can choose an accomplishment that best aligns with the duties of the new job.

For example, if there’s a big focus on customer service in the role you’re interviewing for, you might select a story that showcases your people skills over your technical abilities.

Use the STAR method. This question is a behavioral interview question. As with all behavioral interview questions, use the star method:

Situation. It won’t matter how good your story is if they don’t understand the context. Set your story up with a brief description of the situation that led to your accomplishment. Is this the kind of work you typically do? If so, why mention this example specifically? And if not, what made it an outlier?

Task. What was your role in the situation? This can often be tied together with the situation in one or two sentences.

Action. What did you do? This is the meat and potatoes of your answer — make sure you can tell the interviewer all of the important parts without getting over-the-top detailed.

Result. What was the outcome of your action? Obviously, the result should be monumentally positive for this answer, since we’re talking about your greatest accomplishment. If you can, quantify the results in a way that speaks to the value you’d bring to the job you’re applying for.

Below are different what is your greatest professional achievement answer example, as well as a template to help you answer this question. Remember to tailor your answer to your needs.

What is Your Greatest Accomplishment Answer Template

“My team achieved our goal of [goal your team was working toward]. My part of the project was [your duties]. While this project wasn’t revolutionary, I’m proud of it because I learned [skill or concept you learned that relates to the job]. Because of this experience, next time I run into this challenge, I’ll be able to use my newfound abilities with [skill or concept].”

Human Resources Manager Example Answer

My greatest accomplishment happened in my last role as an HR manager. I was assigned the task of reworking how we onboarded remote hires since it was taking a long time to bring them up to speed. The materials we had for training weren’t very relevant or helpful for their duties, and we received only 19% positive reviews from new hires who completed the training. I researched the best remote training methods and implemented them into a new system using XYZ software. By using feedback from the evaluation forms and best industry practices, I was able to develop a new onboarding system from the ground up. When I left that role, 97% of new hires gave positive reviews for the training program. This helped retain new remote workers and decreased the time it took to get them up to speed, saving the company an average of $2,650 per remote employee.

Teacher Example Answer

At my current job as a fifth-grade teacher , my greatest accomplishments always involve watching my students achieve something. Last year, I had a student who was struggling with dyslexia. While he had a tough time reading the words, I knew that he loved drawing and fantasy movies like Lord of the Rings . We got together during his break period once a week to read Lord of the Rings and make drawings for each chapter. He then went home and continued reading. His parents called to tell me that they had never seen him excited to do homework before, especially when it involved reading. By the end of the year, his reading scores had gone up by over 15%, but the real accomplishment for me was getting him interested in learning something that had previously frustrated him.

Sales Representative Example Answer

My greatest accomplishment happened last quarter when my team was behind on our sales quota. We were having trouble selling our new product, despite our best marketing efforts. I came up with a new marketing strategy involving social media campaigns that increased our sales by 155%. Not only that, but it had a knock-on effect of increasing user engagement with our social media platforms by 70% in just a month. It blew my expectations out of the water, and my company went on to assign me more marketing tasks in the future. We’ve also continued to use the same strategy for new products, which has cut down the time it takes them to reach customers significantly.

Recent College Graduate Example Answer

My greatest accomplishment as a recent college graduate is completing my degree in Art History. This achievement required dedication, hard work, and perseverance over several years. I not only focused on my academic excellence but also took advantage of various opportunities to enhance my overall learning experience. I actively participated in internships, research projects, and extracurricular activities. I am also proud of my ability to balance my academic commitments with leadership roles and community involvement. I served as a member of several student organizations where I collaborated with diverse teams, organized events, and contributed to the growth and success of those organizations.

Team Leader Example Answer

My greatest achievement was when I was a team leader and we completed a project. In my last role, I had the opportunity to take charge of a cross-functional team and guide them toward achieving our project objectives. I ensured the team had a clear understanding of what the objectives and goals of the project were. I facilitated effective communication and helped create a collaborative environment where every team member felt valued and motivated. To help ensure the success of the project, I prioritized effective project management practices. Ultimately, the project was successful because of the collective efforts and collaboration of the entire team, which was only achieved through my leadership.

why-interviewers-ask-greatest-accomplishment

Interviewers will ask you this question to get an understanding of your work ethic and your values. When a recruiter or hiring manager asks you about your greatest accomplishment , they want to know three main things:

Your work ethic. How hard do you routinely work? How much work does it take for you to feel as though you’ve contributed to a work accomplishment?

Your values . What do you view as being an accomplishment? How much work are you willing to put in to accomplish something at work? Are accomplishments in general out of the ordinary for you?

Concrete examples of your work. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t just want to hear that you know how to work — they want specifics. This gives them some insight into big projects you might have undertaken in the past, and it gives them a basis for their expectations of your work in the future.

Your interviewers will assess how well your work style and values fit with the company culture . Your hard skills might be on display while you answer this question, and your soft skills certainly will be.

It’s the inverted version of “ Tell me about a time you failed ,” but they’re both behavioral interview questions, meaning you’ll need good stories to tell the hiring manager for each.

To choose an example for your greatest accomplishments, you should stick to work examples, pick something recent, and avoid lying. Below is a more detailed list of how to choose your greatest professional achievement example.

Stick to work examples. The fact that you ran a marathon after eating an entire box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts is impressive, but maybe not pertinent to how good of an engineer you are.

Choose a recent accomplishment. It’s always better to have a recent story versus one from ten years ago, especially if the skills you display are no longer relevant to the modern work you’ll be doing.

Don’t lie or embellish too much. You don’t want to lie but think about which of your examples makes the best story. That is to say, don’t make a story where there isn’t one. But you want to talk about something that’s not just impressive to you — you want it to be impressive to anyone. That means picking your accomplishment based on how good of a story it’s going to make.

When talking about your greatest accomplishment, you want to stick to a single example if you can — unless they ask you for more — and you want to make sure that this example represents the best work you’ve done in the past while simultaneously being an interesting story. Below are more tips to keep in mind when discussing major accomplishments:

Mention how good the accomplishment was for you, but focus on the value added to your employer. The most important thing about the accomplishment to you was the way that it affected your own life, but an interviewer is going to be wondering how you’re going to benefit them and their own company in the future.

Don’t go negative. There are other interview questions about conflict and challenges , but your answer to this question should be overwhelmingly positive. Don’t make anyone else look bad in your story; just talk about a time you were proud of something impressive you did.

Display specific qualifications. If you can stand out with an answer that ties your qualifications and skills directly to the job description, you can get a lot done with this answer.

Make sure you prepare for this question ahead of time. You don’t want to be scrambling to remember a story at the last second. You’ll leave out details, or worse, forget your best stories.

Don’t lie. Job seekers are often haunted by lies , so it’s best to avoid them altogether. If you need to simplify your story for simplicity and the sake of keeping it brief, that’s fine – as long as the essential terms of your accomplishment are accurate.

What are “your greatest accomplishment” examples?

Greatest accomplishment examples could be:

Leading a team project in school or work

Giving a presentation for an important event

Organizing an important event

Providing mentorship to a fellow student or employee

Winning an award for academic or professional activity

Completing a rigorous training or educational course

Exceeding expectations in a metric-based assignment

What you choose as your greatest assignment depends on your background. Your choice should also be appropriate and relevant to the responsibilities of the job you are interviewing for.

How do I describe my accomplishments?

Describe your accomplishments by promoting your abilities and focusing on results. It is also important that you give context and highlight how your skills added value to the situation. Be clear in your description and avoid any vague generalizations.

What three things should I say for accomplishments?

Three things you should say for any accomplishment are:

The actions you took

The skills you used

The results you achieved

This is why using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) is so helpful. The STAR method allows you to frame your answer in a way that shows what you did, how you did it, and what happened as a result of your efforts.

What if I don’t have any accomplishments?

If you don’t think you have any accomplishments, self-reflect and ask others for help. Self-reflections allows you to look back on your life and see how it brought you to where you are today. Considering using materials such as journals, your resume , or school transcripts to help jog your memory. Look for actions you took that made it possible for you to be in the position to interview for this job.

Additionally, ask friends, family, and former coworkers for their opinion. Let them know you are curious because you want their help in answering this interview question. That way, they can frame their answers in a helpful way.

That’s all for this one! Just keep in mind: No matter how few jobs you’ve had before the one you’re interviewing for, you should always have an answer to this question.

Regardless of how true it is, “I don’t really have any greatest accomplishments” is just bad optics all around. So if you feel like you don’t have any good answers to this question because you haven’t been working long enough, you’re going to have to get a little creative.

Think about school projects, trips, private tragedies, public disasters — anything that required you to work to overcome something while contributing to something or someone else around you.

There are times when having no answer is still an appropriate response to a question you’re asked. This is not one of those times.

Office of Personnel Management – Structure Interviews

Harvard Business Review – 10 Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

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Ryan Morris was a writer for the Zippia Advice blog who tried to make the job process a little more entertaining for all those involved. He obtained his BA and Masters from Appalachian State University.

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The Greatest Accomplishment Essay Example for MBA

EssayEdge > Blog > The Greatest Accomplishment Essay Example for MBA

One of my most important accomplishments occurred during my association with a restaurant chain, for which I served as director of real estate. As a relatively new corporation, this business realized that it could only grow by opening more outlets. I played a key role in helping it achieve that critical objective. I was responsible for opening nine additional stores (there were six when I joined the company), which brought company sales from just under $10 million to $27 million by the time I left.

It was my assignment to find and lease appropriate sites for our new restaurants. This was a complicated process for a number of reasons. For one, due to construction restrictions and a brisk economy, there were very few buildings available in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. This created a landlords’ market, with high rents and conditions not generally conducive to restaurant expansion. In this environment, I had to be especially resourceful and aggressive in order to do my job. Then, once I found a location that met with top management’s approval, I was in charge of negotiating the deal. Such deals are complex because one is negotiating not only with landlords and attorneys but also with space planners, contractors, the city, and the health department. In the case of spaces in regional malls, I often had to work with the in-house architect and construction supervisor, as well as with the owner’s design review committee. It was necessary to understand and comply with the requirements of all these various entities, although negotiation was always very much a part of the process. In my earlier experience, as a broker with a major real estate firm, I operated from a different position, representing a buyer or a seller. As real estate director for a corporation, I was suddenly an in-house principal, part of a corporate team, and it was essential that I take into account how the details of each deal would affect our business. The restaurant chain is a real estate-driven business, so my work and accomplishments were particularly vital to the company’s success during this crucial phase of its development.

Another of my most important accomplishments was helping the homeless through my work for a foundation, of which I am a co-founder. This experience was remarkable because it afforded me the privilege of making a positive difference in the lives of others. The foundation achieves its goals in a number of ways. For example, for one local Family Living Center, we brought together builders and developers (who provided their services on a volunteer basis) to upgrade existing facilities, some of which were quite old and decrepit. I coordinated the work of construction teams doing the improvements. I would define the scope of the project and then assist the general contractor in subcontracting the work. I also had to go through the city permit process, which was quite unusual due to the fact that ours was a structure for the homeless.

Also, for three consecutive years, I was the operations man for a major 10K Race for the Homeless, which I originated and which was designed to raise both money and the public’s consciousness of this problem. Each year about six months of planning and work would be required to set up the event, which involved many elements. Among other activities, I had to coordinate all aspects of the race with the city, police, and fire departments, establish the course and have it certified, secure the cooperation of affected neighborhood groups, and set up a complex management structure (to recruit and train volunteers as well as handle a myriad of other details). During the three years I was involved, participation in the event increased threefold and the amount of funds raised increased fourfold.

During a recent spring, I was presented with an opportunity to make a big difference in another person’s life. At that time there was a six-car pileup on a highway in northern California. Heading north on the freeway just moments after this accident occurred and when the road was still open, I found my attention riveted to one particular car—crushed like an accordion—that was on fire with its driver still inside. I quickly pulled to the side of the highway, parked my car, jumped out, and ran to the car on fire. Its occupant, a teenage boy, was in a state of shock. I attempted to calm him down and then, with the help of another motorist, I used a crowbar to open the car’s door. I extricated the driver from the wreckage and carried him to the side of the road before his car became totally engulfed in flames. The boy suffered a broken leg and hip, but he survived. My act was heralded in the newspapers and recognized by a citation from the highway patrol and the county in which the event occurred, but this hardly equaled the feeling I received from having saved this boy’s life. Mine was a totally spontaneous and unpremeditated act, but I regard its consequence as one of my greatest accomplishments.

If you don’t have an extensive list of achievements yet, it’s okay. You can still craft a winning admission essay. Define your most significant achievement and focus on it as this applicant did. You can order your MBA admission essay editing on EssayEdge if you feel it is challenging to organize your ideas.

Interview Questions

Comprehensive Interview Guide: 60+ Professions Explored in Detail

“What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” (Sample answers)

By Biron Clark

Published: November 20, 2023

Employers LOVE to ask questions about your greatest professional achievement or accomplishment… and they expect a detailed example or story in the job interview, so you need to be ready. In this article, I’m going to show you how to answer, “What is your greatest achievement?” with example answers, mistakes to avoid, and more.

Let’s get started…

Why do interviewers ask this question

Expert interviewers ask behavioral questions like “what’s your greatest professional achievement” to unpack all sorts of basic truths about the applicant. It’s a strategic approach designed to show employers:

how you respond to stress
your standards for success
your goal-drive
and your level of professionalism.

How to Choose Your Greatest Achievement for Interviews:

“What is your greatest achievement/accomplishment?” is a behavioral interview question. To pick the right answer to share, consider your background as well as the job description for the role you’re interviewing for. The best answers to this interview question will show the hiring manager that your greatest accomplishment is both impressive and also relevant to their team’s needs.

Follow these steps to determine what type of achievement you should share in the job interview:

1. Pick an accomplishment that’s as recent as possible, and somewhat relevant to this job and career.

If at all possible, you should be choosing a greatest accomplishment that happened somewhat recently in your career and demonstrates that you’re a great job candidate for this position that you want now. If your most impressive accomplishment is five years ago, you can still use it. But I’d encourage you to think about whether you have a similar accomplishment from the past one to two years, perhaps in your last job. Hiring managers tend to appreciate recent work experience more than distant experience, so job seekers should aim to share recent stories when possible in the interview process.

The bottom line is: If you’re debating between a few options of achievements to share, you should always choose the more recent story, and the one that’s more relevant to the job you’ve applied for. Then get specific and talk about RESULTS. Show exactly what you achieved and why it was a significant accomplishment. How did it help you? How did it help your team or your employer at the time? If you just graduated and your accomplishment was in an internship or in a university class, what did you learn, what challenges did you overcome, and how did this help you get to where you are today?

2. Pick a professional achievement even if employers don’t specifically ask for one.

Sometimes employers will ask for your greatest professional achievement, and sometimes they’ll leave it open to interpretation and simply say, “What is your greatest achievement?” No matter how they phrase the question, keep your answer focused on a professional achievement.

This will do a few things for you:

First, it’ll make the task of preparing and practicing an answer easier. This way, you only need to have one answer for however they phrase the question. You’re 100% ready whether they ask, “What is your greatest professional achievement?” or just for your biggest achievement in general. And, since you’re in a job interview, it’s best to talk about a professional achievement anyway. So focus on a work-related achievement when you give your example or story, and you won’t run the risk of sharing something that the employer finds odd or irrelevant. If you’re job searching with no work experience , then your academic experience is the closest thing you have. In this case, you should give an example of your greatest achievement from a class project or from your academic studies. (It could be achieving a high GPA, finishing first in your class, practicing and delivering a speech in front of a class, being the first in your family to graduate with a degree, or anything like that).

Watch: How to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Achievement?”

How to deliver your answer.

Now that we’ve discussed how to choose your greatest achievement, let’s look at how to organize and deliver your answer. When answering any behavioral interview questions such as this, it’s best to organize your response with the STAR Method , which is short for: Situation, Task, Action, Result. This is a way to structure your answer to make sure hiring managers can follow your story and to make sure you don’t get sidetracked when explaining the achievement. You’ll notice this format in the sample answers coming up. You start by explaining the general situation. Were you in a previous job? Which role? How long ago did this happen? Then, explain the task at hand. What needed to be achieved or solved? Next, what action did you choose and why? Finally, what was the result, and what did you learn from the experience if anything? That’s the best way to explain your greatest accomplishments to ensure that you don’t give a long-winded answer that’s too confusing to follow.

Good answers will be detailed but also concise. Aim for 60-90 seconds or less when answering interview questions about your biggest achievement.

Deliver Your Answer With Confidence

Interview questions that require you to brag about yourself aren’t easy, but you need to be ready to sound confident and show off what you’ve done. This isn’t the time to be humble or timid. When employers ask, “What is your greatest professional achievement?” they want you to sound passionate and proud. So think about a great professional accomplishment that you’d be genuinely excited to talk about. That’s the best way to make sure you have the right level of energy when giving your answer. After this, review the details of the story and situation. You want to be specific when telling this story; it’s always more impressive to share specific facts and details.

I’ll give you an example… Which sounds better:

A) “My greatest accomplishment is graduating near the top of my class last year” B) “My greatest accomplishment is graduating in the top 3% of my class of over 2,000 students last year, with a GPA of 3.88”

The second answer is going to be more memorable and more impressive, so that’s why you should review your own story/example you plan on giving to refresh yourself on as many details as possible. The more specific you can be, the more confident and convincing you’ll be, too!

“Tell Me Your Proudest Accomplishment or Greatest Achievement” Example Answers:

Now that you have a general idea of what to do when you answer these questions about your proudest accomplishments/achievements, let’s look at some example answers:

Example Answer for Your Greatest Achievement or Accomplishment (Entry-Level):

My greatest professional achievement was completing my Bachelor’s degree in 4 years with a 3.8 GPA. I had no financial support from my family and had to work a full-time job while pursuing my Economics degree . This taught me to prioritize my time, build great habits and stay focused on my goals. I’m proud of this accomplishment and I feel that what I learned is going to give me a big advantage in my career now.

Example Answer for Your Greatest Achievement or Accomplishment (Experienced):

My greatest professional achievement was turning around the success of my last employer’s Marketing department. When I joined, the entire team was struggling and we were failing to hit our quarterly goals. I was hired to create a new marketing plan, which I designed and implemented without any guidance. Within 6 months, we were achieving 20-25% above our goals, and my marketing plan brought in an additional $3 million in revenue for the company through the second half of last year. This additional revenue brought the company from an operating loss each quarter to profitability.

After you give your answer, you should definitely expect follow-up questions. When employers ask for examples of your greatest achievement, it’s to find out about you as a person – your interests, your strengths, etc. This isn’t just a question that the interviewer asks and then moves on from. So don’t panic when they ask for more details or continue with related questions. The best stories will grab an interviewer’s attention and make them curious about other accomplishments, and they’ll want to hear more about your previous roles and past experiences.

If you hear a follow-up question or a comment like, “oh, tell me more about ___,” it’s a sign you gave a great answer. That’s why the interviewer wants to know more. So stay confident and calm , and when you prepare for your interview, you should think about the questions they’re most likely to ask you AFTER you share the story of your biggest achievement. What piece of the story are employers likely to want more information about? What might they not understand the first time you tell it?

Example Answer for Your Greatest Achievement or Accomplishment (STAR method):

Situation: “I recently completed a year-long assignment as a front desk and admin assistant at a busy marketing firm. At the time that I was hired, I was a shy, quiet student with low organization skills and zero software experience. Task: My predecessor left suddenly, so I was thrown into the deep end with a crash course in phone etiquette and a list of programs to master. It was up to me to stop the front desk and admin tasks from spiraling out of control. Action: After 2 weeks, I was communicating confidently via phone, taking 40+ calls daily, and redirecting them as needed. After a month, I had mastered their vendor management, client management and project management software and was already working beyond my role description. By the second month I was helping to draft and track expense reports and receipts, and managing travel plans and expenses, all through diverse software products. Result: The experience taught me that, no matter how daunting the learning curve, I’m proactive, smart and organized enough to take it in my stride. I’m technical at heart, I have great communication skills, and I am no longer shy. Although I was asked to stay on, my goal is to start at a cybersecurity firm where I can learn the ropes and, hopefully, take on additional responsibilities in future.”

Example Answer for Your Greatest Achievement or Accomplishment (Template answer):

If you look carefully, you’ll see that the following example answer also follows the STAR formula, and it’s a great way to structure your answers to questions like “what’s your greatest career achievement?”

It’s simple, just follow the instructions below and fill in the blanks with a recent and RELEVANT story from your own experience. If you’re unsure of what to write in a space, use the sample answer above as a reference:

First, describe the context or situation:

I was previously employed as a at a busy . At the time that I was hired, I was .

Next, describe the challenge, responsibility or task:

I was thrown in the deep end with , and it was up to me to .

Now, explain the action you took to meet the challenge:

I . I learned . I mastered . I helped to .

Lastly, describe what you learned from the experience:

The experience taught me that, no matter how the task may be, I’m enough to take it in my stride. My goal now is to use this experience to succeed in a role like the role of and one day to .

What to avoid when answering

Avoid bragging – even if your experience isn’t directly related to the role, by structuring the answer to highlight your own behaviors, skills and strengths, you can show the employer what a great fit you’ll be – without the need to brag. Instead, be real, be honest and be yourself!
Avoid being overly descriptive or using “um”, “ah” and “like” too much – efficient verbal communication is an important part of any job. Prepare well (you know the formula) and keep your answer confident and concise!
Avoid irrelevant or personal accomplishments – stick to professional accomplishments, even if the interviewer doesn’t specify as much!

Make Sure to Practice Your Answer

Nothing comes out perfect the first time – so make sure to practice a few times before going into your next interview! Go over the key points you want to share, and make sure you can explain the story clearly while transitioning from one key point to another. Note: I don’t recommend memorizing word-for-word. That’s a good way to panic in the interview, forget a piece, and make a mistake. Instead, I’d do what I described above – think of your story as a series of key points to talk about, and make sure you can remember to hit each point and transition smoothly between them. Make sure you can get from the beginning of your story to the end when explaining your greatest achievement to employers, without forgetting any pieces of your story. Once you can do this a few times, you’re ready for the interview.

Answering Your Greatest Achievement or Accomplishment in Interviews – Quick Instructions

Don’t be shy or humble. This interview question is a chance to brag about yourself and share what you’re truly proud of professionally
Pick a professional accomplishment whether or not they specifically ask for something professional
Pick an accomplishment that’s relatively recent if possible, and something that is related to your current career path and the job you’re interviewing for
Choose something that had a large overall impact on your career; something important and significant
Get specific and talk about real results and data whenever possible. What was the impact of your work?
After you answer this interview question, be ready for follow-up questions. Even if you gave an outstanding answer, the employer might want to learn more
Practice your answer. Nothing comes out perfect the first time, so run through your explanation for what is your greatest professional achievement before the interview starts

If you follow these steps, you’ll have a great answer any time an employer asks, “What is your greatest achievement?” and other similar interview questions.

About the Author

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15 most common paralegal interview questions and answers, top 30+ funny interview questions and answers, 60 hardest interview questions and answers, 100+ best ice breaker questions to ask candidates, top 20 situational interview questions (& sample answers), 15 most common physical therapist interview questions and answers, 15 most common project manager interview questions and answers, 2 thoughts on ““what is your greatest achievement” (sample answers)”.

Really, those above tips are very helpful to me as a fresher. Thanking you

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Tips For Writing About Your Greatest Accomplishments

By The TFA Editorial Team

September 7, 2020

When you apply to Teach For America, you’re asked to write two short responses. First, you are asked to answer the question, “Why do you seek to join Teach For America?” Next, you are asked to describe one of your greatest accomplishments in the last three years. For tips about the first short-response questions, please visit Tips for Writing Your Why TFA Statement .

The second application question creates an opportunity for you to reflect on a time when you have helped to accomplish a meaningful achievement. To help you in your response, please see some additional tips below!

1. GET SPECIFIC

Provide specific examples of contributions that led to your greatest accomplishment in the last three years. Think about what you did from beginning to end -- it helps to clearly outline the desired change you were aiming for, the strategy you took to get there, and why it was important to you.

2. SPOTLIGHT YOUR DISTINCT SKILLS

While we understand that meaningful change happens when a broad and diverse coalition of people work together toward a common goal, this is an opportunity to reflect on how your personal participation directly influenced your group’s accomplishments.

What distinct skills did you bring to the work being done? How did you personally drive thinking, actions, or conversations that led to meaningful change? Dig deep and describe what made you shine as a team player.

3. USE OUR GUIDING QUESTIONS

This application question is accompanied by three guiding questions. Utilize these questions as a framework for your response and ensure that you respond to each of them. Doing so will help your response to be well-rounded and targeted. The questions are as follows:

What was the outcome you were working towards?
Why was this outcome important to you, others, and/or the organization you were a part of?
What were the steps you took to accomplish this and what was the outcome?

4. REMEMBER WHY YOU STARTED

Ambitious results are important to move the needle for students, families, and communities. However, don’t forget to focus on why you embarked on this goal in the first place.

Spend time in your response reflecting on why you set out to achieve this goal, create this change, or pursue this accomplishment. What need were you trying to solve? What change did you want to see? Why did you take it upon yourself to get involved? What kept you motivated to finish strong?

Alongside these questions, consider how this accomplishment relates to your future goals.

5. HAVE A PEER REVIEW YOUR WORK BEFORE SUBMITTING

As with any written response, it’s best to have a peer read your response to check for clarity.* If that’s not possible, try using editing tools like Grammarly , ProWriterAid , and the Hemingway app can help you double-check your grammar and fix any typos. Reading your responses aloud a few times also helps you catch grammar errors, improve the clarity and flow in your answers, and ensures your reply aligns with the question being asked.

Have questions? Explore our Frequently Asked Questions section.

*As a reminder, all aspects of your application must be your own individual work. Any response that is not completely your own work will automatically call your application into question per our falsification or misrepresentation policy and may result in immediate dismissal from the application process or corps.

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I Want To Be
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My Greatest Accomplishment

The author reflects on their accomplishments thus far, including academic successes such as winning spelling bees and achieving high grades, as well as their achievements in sports. However, the decision to follow in their father’s footsteps and one day become the head of his company is the accomplishment they are most proud of. This decision has given them a clear path for their future and a sense of purpose. They plan to attend college and major in business to achieve their personal and career goals. The author’s family has been supportive of their endeavors, and they consider their family to be the foundation on which their future will be built.

I have accomplished many things in my life that I am proud of. Most of them I’d have to admit were academic, as that is where I have spent most of my life thus far, in school. I have won spelling bees, made the honor roll, achieved high grades on tough assignments, and completed complex projects. I have also done very well in sports. I am an avid fan and player of basketball and soccer, and have achieved a great sense of accomplishments from these sports. All of these accomplishments carry with them a sense of pride that can only come from hard work and dedication. But none of these things are as meaningful to me as my decision to follow in my father’s footsteps.

My father started his own company from the bottom up with hard work and dedication. He has instilled in me these qualities and proven to me that they pay off if done honestly and at the right times. I look up to my father. He has always been the perfect role model. That is why I take so much joy in the fact that I have decided to follow his path and one day become the head of his company.

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Many people walk through life not knowing where they are going or how they will get there. I am certain of my path. At my age, futures seem so far away and unattainable, but I realize that mine is right here in front of me, staring me in the face.

I have made the decision to attend college and major in business. This will fulfill both personal and career goals for both me and my family. While my father has never made me feel like I had to join him with his company, he has certainly done well in providing for us and being an ideal citizen and role model for his children. I can only hope to be as successful as he is. This is why I hold pride in my decision to follow in his footsteps.

While I am not yet the head of my father’s company, and have not even yet completed the training necessary to do so, I know that my greatest achievement thus far is the decision to do so. There is so much to look back on in my life with pride and so much yet to look forward to. But I know that the moment I made the decision to work with my father and learn his trade is the most prideful moment in my life.

I am proud because I can see my future. I am proud because now everything I do has specific purpose and meaning. I am proud because I know what I am working toward and I know that I will not do anything in vain and will not waste my time or money pursing an undeclared major in college.

My family has always been supportive of me in my academic and sports endeavors. Now they are the foundation on which the rest of my life will be built. They were proud of me when I made the decision to follow in my father’s footsteps, and I was proud of myself. To this day, it is my greatest accomplishment.

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My Greatest Accomplishment: [Essay Example], 1117 words
My greatest accomplishment, without a doubt, was earning my college degree. This essay will explore the challenges I faced, the sacrifices I made, and the lessons I learned throughout this journey, as well as the impact that this accomplishment has had on my life. The pursuit of a college education is a universally recognized goal, but for me ...
The Best Thing I Ever Accomplished: My Greatest Achievement ...
My greatest achievement (essay) As I reflect on my life and experiences, I have come to realize that achievement is a subjective term that can hold different meanings for each individual. ... Your essay sample has been sent. In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper. Order now. Our ...
Greatest Accomplishment Essay Example And Topics
The Greatest Accomplishment Essay: How I Made it in Life. "When I was growing up, I had one purpose in mind, to be my boss. Well, many may find it absurd that a young lad who barely knew all the letters of the alphabet would dream of such. As crazy as it may sound, that was my dream, and I had no intention of looking back.
Essay About Achievements: Top 5 Examples and 6 Prompts
Your essay will serve as a guide to help them grow personally and professionally. 2. Achievements in the Small Things. Achievements don't need to be grand. Sometimes, simply getting out of bed is an achievement, especially for those suffering from mental illnesses such as depression.
"What is Your Greatest Achievement?" Sample Answers and Tips
Sample answer #2: This example is from a student who graduated at the top of their class: My greatest achievement was becoming valedictorian of my senior class at [University]. I earned the top GPA in my class of more than 1,500 students while maintaining a part-time job on campus.
Recipe for Writing an Accomplishment Essay
When you assess whether your achievements belong in a greatest accomplishment essay, think impact and initiative. ... The following sample essay offers a great example where the impact seems limited to one person but radiates outward: From the first day I was tasked to mentor a new hire, Thomas, it was a challenge. ...
My Greatest Accomplishment Essays Examples
Free My Greatest Accomplishment Essay Example. Type of paper: Essay. Topic: Family, English, Parents, Father, Proud, Learning, Learning English, Man. Pages: 4. Words: 1000. Published: 03/30/2023. ORDER PAPER LIKE THIS. As a person from Saudi Arabia, I never learned English. Recently, however, I graduated from the English Language Program (ELP ...
What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment? [3 Proven Answers]
Here's what your greatest achievement might sound like. Sample Answer: S ituation - "My biggest achievement was during my internship as a customer support representative at Company X. I was the first custom support intern there, so I didn't have a lot to go off of and had to learn a lot by myself.
Writing a Powerful Leadership/Achievement Essay [Sample Essay]
Organizing. Establishing a goal or vision. Motivating. Managing. Obtaining buy-in. Taking responsibility. The old adage, "Show, don't tell," remains a classic bit of wisdom in the writing process. Make that a guiding principle not only in your leadership/achievement essays, but throughout your application.
Greatest Accomplishment Essay
Greatest Accomplishment Essay. This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples. Qualities will be characteristics that one considers to be advantageous and, in that capacity, go about as the main impetus in their life.
How to Answer "What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?"
Example answer for a sales role. Say you're applying for a sales manager role. You may want to show off your grit and competitive side and cite a recent, quantifiable example. ... "My greatest accomplishment is probably making it through my senior year of college with a 3.8 GPA. Unfortunately, the summer before, my parents ran into some ...
"What Is Your Greatest Achievement?" Top Sample Answers
Example 1. "My greatest achievement was completing a challenging project ahead of schedule while working as a project manager. I organized and motivated my team, resulting in a successful and timely project completion. This accomplishment showed my ability to lead and manage a team under tight deadlines.".
My Greatest Accomplishment Essay Examples
Browse essays about My Greatest Accomplishment and find inspiration. Learn by example and become a better writer with Kibin's suite of essay help services. > My Greatest Accomplishment Essay Examples. 4 total results. staff pick. graded. words. page. Company. About Us ...
How To Answer "What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?" (With Example
What is Your Greatest Accomplishment Answer Template. "My team achieved our goal of [goal your team was working toward]. My part of the project was [your duties]. While this project wasn't revolutionary, I'm proud of it because I learned [skill or concept you learned that relates to the job].
The Greatest Accomplishment Essay Example for MBA
EssayEdge > Blog > The Greatest Accomplishment Essay Example for MBA. Updated: December 8, 2022. One of my most important accomplishments occurred during my association with a restaurant chain, for which I served as director of real estate. As a relatively new corporation, this business realized that it could only grow by opening more outlets.
We help you answer "What is your greatest accomplishment?" (with sample
Key takeaways. Employers ask "What is your greatest accomplishment because it offers them an insight into your skills and motivations. Your answer to this question can help recruiters discover your qualifications, differentiate you from other candidates, verify your skills, identify your motivations and priorities, gauge your confidence ...
"What Is Your Greatest Achievement?" (Sample answers)
B) "My greatest accomplishment is graduating in the top 3% of my class of over 2,000 students last year, with a GPA of 3.88". The second answer is going to be more memorable and more impressive, so that's why you should review your own story/example you plan on giving to refresh yourself on as many details as possible.
Tips For Writing About Your Greatest Accomplishments
1. GET SPECIFIC. Provide specific examples of contributions that led to your greatest accomplishment in the last three years. Think about what you did from beginning to end -- it helps to clearly outline the desired change you were aiming for, the strategy you took to get there, and why it was important to you. 2.
⇉My Greatest Accomplishment Essay Example
My Greatest Accomplishment. Read Summary. I have accomplished many things in my life that I am proud of. Most of them I'd have to admit were academic, as that is where I have spent most of my life thus far, in school. I have won spelling bees, made the honor roll, achieved high grades on tough assignments, and completed complex projects.
The Biggest Achievement in My Life
The example essays in Kibin's library were written by real students for real classes. To protect the anonymity of contributors, we've removed their names and personal information from the essays. When citing an essay from our library, you can use "Kibin" as the author.
My Greatest Achievement In Life Essay
My definition of greatest achievement means a skill or effort given with an interest above average. Harriet Tubman's life is full of many accomplishments. Here, I have rated them from the most important. In my personal point of view, her greatest achievement was being a Civil War. 965 Words.
The Greatest Accomplishment In My Life Free Essay Example
8. When presented with the question, "what is your greatest accomplishment" most people would tell you a story about themselves, and what makes them so great. My greatest accomplishment would've been impossible to achieve by myself. I am a competitive all-star cheerleader.

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“What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” Top Sample Answers

Part 1 How to Structure Your Answer

Part 2 Sharing Your Successes

Part 3 “What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” Example Answers

Part 4 Example Answers by Career Stage

Mid-Career Sample Answer

Experienced Professional Sample Answer

Part 5 Showcasing Soft Skills

Part 6 How to Avoid Common Mistakes

Tips on Preparation

Additional Questions: Example Answers

Example Answer 1

Example Answer 2

Part 8 “How did you overcome a major challenge and achieve success?”

Part 9 “What was your role in a significant project or accomplishment?”

Part 10 “What was a difficult problem you solved at work and how did you do it?”

Part 11 “How have you contributed to the growth of a team or company?”

Part 12 “What is a unique skill or expertise you have that contributed to an achievement?”

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“What Is Your Greatest Achievement?” (Sample answers)

Why do interviewers ask this question

How to Choose Your Greatest Achievement for Interviews:

1. Pick an accomplishment that’s as recent as possible, and somewhat relevant to this job and career.

2. Pick a professional achievement even if employers don’t specifically ask for one.

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“Tell Me Your Proudest Accomplishment or Greatest Achievement” Example Answers:

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