When interviewing for a new position, candidates often struggle to answer what many say is the toughest and trickiest question posed by the interviewer: “what is your greatest weakness?” While that may be an anxiety-inducing inquiry for many, the more important way to stand out is confidently explaining your career achievements and accomplishments.
There are individuals who find it difficult to commend themselves for a job well done because they fear being labeled arrogant for touting their own accomplishments. Conversely, others talk at length about a successful project they led, exuding arrogance about how they single-handedly saved the company, listing every accolade along the way. Strike a balance and highlight where you showed leadership, initiative, or achieved excellent results. Just be sure to acknowledge the others who contributed to the project’s success—it shows you value being a team player.
When giving these examples, make sure it aligns with the role you are applying to. Do extensive research not only on the potential position and job description but also explore the company’s website and find their core values and markers of success. If you’re applying for a management or supervisory role, emphasize where you stepped up as a leader. Yes, you may have had other triumphs, but the most applicable is the potential you showed as a leader. Make those victories stand out in your answer.
Another way to ensure you stand out is to quantify your career achievements. Be specific in the details of your successes and add metrics and data where possible. It may even help to write out your accomplishments so you can prepare different and unique success stories for several roles.
Lastly, we’ve all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect.” It’s no different when preparing to talk to an interview panel about your biggest career achievements. If you haven’t practiced a few examples of your career achievements aloud in front of the mirror at least a few times, you may become flustered, ramble on, or go blank. None of those portrays a confident, successful employee—so take the time to practice.
If you follow these steps with authenticity and enthusiasm, you will be sure to wow anyone who asks you to share an example of a great career accomplishment.