Kapie

I have several stories of personal achievements where I also draw upon other themes such as conflict resolution, overcoming great adversity, etc. I advise my clients do to the same. I also recommend to respond stories that can connect with interviewers on an emotional level.

I think either knowingly or unknowingly, the purpose of that question is to demonstrate three things about the interviewee:

(1) Respondent has a coherent sense of what "achievement" means to them, and is willing to overcome adverse conditions and demonstrate great work ethic to attain that achievement;
(2) The achievement is aligned with what the respondent is personally or professionally passionate about;
(3) The effectiveness of the story also is a reflection of how persuasive and influential the respondent can be -- these are also traits of leadership that people look for, beyond the more "tactical" skill sets like spreadsheets or financial analysis

A professional-related example is not necessary, and oftentimes this question occurs at a point in the interview where the interviewer already has a good sense of what your work background is like.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Monday, June 20, 2011 at 04:41PM by numi.