What is your greatest achievement to date?

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MoneySavingUser
MoneySavingUser Posts: 1,667 Forumite
in Employment, jobseeking & training
Questions like this sometimes come up on application forms. How would you approach it - the first thing that tends to come to mind is hmm this is tricky it's not like I can put down something amazing like 'I cured Cancer' :o

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  • crazyguy
    crazyguy Posts: 5,495 Forumite
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    Try to focus on your best points ie, assisting elderly or raising money for charity if these fail then make up a story like you saved a drowning person in a frozen lake.
  • Aelius
    Aelius Posts: 55 Forumite
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    My answer would probably go along the lines of: my degree or turning a cafe which made a loss of £200,000 the previous year, to a profit of 0.7 million in year one of the franchise.

    The key isn't achievement, but the skills and qualities you possess.
  • ceridwen
    ceridwen Posts: 11,547 Forumite
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    Now positively envious actually at peeps being asked anything like that at interview. I would have been glad of ever having any question like that - as I could instantly come up with a couple of things I've done that I feel mean I've had a useful life and "earned my place". I would certainly have taken it as meaning "What have you done in your leisure time thats so good?" - as I couldnt honestly come up with anything of note for any job I've ever had....:rotfl:

    Maybe its an older person (as I now am) and/or interview for "decent level" job question - hence why I've never come across that one.
  • InsideInsurance
    InsideInsurance Posts: 22,460 Forumite
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    I personally used to either ask if they are explicitly talking about a work related achievement or a personal one or alternatively would give a every brief personal achievement but then give a detailed work related one.

    For work ones then, like every interview question, its just a case of tailoring your response to the job you're going for. If it's sales then tell about a time you got a big deal or won sales of the year etc. If its customer service then when you've handled a particularly difficult customer and they took the time to contact the company/ your manage to give positive feedback etc etc
  • saintjammyswine
    saintjammyswine Posts: 2,133 Forumite
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    In a sales/target driven environment, showing your value in terms of income:salary ratio is a good way of expressing it (as long as you are good!!) over a period e.g from 2008 -2011 my income:salary was 13:1 etc.
  • snowqueen555
    snowqueen555 Posts: 1,521 Forumite
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    nothing, and it kills me everyday
  • sho_me_da_money
    sho_me_da_money Posts: 1,673 Forumite
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    That I got a 4 pack and a big dong.
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