There are a few fresher interview questions that are common in most interviews and can seem easy. However, there are subtle and often overlooked aspects in answering them by most of the interview candidates. Freshers as well as those in the initial phase of their career often miss these simple but powerful tweaks or tactics in their answers. What are your achievements for freshers is one such common interview question.
If the interviewer suddenly asks you about your biggest successes and achievements, it can create various instinctive reaction. Your mind may probably go blank.
You may have several daunting questions like “How am I supposed to answer this question? Should I talk about my academic achievements? Or, do I talk about something else entirely?
You may be thinking about your accomplishments in various areas – personal, professional, and academic – that you can show potential employers that you’re a well-rounded individual with a lot to offer. But, how many of them can you choose to talk about? How long can you talk about them?
Is an instinctive response that is not well thought of, which may be vague or not well-articulated seal the deal for you?
If you can see the challenge in responding effectively to this question and showcase yourself as a top contender for the job opportunity, this article will help you get there.
We will cover a systematic and thorough approach to smartly describe your position and accomplishments as a fresher.
Let us dive in!
Here is how we will learn to respond to the common interview question, “What are your best achievements?”
1. 7 key reasons Why do interviewers ask about your achievements
2. 11 Similar interview questions on achievements
3. How to choose an achievement for the interview
………. 3.1 List of Fresher Achievements
4. How to smartly answer, “What accomplishments are your Most Proud of?”
5. 9 Tips to impactfully talk about greatest achievements
6. 6 critical mistakes to avoid
7. 3 examples of What are your achievements Best Answer
7 Key Reasons Why interviewers ask, “What are your greatest achievements?”
Interviewers are always in the search for the strongest candidates for any given job profile.
They want to know what differentiates you and makes you a stronger candidate compared to other applicants. This is why they ask such behavioral interview questions.
Interview questions on strengths and weaknesses are asked for similar reasons, though not the same as the questions on achievements.
Let us look at the specific reasons behind questions like, “What are your biggest achievements?”
7 key reasons behind interview questions on your achievements.
1. For the hiring manager, it’s exciting to discover what makes you tick when it comes to talking about your greatest achievement. It demonstrates how you assess success for yourself, which is important since it determines what motivates you.
2. The interviewer is trying to get deeper insights into your natural inclinations and capabilities in your professional as well as personal life.
3. The achievements and success stories that you choose to showcase tell a lot about you as a person. It shows what success means to you.
4. They want to see your attitude towards and upon achieving success.
5. They want to understand your biggest strengths and areas of interest.
6. Interviewers also want to get a feel about how you may perform in the role offered in the job opportunity.
7. The interviewer wants to understand your natural approach, system, and mindset towards achieving your goals.
Your achievements will vary depending on your field and experience level but what you choose and how you represent them to the interviewer is the key here.
11 Similar interview questions about your achievements
Each interviewer has his or her own way of asking you about your biggest success stories and accomplishments.
Here is a list of 9 similar interview questions on achievements …
- What are your biggest achievements?
- What one achievement are you most proud of?
- What are your best achievements?
- What accomplishments are you most proud of?
- What are you most proud of?
- What is your greatest achievement?
- What were the biggest wins in your most recent role?
- Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty.
- What are your personal achievements?
- What are your greatest achievements?
- What are your biggest accomplishments?
.
.
[ Important Read: How to Smartly write Achievements in Resume ]
.
.
How to choose an achievement for the interview?
This is arguably the most important step in preparing your answer for this fresher interview question.
At the start, it is critical to research the job and the company for your interview. This implies you will need to go over the job description, the firm’s website, and its social media presence if you haven’t already. Check out any recent press or employee evaluations as well.
This is where you figure out the key job responsibilities and the company culture. You will need to pick the achievements which align you with both of them. If you are seen as a not-so-good fit for the key responsibilities or the company culture, you may have lost your chance of getting hired.
Here are a few angles to look from when choosing the achievement you wish to show in the interview.
- Pick something related to the job requirements
Picking an achievement related to your job is a great way to get on your hiring manager’s good side and prove that you’re capable and qualified for the position.
It also helps to build a strong impression on your employer by showing that you’re capable of going above and beyond the company’s expectations in the given role.
- Think about the achievements that are in sync with the company culture
Company culture is at the heart of the efficacy and style of its execution. Any employee who does not naturally align with it can create a lot of friction in the workplace and cause unwanted problems or delays.
So, companies tend to value specific qualities like “customer empathy”, “bias for execution”, “leading by example” or “spirit of entrepreneurship”. Just check a few websites of known companies and especially their home page and “about us” page. You will get a sense of this. Then you can think about your achievements where you have shown that quality.
As an example, if the company you have applied for likes the qualities of “initiative” and “leadership” you may use an example of any project or activity that you lead. similar to the example below.
“One of my proudest academic achievements was the successful launch of a new magazine that had been in development for over two years. The magazine was innovative and met a real need in the college, and my team worked extremely hard to make sure it hit the ground running. I was responsible for overseeing the entire publishing process, and I’m thrilled with how it went.”
- Think about the achievements which are in the direction of your personal or professional goals
When interviewers ask about your personal goals or your career vision, they are trying to understand what motivates you and what kind of person you are. Sharing your goals or vision shows that you are ambitious and driven. When you share the achievement which is in line with these goals you build a certain level of credibility about yourself which is always appreciated by any recruiter.
Additionally, discussing your personal goals gives the interviewer insight into how you would approach your work if hired and whether or not you would be a good fit for the position.
.
.
List of common types of Freshers Achievements
- Charity work
- Volunteering work
- Any additional courses or certifications
- Awards or competitions won
- Organizations you have helped
- Talk about scholarships, funding, or grants you have received
- Skills you have mastered over the years
- Mention sports achievements
- Other extracurricular activities
- Trained/Educated others
- Good results in examinations
- Elected to do or lead something
- Leader in some club
- Graduated with a first-class honors
- Elected class representative
- Won an award for punctuality
.
.
How to smartly answer “What is your achievements?”
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the achievements you are most proud of will vary depending on your personal experiences and goals.
However, some tips on answering this question effectively include being specific about your accomplishments, highlighting why these achievements are meaningful to you, and avoiding bragging or downplaying your successes.
When responding, try to paint a picture of what drives you and what kind of person you are.
Achievements can be a great way to do this. Ultimately, the goal is to give the interviewer a better sense of who you are as a person and how you may perform if you are selected for the job.
For freshers as well as those early in their careers, we have laid out a simple process to effectively answer questions on achievements. Let us understand it.
.
.
5 Step Process to Effectively answer – What are your best achievements?
1. List your academic, extracurricular, personal, and internship related achievements
Freshers mostly are exposed to college projects, academics, extracurricular activities, and internships. So, most of your success stories are going to be mostly around them. They may also achieve some extraordinary results out of some personal motivation in their individual lives.
Think about what specific skills and knowledge you gained from your experiences in college. For example, did you study abroad? If so, what did you learn about other cultures?
Talk about any awards or accolades you received while in school and any projects or research papers you worked on.
Emphasize the transferable skills you developed in college, such as teamwork, communication, and time management skills.
The important thing here is the results should be quantifiable in your activities and should have proofs that you can showcase.
2. Choose 2 to 3 achievements that are relevant to the key responsibilities of the job
The interviewer wants to know that you are capable of performing well at the job.
Achievements that relate your past experiences to the position offered help immensely here.
The interviewer wants to know how you think and what you did in your previous roles or student life. They want to know what challenges you faced, how you solved them, and if you have any transferable relevant skills.
The more challenging the project, competition, internship, or extracurricular activity, the more impressive your result will look.
If you have had experience in the corporate environment, during your internships then discuss things like the impact of your work on the bottom line, sales numbers, customer satisfaction rates, or employee productivity rates.
Don’t forget to relate your specific achievements to the position’s responsibilities for which you are interviewing.
3. Explain how you went about achieving your results or outcomes
When interviewers ask about your achievements, they are not just interested in what you did, but also in how you did it. They are looking for candidates that can problem solve and deliver results.
When you explain how you achieved something in past roles or academic rules, it demonstrates your skills and abilities to potential employers.
Your description of how you achieved something, gives insights into your thought process, your areas of interest, your skills that may not show on the resume, and what success means to you.
They want to know if you can think on your feet, be creative, and work well under pressure.
Finally, interviewers want to see that you have taken the time to understand the company’s goals and how your past experiences align with what they are looking for.
4. Honesty and Sincerity are central to your answer
Being sincere about your achievements is important in an interview because it allows you to show the interviewer how genuine and humble you are.
If you’re not sincere, the interviewer may think that you’re trying to hide something or that you don’t think your accomplishments are worth mentioning.
Either way, it’s not a good look. So be proud of what you’ve accomplished and let the interviewer know why it matters to you.
5. Build a story that connects
Your response will be most effective when it comes out as an interesting story.
A story and how it is told, conveys a lot more than simply facts and figures. It helps the interviewer connect with your emotions. It helps them feel your highs and lows.
It is important to remember here that your story must feel genuine, logical, and coherent. The STAR method helps you in building your story.
Here’s how you can use the STAR method to answer:
Situation: “My greatest accomplishment was when I helped publish a magazine while doing my Bachelor’s. Our college wanted to have a magazine issue for over 2 years, but the plan never worked out.
Task: “My role was created to oversee the collection of articles, finalizing the layout, and designing the magazine from start to finish. As this was a new role, I had to develop a way to come up with ideas and effectively collaborate with writers, and convey what my plans are. This was challenging since every writer had different ideas for the magazine and we struggled to stick with one theme.”
Action: “I created a process and held discussions with the members to brainstorm ideas. There, I was able to answer any objections and finalize the ideas that were worth sticking up for. I was able to reach it within a week and put together a comprehensive plan to go ahead with the preparation and publication.”
Result: “I reached the goal of publishing the magazine within a month. Plus, the theme-focused magazine received a lot of positive feedback from the faculty and our team garnered attention from all the students.”
9 Tips for Impactfully answering your Greatest Achievements
1. First, focus on quality over quantity. It’s better to mention a few significant achievements than a long list of minor accomplishments.
2. Second, tailor your response to the job or company you’re interviewing with. For example, if the organization values teamwork, highlight an achievement that requires cooperation.
3. Use concrete examples whenever possible. Instead of simply saying “I increased sales,” explain how much you increased sales and what methods you used to achieve that result.
4. Quantify whenever possible: instead of saying “I increased sales by huge margins”, say “I increased sales by 10%.”
5. Be humble: avoid sounding like you’re bragging or being arrogant.
6. Practice beforehand: take some time to think about and rehearse your answer to deliver it confidently when the time comes.
7. Be honest – Don’t inflate your achievements, or pretend that you’re something you’re not. It will only backfire when people eventually find out the truth.
8. Take some time to reflect on questions like – What are the things that you’re most proud of? What are the accomplishments that mean the most to you?
9. Write them down – This will help you organize your thoughts and make it easier to articulate them later.
6 Mistakes to Avoid while answering
Here are a few critical mistakes to avoid while talking about your accomplishments in an interview:
- Don’t downplay your achievements. It’s important to be humble, but don’t sell yourself short. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished and confident in what you can do.
- Avoid bragging or coming across as arrogant. This is a fine line to trade here. It’s important to be assertive but humble.
- Don’t get too much into your personal life. Your interviewer wants to know about your professional accomplishments.
- Don’t lie. It will only come back to haunt you. Interviewers have a natural acumen to spot your lies.
- Don’t choose your degree as your greatest achievement if it doesn’t relate to the job you are interviewing for.
- Stay away from generalities and clichés. Be specific about what you did and how it benefited the company or organization you worked for.
3 Sample answers for what are your achievements for freshers
- I am most proud of graduating in the top 2% of my class from X University. This was a difficult accomplishment that took a lot of hard work and dedication. I am also proud of my involvement in extracurricular activities, such as student government and volunteer work. These experiences have helped me develop leadership skills and gain a better understanding of the needs of my community.
- I’m proud of earning 3rd rank in the class in my Master’s degree in business. It was a challenging process, but it made me stronger and more determined. Earning my degree has helped me realize my potential, and I am grateful for all I have learned. I can now think critically and analytically, which has helped me to be a successful leader in my field.
- So far, I am most proud of helping students as a math tutor. I remember vividly the first student I helped; she struggled in school, and her grades were slipping. I worked with her one-on-one and helped her understand the material better. Over time, I saw her grades improve, and she became a more confident student. It was gratifying to see my help make a difference in her life and education, and I am proud that I was able to do that for her.
.
.
Also Check: 40+ Powerful Strengths in Resume for freshers
.
.
What’s Next?
The question of what achievements you are most proud of seems easy to answer, however, most candidates miss the key things to remember while answering it. Your methodic preparation can easily put you in the top 1% of applicants because most interview candidates never properly prepare for this question.
The best way to do this is to know what achievements you are most proud of and why. We hope that our guide has helped give you a better understanding of how to answer “What are your achievements for freshers?” confidently and successfully.
.
.
Our Fresher Interview Questions and Answers section is a great place to start if you are preparing for your next interviews. Here you can find tips and advice on answering some of the most common interview questions.
.
.