What has been your biggest success so far in your career?

Business & Management
#1

Good news – you’ve just gained temporary clearance to blow your own trumpet.

Although talking about self-proclaimed greatness is something many people find difficult, in an interview it’s sometimes the only way to make yourself memorable. It’s also the key difference between career progression and career stagnation.

So set your inhibitions to one side for the sake of this question. The interviewer has asked it entirely so they can hear about the best version of you – so unless you go completely off topic, you can’t go wrong.

Just always make sure you prepare in advance. Otherwise, you could end up referring to a recent achievement on impulse, which may not necessarily be the best one. And don’t be afraid to include stand-out achievements such as results, growth and transformation.

Right answer: ‘My biggest success so far has to be last year’s launch of our new range of snack bars – which was the first ever health snack to sell a million units in the UK in under 12 months. After landing the UK distribution deal, I was given three months to gain traction or they’d pull the plug. This wasn’t easy, but through communicating with hundreds of distributors, I managed to negotiate enough contracts to make the product take off. We even managed to make a decent profit – helping turn an underdog product into a household name.