The answer to “What are you most proud of in your career?” should be a snap right? This is the moment where you get to brag about yourself. It can be trickier to answer than you might originally think. Just like everything in the interview process, even when it’s a question about you, it’s not all about you. A clever hiring manager can use your answer to this question to see what you enjoy the most, what your strengths are, and most importantly, to see how you might fit into the company culture.
Your Proud Moment Should Highlight How You Will Fit In
Choose a brag-worthy event that plays into the skill sets you’d be using in the job, or one that had an end result that would align with their corporate mission or vision.
Make sure that your answer is shaped around how you understand your possible future employer. This means you shouldn’t brag about your ability to survive in a nasty work environment, or say anything that disparages your previous employer.
The hiring manager will be looking to understand your motivation and personality by analyzing both how you answer and what you answer for each question. Be positive but not self-aggrandizing.
Related: How to Research Company Culture
Your “Most Proud of in Your Career” Moment Should Be Focused on Your Career
Always make sure that whatever story you choose is, in fact, part of your career. You may be most proud of finding a work-life balance where you were able to raise your kids. Or maybe you’re most proud of winning your company volleyball tournament. Neither of those answers is appropriate for this question. It should be focused on actual work you did that was a success using skillsets you’re going to be applying in the new job.
The one time you shouldn’t answer this question with a career-related anecdote is when you don’t have one. If you’re just starting out because you were in college, it is reasonable to share an experience from college. Likewise, if you’ve been out of the workplace for some time, maybe because you were raising a family, it is fine to share an experience from that work as well. In those cases, pick a moment that shows your abilities and skills the company is looking for.
Related: How to Prepare for Behavioral Job Interview Questions
Moderate Your Moment
Another pitfall that people trip into with talking about what they are most proud of in their career is over the top stories. Hiring managers aren’t looking for outlandish swashbuckling save the day pitches. They’re looking for steady workers who have found effective and measurable ways to improve their company.
Think of times when you were persistent, or a team player. Look for stories that fit who you want your best career self to be. If you can build in some statistics, like a 10% improvement in profits, all the better.
Use Your Proud Moment to Make a Narrative
You should take this time to do more than recount the bare-bones story of what you did. Elaborate on if it was a team effort or not? Did you have a leadership role? How did the task challenge you and what did you do to overcome the challenge successfully? How did your actions have concrete and measurable results? Flesh out your answer with more than just facts and skillsets, just as it should be more than a big crazy solo adventure.
Once you’ve decided what your big brag is going to be, take some time to practice it before your interview. Ask family, friends, or a mentor to listen to you tell your story and then listen to their feedback. You want to come off as competent but not prideful. Tweak and practice your story until you can easily tell it. Some people have a hard time selling themselves, or bragging. If you’re one of those people, make sure to take the time you need to practice your answer until you can sound as good as you are.
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