Interviewers ask this question is to find out what sets you apart from the other qualified applicants.

“I believe I am the most qualified for the job because I have completed 15 years in this field. While working, I attended a night school in order to stay current with the latest technological changes. I am dependable and goal-oriented, and I work well in teams. Last year, for example, my team increased office productivity by 39 percent by developing a simple record-keeping program for the company’s health insurance. We completed the project well ahead of schedule, too.”

“As my resume states, I have over 10 years of experience working in management in this field. What isn’t stated there is that I was one of the founders of the company and my sales skills grew it from a start-up all the way to its first public offering. The skills I used to do this have been further honed, and I anticipate being able to do great things for your company as well. In addition to having sharp business acumen, I relate well to my colleagues and clients and pride myself on being an excellent communicator, which helps foster a stress-free environment for everyone.”

The hiring manager wants to know if you can handle stress. Every job gets stressful every now and then, and the employer wants to know if you will be able to remain strong during those times and get all your work done.

• Do Not Describe a Story Where You Failed.
• Pick a Good Story
• Do Not Talk Negatively About Past Bosses or Employees.
• Use the STAR method, the “S” stands for situation, the “T” stands for task, the “A” stands for action and the “R” stands for result. This is how you should order your response.

“At my last job I was in charge of planning the company’s Christmas party. This entailed finding a venue and getting everything ready for over 100 employees. A week before the party, the venue I had booked two months in advance voided our agreement. They had that power in our contract, but I was freaking out because I had no idea where to look for a new venue to have the party. I talked to my spouse about this, which always helps me cope with stressful problems. She recommended a hotel conference room where one of her friends had her wedding reception. I talked to them and booked the room, and the Christmas party went on without a hitch.”

In order to learn more about your accomplishments, values, and career objectives, employers may inquire about the accomplishment you are most proud of. You may be able to talk about your professional development and advancement if the interviewer asks you to name the accomplishment you are most proud of.  They merely want to know what sets you apart from the competition.

Your prospective employer will most likely be impressed with accomplishments achieved during your previous employment. Answering these questions will provide you the chance to emphasize your accomplishments and professional development.  You need to discuss “what you are most proud of” examples that align with the job.

“I’m most proud of getting my MBA in business administration.  Now I am excited to use that knowledge to gain experience in your finance department, I hope to get a chance to continue to grow while providing a positive change to the department and in the world.”

When you’re asked about your weaknesses, the employer wants to know whether you are qualified to do the job. The hiring manager is also looking for indicators that show you’ve been able to learn new tasks and handle new challenges.

“My greatest weakness is that I sometimes focus too much on the details of a project and spend too much time analyzing the finer points. I’ve been striving to improve in this area by checking in with myself at regular intervals and giving myself a chance to refocus on the bigger picture. That way I can still ensure quality without getting so caught up in the details that it affects my productivity or the team’s ability to meet the deadline.”

“My greatest weakness is that I sometimes have a hard time letting go of a project. I’m the biggest critic of my work. I can always find something that needs to be improved or changed. To help myself improve in this area, I give myself deadlines for revisions. This helps ensure that I’m not making changes at the last minute.”

“I find that once I finish something I’ve been working on, I tend to dismiss it as shoddy work. Sometimes this tendency spirals out of control and I start thinking that maybe everything I’ve worked on in the past is subpar, even though the results of my work were satisfactory.

Thankfully, I’m striving to silence my inner critic when its input isn’t needed by taking courses on overcoming “impostor syndrome”. Recently, I’ve been happy with my work and I’m ready to take on new challenges without impairing myself.”