Tell me of a time when things went really well

Disciplines > Job-finding > Interview questions > Tell me of a time when things went really well

The question | What they are looking for | How to answer | See also

The question

Tell me of a time when things went really well.

What are your best memories from the job?

What are you particularly pleased about in the work you did there?

What they are looking for

When asking for what things worked particularly well, the interviewer is looking for the high-water mark, the best performance that you give.

They may also watch out for negative traits such as exaggeration and claiming all the credit at the expense of others.

How to answer

Give a really good example where you saved the company or invented something amazing. Show that when things go well, you perform as well as a person can.

It was an inspirational time -- the team all gelled together and we doubled sales in six months. It changed the way we looked at selling and rewards. The company was a different place from then on.

You can highlight here the reasons why things do not always go this well. Show how things going really well depend on factors outside your control, that it needs the whole team, full resourcing and other elements that are not always available.

When we were laying the foundation for the new building, all of the suppliers delivered everything on time. With materials all to hand when we needed them, we got the job done in half the normal time.

You can also show how your foresight and action made success a more likely prospect.

It did help that I had visited all of the suppliers beforehand and impressed on them the importance of delivery times.

Remember to show how your worked with others and as a part of the overall team (albeit as a leading light). You can use this to show your leadership qualities.

I couldn't have done this without the tireless support of the people back at the office. It's important to take care of your support team and I always took time to meet up with them and explain how critical they were in the overall process.