What have you done that you are proud of?

What they are looking for

Typically, they are seeking evidence of the extent of your capability, and perhaps areas in which you have particular skills. Note how the question asks for something good that you should be motivated to tell, yet seeks hard evidence.

A person who is proud of aspects of their work is likely to be more motivated to work to achieve that sense of pride again. Thus they may be seeking to understand what motivates you, and particularly what motivates you most.

Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, although only when it is excessive. They may thus also be watching for selfish tendencies. This may appear in how you attribute success, in particular if your success was gained within a team environment.

How to answer

Give them specific evidence of doing something outstanding, that contributed significantly in some way.

A major customer was about to defect so I spent a lot of time with their service manager to find out their concerns. We managed to resolve these and now the customer has placed another large order.

When in a team environment, be careful to show that you are team player and acknowledge other people.

I was given the 'most valuable player' award when we beat out annual quota. Of course it was a part of a whole-team effort. What was nice was that it was a vote of confidence from the team.

In particular, if you are in a leadership role, show your pride in the team.

I was very proud when we reduced overheads in the department by a half. It was very much a team effort and I made sure that everyone got full recognition for their contribution.

Pride can be seen as something that is not desirable, in particular if it is seen as excessively boastful. This is a dilemma as in interviews you need to blow your trumpet. The trick is blow it modestly.

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What have you done that you are proud of?

The question

What they are looking for

How to answer

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Theories

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