How Do You Define Success? Know How To Nail This Interview Question!

How do you define success? The meaning of success in life is different for different people. While for some, achieving peace of mind and happiness makes a person successful, others may relate success solely to money and fame. Whatever may be your definition of success, when it comes to job interviews, the question- 'How do you define success?' needs to be answered precisely. In this article, we will cover some ways to deal with this question well during a job interview.

Why is 'how you define success' asked during a job interview?

'How do you define success?' is one of the common interview questions asked during many job interviews. As an open-ended question, it gives you an opportunity to give an impressive reply that highlights your personality, passions, thinking process, etc. in front of the hiring manager.

By asking 'how do you define success?' the potential employer wishes to get an idea about the goals, work ethics, and overall personality of the candidate. Your reply will also determine how well you would adjust to the work culture of the company and whether your definition of success is aligned with the company's objectives.

What is the most appropriate reply to 'how do you define success?'

Success is a subjective concept. But for a job interview, even though there is no right or wrong in this answer, the reply must revolve around your work ethic, career goals, the balance between personal and professional life, etc.

One of the appropriate responses to this question would be demonstrating how much you believe in balancing your personal and professional life. Apart from this, you must quote certain real-life examples wherein you experienced success in your career. While giving such examples, you must state the factors that led you towards success and elaborate upon the learnings you took from the particular experience.

Sample Response: "For me, true success is to learn from my failures and maintain my productivity. The experience gained from one's failures can be applied to situations in the future. I would like to share an incident, where I made an error while entering the details of a customer while I was working as a customer care executive. It caused a lot of confusion and inconvenience for the customer. As a result, the customer was annoyed. However, I didn't get bogged down, fixed the issue at the earliest and apologized to the customer. In the end, the customer was highly satisfied and even rated me well for my prompt response. For me, this was one of the most successful moments."

Realistic examples like these not only highlight your problem-solving skills but also underline your working style and attitude.

Examples of some of the good responses to 'how do you define success?'

Here are a few examples that can help you get an idea about how to respond to 'how do you define success?' during the job interview.

Example 1

My personal definition of success is different for different scenarios. For example, at work, success could be meeting the goals that my boss has set for me. The feeling of achieving a set target and contributing to the growth of the company gives you a feeling of satisfaction which can be called success. In my personal life, investing myself in the hobbies I love to do and getting recognized for my skill is a success. Hence, the meaning of success changes for me as per the situation.

Why does this response work? The above answer projects the candidate as a goal-oriented person and highlights his/her capability to balance between professional and personal activities.

Example 2

As per my version of success, in professional life, success for me is not something that I can achieve individually. I believe that success is an outcome of many hands working together to achieve an objective. Hence, I evaluate success based on the work of my team members along with my individual efforts. If we achieve the team goals, I feel accomplished.

Why does this response work? The above answer shows your belief in teamwork. It projects you as a person who believes in collective achievement rather than individual success. This trait is found to be desirable by hiring managers.

Example 3

To me, success in the professional sphere is meeting the objectives of the company. In my previous position, I was able to help a client to find the perfect solution to their problem. Not only did it make the client happy, but I was appreciated for my efforts which gave me an immense feeling of success. So I believe, getting recognized for your efforts to hard work can be called success.

Why does this response work? The above answer reflects your ability to put in sincere efforts and work towards the achievement of goals. Hence, this could be a nice answer to 'how do you define success?'

Example 4

According to me, job satisfaction somewhere takes you closer to success because if you are happy with what you do, you will achieve your targets and even if you fail, you would be ready to take learnings from your experience. For me, this sense of satisfaction is a success.

Why does this response work? This response shows that the candidate is determined to improve their skills and learn from challenging situations.

Don't forget: A pleasing smile, good posture, and a professional tone will make most of your answers effective and improve your chances of getting the job.

Best tips for answering ‘how do you define success?’ during a job interview

Research well before the interview: Before going to the interview, one must go through the company website as well as the job description to understand the kind of candidate that the company is seeking. Once you understand all these, it will be easier for you to frame the definition of success that is well-aligned with the objectives of the company.
Underline your personality traits in the answer: Most of the time, the interviewer is keen to understand the candidate as a person along with assessing his/her technical knowledge. Hence, there is no harm in adding your own values while answering these behavioral interview questions. Also, while answering the 'how do you define success?' kind of questions, it is also important to focus on the practical aspects like taking the company’s mission ahead, making a positive impact, improving your skills, etc. This will leave a great impression on the interviewer.
Highlight what you can bring to the company through your answers: Your reply must focus on your skills in some way or the other. Hence, while you define success, make sure that you frame your answer around the desirable values such as teamwork, motivation, positivity, empathy, never say never attitude, etc. This not only enriches your answer but also highlights the positive traits in your personality.
Prepare well in advance: It is always good to prepare well in advance. Preparing sample answers or notes will help you be spontaneous during the interview. List down some real-life examples to be stated during the interview. Preparing ahead of time makes you feel more confident during the interview and braces you up to face tricky questions.
Keep your professional achievements ready: Consider the accomplishments you’ve had in the past. Analyze what led you to achieve them and write down the points clearly. You may note down all the recognition you might have achieved in your previous work to state as examples in the questions related to success.
Draft an effective response: Taking into consideration all the information from your past experiences and your research about the company, you can draft a well-balanced response with a clear definition of success and real-life examples of personal success that substantiate the same.

Points to avoid while replying to 'how do you define success?'

Keep your political and religious views at bay: Any behavioral or open-ended question posed to you during the job interview is intended to understand your value system or personal opinions. Hence, you may share your point of view in a balanced manner. However, it is highly recommended that you keep your political and religious opinions away while answering such questions. Also, avoid denouncing any political figures. A neutral approach to interview questions is always a safe way to go ahead.
Avoid giving too much personal information: An open-ended question may demand you to share some personal information while responding to it. This may provide insight into your personality and help the recruiter to assess you at a personal level. However, avoid going overboard with your personal information. Mentioning details about your family or personal relations must be totally avoided.

Conclusion

The definition of success may vary from person to person. From financial success and professional development to having a healthier and more peaceful life, people's experiences create different visions of success or the idea of success. However, while answering interview questions, you must ensure that your reply is in sync with what the recruiter demands of you.

Along with providing a well-balanced answer, you must appear to be relaxed especially when the interview panel tries to confuse you with tricky questions. In situations such as these, your body language and your confidence speak louder than words and make your answer powerful.

Shreeya Thakur

Sr. Associate Content Writer at Unstop

I am a biotechnologist-turned-content writer and try to add an element of science in my writings wherever possible. Apart from writing, I like to cook, read and travel.