Jobpostings Magazine asked Nicole Roberts, recruiting manager at KPMG Canada, for her take on a commonly asked interview question.

Can you think of a goal that you've set for yourself in the recent past? Tell me what steps you took to ensure you were positioned to achieve this goal?
I like to ask this question in a job interview because it allows the candidate to use a personal experience, which provides an element of comfort in a stressful situation, in order to translate key attributes that are directly related to the job at hand. This question also provides an opportunity for the candidate to show their dedication and passion in an area of importance to them.
As the candidate tells their story, I listen attentively and extract some skills and behaviours that they have demonstrated through their personal experience in order to translate these to skills and behavioursthat are deemed key to the success of our organization.
A response that sticks out on my mind relates to one candidate's pursuit to successfully complete an Ironman while working full-time and going to school part-time. The strict training schedule, disciplined habits, and passion for sport were inspiring and impressive.
The skills and behaviours that I associate with this pursuit correspond with the following competency areas that our organization deems important:

Drive and Resilience
- Sustains a high level of drive, shows enthusiasm and a positive attitude when coping with pressure at work or school

- Works hard to meet demands at key times of pressure

- Shows resilience in the face of challenges or obstacles

- Maintains a consistently calm and focused manner, even under pressure

Accountability
-Takes personal responsibility and accountability for own work

- Makes timely decisions and commits to definite courses of action

- Accepts when things might have been done better and does not blame other factors

- Asks a more experienced colleague for advice if a situation warrants it
Regardless of what questions you are posed with, it is likely your response will be assessed based on a number of skills and behaviours you will need to demonstrate while you're with the organization. Therefore, it is important that you understand what these skills and behaviours are in the organization you are interviewing with, so you can incorporate them in each and every response.