Struggling with this TC application question- any advice?

[njones95]

"Please tell us about an outstanding personal achievement which added value to either your academic or working environment."

So, I think this could be answered in one of two ways:

1) I could discuss a "personal" i.e. extracurricular/non-academic/non-work achievement that added value to my academic or working environment (and how it added value to it); or
2) I could discuss something I personally achieved at work, or academically.

What do you think they're trying to get at, and why?

The firm is Peters & Peters- they do a mix of white-collar criminal law and commercial law.

 

[SLKEJRWOI97]

I think you're overthinking the question. My interpretation is that Peters & Peters want you to tell them about any achievement (personal or professional) that added value.

You could structure your answer using the STAR/CAR technique and maybe have a sentence of the overall impact.

For the "working environment" you could give a directly related example i.e. you may have devised a new system at your workplace that allowed them to track something better which resulted in your promotion/bonus, etc.

Or, for the "working environment", it could be that you give the example of an extra-curricular that helped strengthen a skill that you now use in your work/academic life.

Hope that helps!