A reader asks: “I have an interview coming up this Friday 5/13 for a position I’ve been trying to get for over 6 months. The opportunity looks promising but the interview questions will be on my time management skills and how I work under pressure. How do I make sure I answer these questions the best way possible? I have over 20 years of service and have a very strong work ethic and I know I qualify for this job. I want to make sure I give my best. Do you have any suggestions on how to best interview?”
The Corporate Latina answers: Hello reader! Thanks for your question. In today’s economy, employers are concerned about productivity and how well employes handle multiple tasks and pressure. As we all know, the job situation is pretty tight and companies are expected to produce same and better results with less resourcers, i.e., people. Therefore, it is no wonder that this employer is focusing on questions related to time management and work under pressure. My advice is that prior to the interview- you spend some time analyzing and thinking back to your 20 years of work experience and pinpoint at least two instances where you managed a project or task well under pressure and/or under time constraints. I would be very specific about the project, the time pressure and/or task that required your time management, what obstacles you had to overcome and how YOU achieved the success of the project. You only need two examples. Also, when you do this- be prepared to tell it like a story. People like stories. For example, I would start my answer like this: “Thank you for asking that question. Over my 20 years of work history., I have been confronted with many situations that required I utilize my time management skills in order to be productive and efficient.. (or required that I worked under pressure….) Let me tell you about two of those instances and how I was able to help my team ( employer). And then you launch into your story. Make it short and interesting. Don’t go on forever. Just short and to the point. The enormity or complexity of the task does not matter. It could be as simple as “I had to make copies for my boss and he was on his way to the airport”, or whatever task it is. What matters is that you provide an example(s) of how you handled the situation in a productive and efficient way. I would also try to interject anything related to you working with a team and how you helped the team effort at achieving a project when the team was under pressure and/or under time constraints. Employers always like to hear how well potential employees work in team situations. Hope I was able to help you.
