Have you worked in an environment that demanded a high level of adherence to routine?
"In the Marine Corps, yes. We did everything by the book, and everything ran the way it was supposed to. I loved it."
This question aims to determine how sustainable of an employee you'd be in an environment such as theirs. By determining whether you've worked in similar environments or not, they'll attempt to ascertain whether you'll burn out quickly from the monotony a job at the department of corrections might present, or if you typically thrive in a regimented, rule-bound environment.
Spend time drawing correlations between your work experience and the expectations of the position you're contending for. Once you've mapped those out, describe your relevant work experience in adhering to a regimented, monotonous routine. Next, offer your understanding of what the position you are interviewing for looks like. Then, ask for further clarification of what the position entails, beyond what they advertise in the job description, regarding the routine. With a clearer idea of what they're looking for, further elaborate on how your experience correlates with the expectations of the job.
The essential goal here is to communicate that you understand what is expected of you and that regardless of how many don't anticipate that this aspect of the job won't be that difficult, it is more arduous than it seems. Any manner that you can go about relating an equivalent experience will go a long way here.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
While working at __________, we had to log into the phones for the majority of our shifts and would get scheduled breaks that would help us maintain maximum time on the phones. I also try to stay in a constant routine in my personal life, going to the gym at similar times every day and eating at similar times as well.
Marcie's Feedback
Excellent! And what exactly do you like about sticking to a routine professionally and personally? Does it help you be more productive? End your answer by reiterating to the interviewer that you're open to a routine within this role and like that consistency.
