Talk about a time you succeeded despite being under intense pressure. Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the result.
This question aims to help the assessment model evaluate you for signs of stress and how emotionally intelligent you are. They ask this question to determine whether you can work under pressure for lengthy periods and study you for signs of dissatisfaction with your job or career or burnout syndrome. The assessment vendor will accomplish this by looking at your non-verbal cues, facial expressions, eye movements, body movements, tells and posture, and the nuances of tone and choice of words.
When answering this question, avoid using phrases like the situation being 'very' hard or 'it was so 'crazy,' and everyone was 'incredibly' under the gun. Maintain a calm and collected demeanor. The aim is to showcase that you have no issue keeping calm under pressure. So try to come across as relaxed and confident.
Talk about a specific time when you faced a high-pressure situation at work and navigated it successfully with collected determination. Outline the situation and the actions you took. Highlight the well-calculated decisions you made while keeping a cool head. Share the results you generated through your actions and measurable impact on your teams.
"Throughout my career in the financial sector, I have gained the skills that help me constructively deal with stress. (Situation) Last year, one of our Investment Managers retired, and she passed me one of her most important legacy accounts. I was thrilled to have the opportunity; however, this account was notorious for being high-pressure. (Task) I knew that onboarding this client would be challenging. It would take a great deal of diligence, research, and time on my end. I felt overwhelmed, but I knew that serving this account to the best of my ability would speak volumes about my firm and be a valuable addition to my portfolio. (Action) During this time, I sought out a mentor with more experience in the financial sector. This individual taught me incredibly beneficial approaches and tools for managing my time, controlling stress, and regulating my mindset under pressure. (Result) As a result, I successfully onboarded this new account and even received accolades from the client, which reached my leadership team. Now, when I feel immense pressure on the job and in my personal life, I lean on these mechanisms and techniques to get me to the finish line with focus and poise."
More often than not, when a person recalls stressful situations from their past, they'll revert to the emotional state of the stress triggered by that memory. Convey that you keep calm under pressure. So practice and meditate only on those moments where you acted decisively and drove success for your teams. Convey how you managed your stress, and communicate this from a place of collective calm and confidence. Focus on the pride of that moment and let your emotional intelligence shine.
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
My PM asked me to replace my workmate. I had to call 15 candidates, upload their resumes to the system, and schedule meetings with HMs. PM told me about all this stuff at 3 PM and I worked till 4 PM. It was hard, because in the meanwhile I had my own duties to fulfill, but I organized everything in a proper way and tackled it.
Jaymie's Feedback
Great! Your example shows your dedication to the company, your willingness to support the team, and your ability to remain composed and prioritize without notice and under tight deadlines.
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