How to Answer: How do you stay focused throughout the day?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Account Representative job interview.
27. How do you stay focused throughout the day?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
The interviewer wants to know how you prioritize your day. They are interested in hearing about what strategies you have in place to stay focused and not distracted.
Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022
Focus Your Answer On
What you do on a daily basis to keep your focus. This could be taking a 2-3 minute walk (assuming there is coverage, and you have permission to do so), standing up and stretching, or switching to a different task for a while to break up monotony. The interviewer wants to know that you have some kind of "coping mechanism" and don't just plow through work without taking a brief moment to regroup.
Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022
Stay Away From
Appearing as if you don't need a minute or two occasionally. We all do. If you say, "I just stay hyper-focused until I drop," they won't be impressed. You don't want to say you take a 20-minute break every hour, but you definitely want to show that you have the ability to step away for a moment to collect your thoughts.
Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022
How do I stay focused? Example
"I find I am much more efficient and effective if I just stand up and take a 2-3 minute break when time allows, particularly if I am working on a detailed and/or monotonous project. This allows me to clear my head and refocus on the task at hand."
Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022
How do I stay focused? Example
"I am often tasked with multiple priorities with similar deadlines. If I find myself losing focus, I may put down the task at hand and switch to another one for a while, assuming one is not of MUCH higher priority."
Written by Emily McMannes on March 17th, 2022