What would you do if you were in the middle of a task and your manager asked you to do something else?

I would mark where I left off and move on to the greater priority. I will do whatever best serves the team. I have a pet peeve about performing unnecessary rework, so I have simple systems to track where I left off when putting a project on hold. This way, I can come right back to where I left off without losing progress.

This question probes your flexibility and how effectively you shift your priorities on short notice. How you answer could offer insights into how adept you are at tracking your progress, managing your time, and your ability to prioritize and keeping your eye on the big picture.

Before your interview, research and read the Civil Service code and its values. As they state, they expect their employees to "co-operate with and be open to the possibilities of change and consider ways to implement and adapt to change in own work role." So offer your interviewer an example of a time you creatively and resourcefully adapted to something out of the ordinary while maintaining a positive attitude. Describe how you prepared for it by integrating what you learned from that experience into your systems.