How to Answer: What would your previous supervisor say about your time management skills?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Newspaper Editor job interview.
13. What would your previous supervisor say about your time management skills?
How to Answer
Many people may reflexively respond that they're excellent at something when they're asked what they themselves think of an ability of theirs. The interviewer is trying to get a better gauge of your time management skill by framing the question from an external perspective. It has the added benefit of assessing your integrity and your relationship with your superiors.
Be honest in your response. If your supervisor would say that you're good at time management, give a brief explanation of your methodology. If your supervisor wouldn't say that you're good at time management, say that your supervisor would say that you could use improvement, not that you're bad. Quickly move on to methods that you have learned and applied. Show that it's the things that you're bad at that you become the most consciously proficient at. End your response assuring the interviewer of your time management skill by saying that these methods are what enable you to meet your deadlines.
Written by Ryan Brown on June 4th, 2019
Answer Example
"My supervisor would tell all of the editors and writers that they need to improve their time management skills. I took that to heart and I read a lot about time management systems and methods. One method that's helped me improve by leaps and bounds is the Pomodoro method. I use a timer that ticks to remind me to stay on task, and I have built-in breaks to keep my mind fresh and efficient. That's one of the ways that I manage to meet all my deadlines."
Written by Ryan Brown on June 4th, 2019