Tell us about a time you were particularly effective prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule.

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
How to Answer
Answer Example

This question is about how you handle priorities and work under pressure. Most jobs entail some level of inability to complete all tasks, so the ability to prioritize confidently is a key work competency, both for individual contributors and project managers.

Your answer to this question allows the interviewer to get an idea of how you would manage and complete your work assignments, should they hire you for the job. Highlighting your time management skills, organizational skills, and ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance can show employers you are capable of taking on multiple responsibilities and performing efficiently on the job. Focus on a time you had to get others involved in setting and approving the prioritization of your work tasks and/or projects. Ideally, this would include your manager but could also include other team members or external managers who request your time.

"My current job has multiple conflicting priorities, and it can be difficult to know what is most important and urgent. My manager and I worked out an important/urgent scale for rating tasks so that it's clear what takes the highest priority. If something is both important and urgent, it gets the highest priority. Important but not urgent is next, and urgent but not important is after that. Then not important and not urgent tasks are last. Managers now use the rating system and have started coding requests as IU, INU, UNI, and NINU when sending them to the team members. As a result, our overall productivity and ability to meet deadlines has gone up considerably."

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How to Answer: Tell us about a time you were particularly effective prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Nuclear Engineer job interview.

29. Tell us about a time you were particularly effective prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule.

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

This question is about how you handle priorities and work under pressure. Most jobs entail some level of inability to complete all tasks, so the ability to prioritize confidently is a key work competency, both for individual contributors and project managers.

Written by Sue Oberliesen on March 5th, 2022

How to Answer

Your answer to this question allows the interviewer to get an idea of how you would manage and complete your work assignments, should they hire you for the job. Highlighting your time management skills, organizational skills, and ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance can show employers you are capable of taking on multiple responsibilities and performing efficiently on the job. Focus on a time you had to get others involved in setting and approving the prioritization of your work tasks and/or projects. Ideally, this would include your manager but could also include other team members or external managers who request your time.

Written by Sue Oberliesen on March 5th, 2022

Answer Example

"My current job has multiple conflicting priorities, and it can be difficult to know what is most important and urgent. My manager and I worked out an important/urgent scale for rating tasks so that it's clear what takes the highest priority. If something is both important and urgent, it gets the highest priority. Important but not urgent is next, and urgent but not important is after that. Then not important and not urgent tasks are last. Managers now use the rating system and have started coding requests as IU, INU, UNI, and NINU when sending them to the team members. As a result, our overall productivity and ability to meet deadlines has gone up considerably."

Written by Sue Oberliesen on March 5th, 2022

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