How to Answer: How do you prioritize your work?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Office Administrator job interview.
29. How do you prioritize your work?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
The interviewer wants to find out more about how you will act on the job. They want to hear that you understand that not all tasks will have the same level of urgency and that you have some knowledge or strategy to draw from when you are assigned competing tasks.
Written by Jenna Cohen on March 31st, 2022
How to Answer
This question is best answered with a brief and straightforward response outlining how you would identify which tasks should be completed first. Describe a time in the past when you had to prioritize or reprioritize your work.
Written by Jenna Cohen on March 31st, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid being too specific in your response if you are drawing from past experience. For example, if you talk about a time you processed invoices with deadlines, the experience may not translate well to work without explicit due dates. Focus instead on the strategies or steps that you take to determine what makes one task more important than another.
Written by Jenna Cohen on March 31st, 2022
Answer Example
"When prioritizing my work, I consider a few different factors. For example, I always consider whether there is a strict deadline or due date on a task. I also take into account who assigned the task and how long I expect it to take. If I can run a report for my Supervisor in five minutes or less, I knock that out to appease them and ease my to-do list."
Written by Jenna Cohen on March 31st, 2022