Deadline Interview Question Number 3 – How Do You Prioritize Multiple Projects with the Same Deadline?

Over the last few posts, we have shown some of the questions that employers may ask with regard to deadlines. An applicant that cannot handle stress is going to suffer in productivity when deadlines arise. These companies want to hire someone that they believe can handle the pressure of multiple projects.

One of the toughest things for an employee is managing multiple projects that have the same (or similar) deadlines. So employers may ask you how you prioritize, in order to gauge both your ability to handle pressure and your ability to organize under pressure.

How to Answer

The best thing you can do is simply show that you have put thought into this. Also, it is a good idea to discuss how you communicate the finishing of the project with clients/supervisors. Both of these will be appreciated by the employer.

Bad Answer

“I figure out which project is most important, and then I try to do that project first before finishing the next one.”

Okay, but how do you decide which project is more important? Prioritizing by money earned is not enough. Sometimes a smaller project can be more important than a larger project. This does not necessarily mean much.

Good Answer

“First I plan out the remaining tasks. In general, I will have already done this well in advance of the deadline. I look at these tasks and decide the easiest route to their completion. Sometimes it is easier to work on one project at a time, sometimes it is easier to switch back and forth depending on similarities in the type of tasks required. If one is due sooner in the day than the other, then that one will receive full priority. In addition, throughout the day I will inform all the necessary individuals of the current project status, so that they also do not find the upcoming deadlines too stressful.”

Multiple deadlines on the same day can be difficult, so your best bet is to show that you have a plan in mind. Though the answer above may not be how you prioritize under the pressure of actual assignments, it does do a good job showing that you come at these problems with a plan.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Show that you have a plan.
• Make sure the plan includes how you choose priority and how you communicate.

Deadline Interview Question Number 1: Tell Me How You Work Under the Pressure of Deadlines?

Imagine if you worked at a place without deadlines. A place that allowed you to work at your own pace and finish whenever you like. Imagine that they still paid you. How long do you think that company would last before it completely went under?

Every job has deadlines, otherwise nothing would get accomplished. Companies that often have tight and stressful deadlines like to ask their applicants how they handle pressure. They do this for two reasons:

1. To make sure you understand that if you take the job, there is going to be a lot of pressure.
2. To see if you can prove to them that you handle deadline pressure well.

Obviously you are going to claim you handle pressure well. Do so with confidence, otherwise the company may doubt your resolve. Yet you can also shine a little with this question if you answer it correctly, by saying something that gives the company confidence you know what you are doing.

Bad Answer

“I work really well under pressure. In fact, I thrive.”

This doesn’t really say much, though good on you to claim that pressure is great. If it was great, it wouldn’t be pressure.

Good Answer

“Deadlines have always been more of a motivational tool. When I worked for Company XYZ, we often had to work triple time to meet some of the strict deadlines in the field. In the beginning it was difficult, because it was a new experience, but the more I got used to deadlines and what they require, the easier they became, and I suspect I will feel the same way towards any deadlines I may experience in this new position.”

Everyone can claim they can handle deadlines, but why should the company believe you? The best thing you can do is “prove” it to them by discussing deadlines you had at a previous employer.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Yes, you can handle deadlines.
• See if you can discuss pressure at a previous employer and how you handled it.

Interview Question: How Well Do You Handle Pressure?

There is no such thing as an easy job. Every job contains varying levels of stress, and all jobs require you to worry about something. Pressure is inherent in any job, because any job that doesn’t have pressure is a job that will probably be cut from the business.

Employers will sometimes ask you directly how well you handle pressure. Your job will probably have deadlines, people to report to, etc. Your job will have pressure. Guess how you should answer this question?

The Obvious Answer and How to Present It

Employers will ask you how well you handle pressure. Your answer is “Extremely Well.” That much should be obvious. You should answer the question confidently. You. Handle. Pressure. Well. Drive the point home. Don’t leave any doubt by thinking about your answer.

However, if you want to get bonus points with the employer, you should consider ways to expand on this answer. Anyone can say they handle pressure well, but you want to guarantee that you do with verbal proof.

How Do You Do That?

There are two ways to show the employer you can handle pressure well. The first is to give an example from your past job. You can answer the question thusly:

“Yes, I absolutely handle pressure well. At my previous employer, I was counted on every day to handle short deadlines and the management of funds and staff. A job is not a job if there is no pressure…”

Another way to answer the question is to simply expand your answer to something that makes you sound ready for the pressures of the job. A good example would be to say:

“Yes, I handle pressure well. In fact, in many ways I prefer it. Pressure keeps you focused, and ensures that you are motivated to be active and accomplish your tasks, and I enjoy that motivation…”

You will have to tailor an answer based on your experiences, but as you can see, both of these answers not only tell the employer that you can handle pressure, but that you are also ready for it. These types of answers are how you set yourself ahead of the pack. Most other applicants are going to say they handle pressure, but few applicants are going to expand on that answer and truly impress the employer with their response.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Always tell the interviewer that you handle pressure well.
• Expand on your answer to get bonus points with the employer.