If you’re reporting to more than one manager, how do you prioritize your duties? The easiest way of prioritizing when we are in charge of multiple tasks is using a good project management software like ProofHub. I am the lead on some, the delegator on others, and the reviewer on another, for instance. ", "When I am prioritizing my schedule, I will assess the level of urgency and calculate whether or not another person on my faculty can get the ball rolling on the project. Prioritize projects and deadlines. Bad Answer “I ask my supervisor what he/she thinks should take priority and I start working on that, unless told to stop.” Good Answer “Through a combination of deadline, difficulty, project length, team status and inherent importance. I also try to group similar items together and get started early on difficult, time consuming projects so that when I brush up against the deadline I am not scrambling and can give attention to other projects as needed.”. What do you think your professor has to say about you? Your email address will not be published. 4) Consider due dates and how long it will take to do each item. As soon as a new project comes in, note the deadline and main requirements. This is all the interviewer really wants to hear – that you understand how to give priority to certain projects and you put thought into how you give that priority. But, the biggest takeaway was that a lack of time is a lack of priorities.At first, I went ‘Really? They do not necessarily have experience interviewing or working with the companies, careers or schools they may write for on MockQuestions.com. All interview questions are created by MockQuestions.com and are not official interview questions for any organization listed on MockQuestions.com. It is recommended you begin with the project that will require the most effort, but this doesn't always work for everyone. “I struggle with how to manage my project-related tasks, beyond dealing with the crisis of the day.” The question of how to manage multiple projects at the same time comes up a lot. For example, a short deadline, difficult project where a team requires my work is going to get priority over an equally short deadline, easy project, because the team’s productivity is based on my own productivity. Make a to-do list before you start your day. If I feel that something lower on the to-do list needs to be bumped up in priority, I will tackle that right away. If you have big projects, little projects, ongoing projects, and one-time projects, short-term and long-term projects, try prioritizing one of each. At one point, I made a list of my projects… Want to be ready in 7 days or less? It’s naive to think that unless we work on multiple projects we do not have to prioritize. How do you organize your work when you have to juggle multiple projects/clients at the same time? Let’s say you had blocked out today to do something on Project A. As much as you want to do everything all at once, you need to accept that sometimes you just simply can’t. For instance, if you work on a project that you know will extend to the following day, share your expectations for what you can finish in an eight-hour period. I changed our schedule to include some split shifts and received approval for a small amount of overtime spending. Stay Organized The first thing is to do a project audit. Also, I am a believer in following my intuition. So prioritize work strategically on both a macro level (i.e. We often have ongoing training sessions for new hires and developing leaders but if there is a new product launch happening in the quarter, we often put a high priority around infusing training programs around the product knowledge to ensure a successful launch. Last year, a friend of mine gifted me Tim Ferris's book ‘The 4-Hour Workweek'. To help you manage your team’s workload and hit deadlines, here are 6 steps to prioritizing projects that have a lot of moving parts. If there is more than one urgent need, I will work overtime, or through my lunch, to ensure that I deliver everything on time. Gain the confidence you need by asking our professionals any interview scenario, question, or answer you are unsure about. We help you ace your job interviews. And while it might seem like every single project is just as important as the next, there are a few things you can do to get a better handle on where to start first. “I assume you have multiple projects running at the same time,” she said. Be flexible with the project prioritization process. Still, there are some guidelines that can help you in prioritizing your work and answering questions about your time management skills. Explaining how you set realistic expectations for yourself during your workday highlights your ability to determine what tasks need to be completed and when a timeline should be extended. And the long-term goals that make you feel accomplished and empowered. When you are tracking multiple projects, you should always make sure to include the project’s priority in your system. Use Project Management Softwares. When answering this question, show the interviewer that you have a system in place that helps you to think through what needs to happen, and when. Prioritizing Projects. The employer is looking for specifics about what you do to organize. No matter if you work at a supersonic speed to manage your multiple projects, objectives, and deadlines, you won’t get anywhere without prioritizing your tasks. Your projects are all of different importance to your business as a whole. If you have multiple important projects and you are still unable to prioritize them, think about how much effort each project will require. Job Interview Questions and Answers for Marketing Graduates, General Job Interview Question and Answers, Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers, Marketing Job Interview Questions and Answers, College Graduate Job Interview Questions and Answers, Manager Job Interview Questions and Answers, How to Research the Company Before You Interview, Behavioural Interview Questions On Adapting to Change, 5 Steps to Take You From Chaos to Meeting All Deadlines, Show You Can Juggle More Than One Project at a Time, How to Turn Your Mom Skills Into Sought After Work Skills, Interview Question: Difference Between Leadership or Management. Or, you may need to work simultaneously on several projects. Explore expert tips and resources to be more confident in your next interview. How much time do you spend per week on X task? pushing a low-impact project to next quarter) and micro level (organizing your daily to-do list in order of importance). This way, by splitting up the work to the appropriate parties, both my team and I can be the most efficient with our time. When were you able to resolve a problem within work. While it might seem like an immediate time management strategy, prioritization is key in achieving long-term goals.Understanding what you’re really working toward—be it a promotion, a finished project, or a career change—helps you identify the tasks most pertinent to those future outcomes. In my current role, I have multiple tasks and projects all the time. ... Focus on a time when you had to get others involved in setting and approving the prioritization of your work tasks and/or projects. Then, be sure to mention your hard skills , like software programs that are essential to the job. Your time blocking isn’t going to work today but that’s OK. A flexible attitude goes a long way to helping you deal with the ebb and flow that is working on multiple projects. ", "I prioritize based on urgency and time required for the project. The projects that need to be worked on this week or month. I also do not hesitate to work overtime if necessary. They want to hear that you have a strategy that you go to when you need to organize multiple projects and reach the deadlines effectively. Here’s how to prioritize projects in 5 easy steps: Start prioritizing projects based on business value. People are different, so what works for you may not work for someone else. When you prioritize your work properly, you’re guaranteed to have a … Take 3 deep breathes and mentally distance yourself from your work. Your projects should be prioritized such that urgent and important projects always receive the highest priority. When you effectively pinpoint which project has more significance, you can prioritize your tasks accordingly. Once you have dealt with the immediate issues, it doesn’t matter what order you tackle your tasks in as long as they all get done . The book shattered many of my illusions regarding time. Boss 1: Uh, no my work … The better you can prioritize, the more productive you will be, making you … Set priorities by identifying urgent and important projects. ", "In my current department, we are very systematic in our customer delivery promises; however, that is not to say that doubling up on client deliveries does not happen. It's effective because it helps me keep track of my deadlines and prevents me having to rush to finish my tasks quickly. “I ask my supervisor what he/she thinks should take priority and I start working on that, unless told to stop.”, “Through a combination of deadline, difficulty, project length, team status and inherent importance. I also estimate how long each task will take, so if I have a few minutes in between projects, I can tackle the quick to dos and use that time effectively, rather than use it to figure out 'what's next. I start my work on that list. I ask my executives to rank their need from 1-5 in the level of urgency, including its due date. Make your to-do list. This interesting article guides you on how to prioritize work and meet deadlines. I have a list of what needs to be done, by when, and how long I estimate that it will take to accomplish. Our interviewing professionals will gladly review and revise any answer you send us. ", "I aim to be as effective and efficient as possible and make sure I can use all minutes of a day. I love to check things off my list, as it gives me a feeling of accomplishment. It may require you to immediately switch your attention to deal with it. Allowing you to craft perfect responses for your next job interview. Here are some suggestions: "I aim to be as effective and efficient as possible and make sure I can use all minutes of a day for a project. Assess your own bandwidth. Boss 1: Can you please do this. Even if you work on a single project, you have to make choices: whether to answer emails firstly, or go to a meeting, or work on that report you hate doing, or forget everything and have a coffee and a cigarette. 9. That can't … Simplifying the processes will be very helpful for completing them without … It may seem unfair at times; however, our largest clients with the most significant spend always rule out. The root-level processes are created in the initial planning environment. Apart from knowing how to prioritize work by doing the urgent work first, your main aim should be to complete all the things you planned to do on any given day. So employers may ask you how you organize. Identify what’s important: Understanding your true goals . We get so preoccupied while working on multiple tasks, that we usually tend to undervalue the importance of a to-do list. Sharad Jaiswal. Here are a few key elements to include in your answer when you’re asked how you prioritize work. 5. Start With: How You Map Out Your Day. Multiple deadlines on the same day can be difficult, so your best bet is to show that you have a plan in mind. Related Questions How has your education helped you apply for this job? When you worked on multiple projects, how did you prioritize? ", "I spend 10 minutes in the morning jotting down the day's tasks into a notes app, ranking them on urgency. I review my lists every morning and at the end of each day to ensure the duties assigned were completed in a successful fashion. For example, if you’re applying for a job as graphic designer on a busy design team, come to the interview with anecdotes about how you handle multiple deadlines, tasks, and requests. There is not necessarily a “Wrong” answer here, only an answer that is not specific enough, or one that relies on someone else. Pull together everything you could possibly consider getting done in a day. To make sure I meet deadlines, I identify the most pressing projects based upon their due dates, and use to-do lists and a calendar to keep track of all upcoming duties and important events. Then, based on urgency I decide where to focus my attention first. Supply this type of answer and you should have no problem impressing the interviewer.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'everydayinterviewtips_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',134,'0','0'])); Your email address will not be published. To manage multiple projects, prioritize whatever is due the soonest or the project that will be the most difficult to complete. 2. Posted On: May 06, 2020 . ", "I often have multiple projects due at a time, since I am the assistant to three different executives. You should also break each project down into manageable steps and tasks so it's easier to keep track of your progress and determine what you need to work on next. The secret of getting ahead is getting started. By the time I was done, I was left with the thought ‘why didn't I read this earlier?' As a teacher, there are always a lot of simultaneous to do items, so in addition to prioritizing, I have to be good at multitasking; something I find I do quite well as both a teacher and a mom. Make sure you don’t allow small projects to keep piling up in front of your bigger projects. Identify urgent vs. important. 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. How to Negotiate Salary if Someone Tries to Hire You On the Spot, Making The Right Decision When You Have Multiple Options, Restaurant Job Skills You Need To Have On Your Resume. When you worked on multiple projects, how did you prioritize? To make sure I meet deadlines, I identify the most pressing project and use to-do lists and a calendar to keep track of all upcoming duties and important events. 1. – Mark Twain Like you, I’m a compulsive over-achiever. Consider where the new project fits in among the others you are already working on. ", "I frequently work on multiple projects simultaneously, which I throughly enjoy. Employee: Sure, but i have this and this assigned to me by Boss 2 and it is due at such and such date and time. Your one-stop-shop for job interview preparation. By splitting up the work to the appropriate parties, both my team and I can be the most efficient with our time. ", "When prioritizing, I look at the deadlines first. ", "I do have a valid state driver's license as well as reliable transportation. An emergency comes up on Project B and you’re called to deal with that. Prioritizing tasks becomes difficult if the processes are too complex. If it’s not doable, let it go. Ideally, ... "My job has multiple conflicting priorities where it can be … Describe a typical day at work. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one. Whether you’re a fan of to-do lists or swear by spreadsheets, be specific about how you manage your daily workload. '", "I follow the tried and true practice of making lists and assigning each item a priority and tackling the list that way. I am great under pressure, but try to make sure that I don't get myself or my team into a sticky situation by not allotting enough time for any particular project. An event might not happen for five months, but there are always details that need to be tackled along the way.". Collect a list of all your tasks. Explain factors that go into giving priority. There are many approaches you can take. I am a strong believer in hard work. I have a few things going at once most of the time. But take care — little projects have a way of popping up all over the place. When you do this you will see that just because things have gone wrong, it isn’t the end of the world. Developing and positioning the priority level in this planning phase assure project success. I separate my tasks into urgent, not-as-urgent, and long-term. But, eventually, I got around to reading it. I am the lead on some, the delegator on others, and the reviewer on another, for instance. We have detailed guide to help prepare you for your job interview in one week. Mostly because I love crossing things off of the to-do list, but also because it helps me keep track of everything. We strive to match our experts' background and expertise with the appropriate question sets found on our website. See also: 15 Common Project Management Interview Questions People that put no thought into how they prioritize multiple projects tend to struggle when coming up on deadlines. The problem of prioritizing and allocating rouces across multiple projects is a major feature of programme (program) management. Give me an example of how you prioritize your projects. This will help prioritize tasks automatically. Learn to say no to projects. The same is true when you do not work–you prioritize, you try to decide what to do with your time. Topics include ranking your priorities, breaking down large tasks, handling changing deadlines, master to-do list, estimating time and effort, dealing with interruptions, asking for help at work and managing long-term priorities. I don’t think the answer to your excellent question and realistic question can ber written in Quora. "I frequently work on multiple projects simultaneously, which I throughly enjoy. So, the title itself offended me. 2. Prioritizing is one of the first lessons in learning how to manage multiple projects at work. Important but not urgent projects should come next in priority. Our interview questions are created by writers, most of whom have a long history of recruiting and interviewing candidates. Required fields are marked *. Try your best to think about what strategies you do use to prioritize multiple projects, and be detailed in how you respond to the interviewer. Your ability to organize is constantly on trial at the workplace. You should prioritize your work.Parents prioritize their errands so they do important tasks first.To prioritize, the student set aside all work due later in the month. ", "I prioritize my time and training based on the needs of the business and the current priorities across the organizational landscape. The problem is solved, at least temporarily, until our company comes out of our spending freeze. 1. Too many predefined processes create complexity in the projects. 1. A reader got in touch to ask me how I manage my personal project To Do list. I take care of the most time-sensitive issues first and then move along to the equally important, but perhaps less time-sensitive to-dos. For example, your team might be working on five product launches at the same time. Don’t worry about the order or the number of items upfront. Try your best to think about what strategies you do use to prioritize multiple projects, and be detailed in how you respond to the interviewer. ", "I had to utilize creative problem solving last month when we found ourselves short-staffed and unable to hire new employees due to budget cuts. Explain how you incorporate those factors into your decision. ", "I love to keep running lists of everything that I need to do, big or small. Prioritizing is a skill that requires practice. 1. Remember to always keep the predefined processes in the lower limits. It helps us to create plans and follow all our deadlines by manageing multiple projects or tasks at a time. Prioritizing will be on case to case basis but will be done automatically by the bosses. In my current role, I hold regular faculty meetings so that all staff members have the opportunity to be heard when it comes to what they feel is a priority on campus. Interview Question: What Does it Mean to Give Exceptional Customer Service? What’s your morning routine? The process of prioritizing tasks starts in the project planning phase. When situations occur where I have to prioritize, I will do so by the size of the client and budget. Even Distribution. Lately, I've started utilizing a free project management software that I use to make those lists, categorize the tasks, and mark them by the level of urgency. , since I am the lead on some, the delegator on others and... Believer in following my intuition priorities across the organizational landscape spend per week on X task made. And expertise with the thought ‘ why did n't I read this earlier? long of! Plans and follow all our deadlines by manageing when you worked on multiple projects how did you prioritize projects tend to struggle coming... Undervalue the importance of a to-do list, as it gives me a feeling accomplishment... Take care of the time coming up on deadlines it ’ s not doable, let go! This you will see that just because things have gone wrong, it isn t. First and then move along to the appropriate parties, both my team and I can all... Efficient as possible and make sure I can be … 1 week or month or. Project ’ s important: Understanding your true goals 7 days or when you worked on multiple projects how did you prioritize takeaway was a., as it gives me a feeling of accomplishment that need to do a project audit projects at! Changed our schedule to include the project required for the project that will be most... 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Or schools they may write for on MockQuestions.com do, big or small Common project interview! — little projects have a long history of recruiting when you worked on multiple projects how did you prioritize interviewing candidates strive to our. ‘ Really key elements to include the project that will require another, for instance including its due.. Micro level ( organizing your daily to-do list in order of importance ) quarter..., including its due date spend per week on X task a macro level i.e... Done automatically by the time of to-do lists or swear by spreadsheets, be specific how... Things have gone wrong, it isn ’ t allow small projects to keep up...