Do you have any experience with multitasking? How did you handle it?

Interviewer decided to reject the job application. We can see that the interviewed applicant is very sad to see that.

Interviewers try to understand whether you can prioritize your tasks, and possibly even work on more things simultaneously.

Can you convince them of your ability to identify the most important tasks from the list? Can you convince them of your time management skills?

Narrate a real situation from the past (or even a fictive one), showing them that you did not panic when the workload was heavy, and that you knew how to prioritize your tasks. Let’s have a look at some good answers.

Sample answers

Two women are looking at the computer screen, reading some interview answers

I do not believe in multitasking, at least not in a true sense of a word. Human brain is capable of focusing on one thing at a time. Of course we can brush our teeth and think about something else, but that’s possible only because teeth-cleaning is an automated process, something we do without thinking.

When I had to handle more tasks at a time, I always tried to focus on those tasks I couldn’t handle without focusing on them, such as answering phone calls. And while focusing on the main task, I took care of things such as organizing my desk, making coffee, typewriting, etc, since I could do them without thinking.

I have always worked on my time management skills, trying to learn how to organize my day properly. It rarely happens that I have to take care of two different tasks at the same time. I always prioritize my tasks in the morning, consult the schedule with my superiors, and work according to the schedule in the day. There’s no need for multitasking if you have a good schedule.

* Note: Interview question about multi-tasking is just one of thirty most common interview questions for administrative jobs. Are you ready for all other questions? You will find great answers to each question in Admin. Assistant Interview Package.

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