Interviewers occasionally ask applicants questions about prioritization and organization. So check out my example answer to the interview question: “How do you stay organized?“
Other questions that require a similar answer are “How do you keep yourself organized at work?” OR “What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?”
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The reason why interviewers ask this question is to hear what kind of systems, techniques or software tools someone uses to remain organized. In the end, they seek candidates that can handle a large workload and hectic work schedules. Down below you can find a perfect example answer:
Example Answer
For job seekers WITH EXPERIENCE
“Actually, I’m very organized and this has definitely come in handy at my previous job. At the beginning of each week I read through my emails and categorized them using color-code labels.
I then reviewed my Google Calendar, set reminders about upcoming events, scheduled meetings and created a to-do list using a different software tool called Trello.
There were moments at work when priorities changed or unforeseen circumstances appeared, but I always did my utmost to adjust quickly and respond to urgent tasks the same day.”
Example Answer
For job seekers WITH NO EXPERIENCE
“Well, for more complex tasks and project management I use apps like Trello, Asana or Todoist, and for scheduling events I use Google or Apple Calendar. My personal favorites are Trello, the notes-app on my phone or a simple notebook. I like using both digital and physical ways to get tasks out of my head and then organize my workflow.
I built this habit of writing down everything that comes to mind after I heard that the average person can only remember around 7 things in their short-term memory. It’s also hard to have clarity on what you need to prioritize when you don’t know what you are prioritizing. In college, it definitely proved to be effective and productive to have a good system in place.”
TIPS
√ Do share your organization and time management strategies. Show that you’ve a system in place and can manage unforeseen large workloads or tackle hectic work weeks.
X Don’t sound too rigid or nitty-gritty. It’s very important to come across as a flexible candidate that is able to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.