Do you practice mindfulness? Do you schedule in a minute lunch break and force yourself to leave your desk? Do you run after work? This information will give interviewers a better glimpse into who you are and how you operate in and outside of the job. I was recently assigned a last-minute project.
Instead of panicking, I took a few moments to outline a schedule and map out my game plan. Then I got to work. I made sure to communicate my progress with my manager so that they could stay in the loop. If any problems came up, I looped them in so we could troubleshoot and continue to make progress. I was able to complete the project on time, and the client was thrilled. I don't like to let stress take over a situation.
Instead, I like to stay focused on the task at hand. For example, if a client isn't happy with our product, instead of dwelling on it, I like to focus on proactively communicating with them. I like to get to the bottom of the issue, troubleshoot it, and then find a common ground that'll allow us to move forward. I've found that a healthy amount of stress motivates me to stay on track and work as efficiently and effectively as possible.
For example, deadlines are important to me. If my manager doesn't give me deadlines, I set them for myself. That's how I'm able to consistently turn in assignments on time. Of course, you can add more details to each specific situation, but note how in these examples, the interviewee isn't dwelling on the negative and is instead highlighting their soft skills and the way they overcame the obstacle, not the negative emotions associated with it.
Curious about how you should answer this and other common interview questions? Get personalized advice from one of our professional interview coaches today!
I can handle this, too. Take three deep breaths Deep breathing is another simple strategy for alleviating in-the-moment tension.
Deep breathing also helps preempt stress symptoms if you need to, say, get on a tense conference call or deliver bad news in a performance review. Make a list Creating a to-do list that prioritizes your most important tasks is another way to combat feeling overwhelmed.
Next to each item, indicate when the task needs to be completed. That is because stress is contagious. Talk in a reasonable and matter-of-fact manner. Case study 1: Think positive thoughts Cha Cha Wang was seven months into her job as a business analyst at an online services company when her manager came to her one afternoon and asked for assistance. He needed her to turn around a comprehensive financial forecast for the company. And she had a week to finish it.
Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Remember to talk about situations where you successfully handled stress and came out on the other side as a better and wiser employee.
For behavioral interview questions like this, use the STAR situation, task, action, result method to keep your answer coherent. I feel that sometimes pressure can be a good thing, working under pressure has taught me how to prioritize and balance my workload.
I once had three very important assignments due the same week, but I completed each assignment on time because I meticulously organized and planned how I would tackle each project. I often find that stress is a great motivator for me and I work well under the pressure of a deadline for several projects at once. As an artist , I often find that I produce my most creative work when working with deadlines in place. I recently had projects in the works for multiple clients, but the stress of the situation just motivated me to work smarter and more efficiently.
I was able to deliver great finished products for each of the clients, and they were all happy with the final result.
This helps me stay positive and work to my fullest potential. At my last job, my manager quit without much notice, so our team had to scramble together to make sure our projects stayed on task. I was charged with managing the efforts of the team since I had the most intimate knowledge of all facets of the project.
While it was a stressful week, the end result was better than anyone expected, and my team and I felt proud of what we had accomplished. Stress and pressure are an essential part of my work.
Working as a writer and editor at my current job, there are always numerous deadlines and projects to keep track of. Recently, I had the deadlines moved up on an article series I was working on.
I had to write five articles in just two days while continuing to copyedit other projects. By creating a schedule and communicating with the graphics team early to have images ready for each article, I was able to stay on top of everything. I managed to finish all five articles, and one of them became the most popular one on our company website for the week with over 50, views. Giving a bad answer to this question can have a negative effect on your chances of getting a job offer.
It stands to reason that the most common interview questions also have some common mistakes to avoid. This is how you can avoid making a fool of yourself:. Drawing up detailed plans for projects and even my daily work helps me to get ahead of stressful situations. When stress does inevitably arise, planning helps me to tackle the situation one step at a time to prioritize what needs to be done in an efficient way for myself and my colleagues.
In fact, some of my best work in streamlining processes has come from a stressful situation. A healthy amount of pressure helps me produce efficient, quality work by giving me a picture of what my colleagues need from me and when. For example, I was working on a project with another team and we found there was a lot of duplicate work being done. By scheduling a weekly standup and keeping open lines of honest communication with our teams and managers, we pushed the project forward and ended up moving the needle on a company goal in a big way.
Depending on your answer and the employer, your interviewer may ask you follow-up questions. Be prepared to expand on or explain your answer if they want to know more details or understand the context of how you handle stress as related to the position. Here are a few examples of follow-up questions you might be asked:. Related: What to Bring to a Job Interview.
For example:. Everyone has different ways of handling stress, so taking time to consider how stress has appeared in your own work life and providing a thoughtful response will help your interviewer understand you better. Being self-aware about how you handle stress in the workplace is sure to set you apart during the interview process. Related: Questions to Ask in an Interview.
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