interview question...

[oscarose]

Any suggestions on how to answer the interview question that goes...

'how do you prioritise to hit tight deadlines whilst working on muliple projects?'

Sensible answers please.

[Ticktock]

I've always gone with the obvious answer, and it seems to have worked so far:

No matter how many projects there are, some will always have "hard deadlines", such as go live dates or other deliverables, so of course concentrate on those first. If projects are reliant on others being completed first, then it's just a case of mapping out the overall flow into a logical order and working from that.

Or something similar.

[oscarose]

I've always gone with the obvious answer, and it seems to have worked so far:

No matter how many projects there are, some will always have "hard deadlines", such as go live dates or other deliverables, so of course concentrate on those first. If projects are reliant on others being completed first, then it's just a case of mapping out the overall flow into a logical order and working from that.

Or something similar.

Thanks that's useful.

I've used 'Moscow' re; prioritising question:-

Must have
Should have
Could have
Wait

[scooterscot]

Trick question.

I seek to avoid deadlines by planning my work accordingly.

[NotAllThere]

Any suggestions on how to answer the interview question that goes...

'how do you prioritise to hit tight deadlines whilst working on muliple projects?'

Sensible answers please.

I work on multiple projects frequently. I always manage to deliver to everyone's satisfaction, but I'm not sure how I do it. I do enjoy dancing on the cusp of the catastrophe curve. I've noticed that while I don't get stressed, the people around me frequently do - they should trust me more.

That's how I actually work. But in an interview, I'd probably say something about the urgent/~urgent/important/~important matrix.

[bobspud]

The obvious answer although it won't get you a job is this:

So your firm hired people that are unable to set requirements and understand project contention, however rather than starting to try and understand enterprise capability and prioritise projects in terms of delivery and business benefit you prefer to shotgun everything at a target and see what sticks then complain when the rest of the buckshot misses the target completely? The only answer to this is you want me to risk my health and mental well being so you can continue in your bad habits? Personally my approach would not to juggle your ill conceived idea of priority and try to show you how doing things in the right order not only delivers what your company wants but improves the speed and efficiency while doing it. But don't hire me to dump your unsolvable issues...

[SussexSeagull]

Actually answer is someone else should be able to tell you what your priorities are.

[oscarose]

The obvious answer although it won't get you a job is this:

So your firm hired people that are unable to set requirements and understand project contention, however rather than starting to try and understand enterprise capability and prioritise projects in terms of delivery and business benefit you prefer to shotgun everything at a target and see what sticks then complain when the rest of the buckshot misses the target completely? The only answer to this is you want me to risk my health and mental well being so you can continue in your bad habits? Personally my approach would not to juggle your ill conceived idea of priority and try to show you how doing things in the right order not only delivers what your company wants but improves the speed and efficiency while doing it. But don't hire me to dump your unsolvable issues...

I like the tone.

Will be worth not getting the job to see the reaction!

[oscarose]

Actually answer is someone else should be able to tell you what your priorities are.

True; but not a good answer...

[bobspud]

I like the tone.

Will be worth not getting the job to see the reaction!

Its a serious response aimed at figuring out just how much of a bunch of morons I am on the verge of working with. I am on blood pressure tablets for the rest of my life mostly thanks to five years of truly Trojan epic nasty projects. I am at a position where I can notice a correlation between broken companies and ones that like to give their humans unmanageable tasks one after another and relying on them getting to the verge of death achieving them.

I like solving problems, not herding cats - not designing without requirements - and most of all not trying to build out solutions in three months despite the fact that the companies own procedures ensure it takes six at best.

I'd rather let the job go to someone else