How Do You Manage Your Time? (With 10 Sample Interview Answers)

Time is not a myth. Every organization in this world has a limited amount of time that must be utilized judiciously. The employees working for their respective companies must try and make the most of every minute available to them in order to ensure that targets are met and the company achieves profitability. They are asked about their time management skills while attending the interview process and hence preparing for the same becomes vital.

Why Is This Question Asked?

Businesses operate in a highly competitive world that is dynamic as well as marred by various circumstances ranging from competition to political. No employer wants to hire people that are lethargic and work with a casual attitude. The primary purpose of this question is to assess your attitude towards meeting deadlines and working under high-pressure situations.

Time Management – Ways and Obstacles

Effective ways to manage time	Obstacles in time management
1) Prioritize tasks	1) Doing multi-tasking
2) Don’t waste energy on non-productive tasks	2) Too many distractions
3) De-clutter your desk	3) Gossiping with nonserious colleagues
4) Organize your schedule smartly	4) Daydreaming
5) Don’t work regularly, take breaks	5) Lack of intent
6) Get enough sleep, to stay energetic and alert	6) Lethargy and casual attitude towards work

How To Answer This Question Effectively?

1) Start On A Positive Note

Always start your answer in a way that shows, you are aware, how important time management is and how effective it proves to be at workplaces.

2) Tell Them Your Own Honest Ways

Almost everyone in his or her life has felt a need wherein he or she is required to manage time. The best way to answer this question is to share those ways with your interviewer in a logical and sequential manner so that he or she keeps engaged and listens to you carefully.

3) Don’t Use Fillers

Your every answer must be well thought and prepared. Using fillers while answering your question, would give an impression that you are under prepared and not serious about the position.

Top Ten Best Answers

An employee who is smart enough to manage his working hours is always preferred and has a higher chance of selection. The question relating to time management is pervasive and is asked in almost all the interviews being held around the globe for almost all the positions. Thus, one must prepare for it smartly and thoroughly. Here is a list of the ten best responses:

Sample Answer One

I understand that managing time is an important skill while being in employment as we all have limited working hours. To make the best of them, I try to manage my energy levels rather than focusing on managing my time. I always focus on achieving the result rather than concentrating on the problem. This further helps me to save my valuable time.

Sample Answer Two

Time management is important to achieve efficiency in one’s work profile. I completely understand its relevance and strive hard to achieve manage my time. For that, I prioritize my daily tasks, with the toughest being at the top and the easiest ones at the bottom of the list. I attempt tough tasks first and then move on to the easier ones. This way I am able to complete all the tasks allotted for the day.

Sample Answer Three

I can proudly say that I am able to manage my time efficiently. For this purpose, I never try to multi-task and concentrate my 100% on a single task. This way I remain productive throughout my working day. Focusing on one task at a time, helps me to remain sharp and I don’t lose my attention. This helps me a lot in managing my time usefully.

Sample Answer Four

I have my own unique way to manage my time. For this, I prioritize tasks and take regular short breaks after completing each and every task. That short break allows you to refresh and calms your cranial nerves. After rewarding my brain with a short break, it fuels up and gives me a lot of energy to perform my task within time and efficiently. This works for me perfectly and I wish to replicate the same at your prestigious institution.

Sample Answer Five

Time is a useful resource, if managed well it can do wonders and if not it can destroy you. I believe, lethargy and nonchalance are the biggest contributors to wasting one’s valuable time. In order to manage my time, I always refrain from laziness and lethargy. For this, I exercise and perform yoga on a daily basis. This helps me to stay active throughout the day and I am able to give my 100% to each and every task thrown in my way.

Sample Answer Six

Achieving deadlines is common and every organization wants their employees to complete the project or task within that deadline. I am fully prepared for this as I am able to manage my time beneficially. For this, I set small goals for myself, like I have to complete this task within 30 minutes or I have to complete this task before lunch. This helps me to stay vigilant and by this, I am always consumed in my work increasing my efficiency leaps and bounds.

Sample Answer Seven

In my humble opinion, avoiding distractions, useless gossips and blarney can help everyone in saving their own productive time. I always stay away from these back door gossips and try to remain focus on my tasks for the day. By doing this I always observe that I am able to complete all my tasks, well within time. Personally, I avoid colleagues who are only interested in wasting their own as well as somebody’s time.

Sample Answer Eight

The best way to manage time is to prepare the list of various tasks to be performed on the next day, the previous day itself. I follow this technique and I am able to save at least 30 to 40 minutes of working hours. This way, I never ponder as to what I have to do next. Having a list of tasks, right in front of one’s eyesight gives relief and one is able to manage them effectively.

Sample Answer Nine

I believe, when one is able to finish one’s tasks on time, one is left with ample spare time, which can be utilized by performing tasks that are clerical and can be shifted to the next day. This habit of shifting those shift-able tasks is a very bad one, and can one day eat up one’s entire prime time. Hence, I get plenty of sleep and always try to complete all my tasks, no matter they are important or not.

Sample Answer Ten

I believe there are several factors that lead to wastage of time. For me personally, it is having an unorganized desk. When one is not aware of the location of various files or may be where will one get his or her pencil or eraser, this wastes time. Hence, I always try to organize everything on my desk, by shifting less important files to below and keeping my table spick and span with all the important stationery items right in front of my eye-site.

Conclusion

Considering the high level of competition among the positions advertised, it is advisable that a candidate prepares for each and every question thoroughly. Time management is a skill, always on the radar of prospective employers. hence, one must strive to master it. If you like our articles, than don’t forget to share them with your family and friends. Also, do let us know in the comments section below, how helpful our articles are for you.

References

1. https://europepmc.org/article/med/1828679