MyCIMA

How would you answer this interview question

Posted: Thursday 02 September 2010 by Ronaldo McDonaldo
Replies : 2
A while ago I went to an interview where I was asked what I would do in a situation where I was given some really important work to by my line manager that needed to be done within a couple of days but then a bit later on the Chief Executive came along with some other important work that needed to be done in the same time. So what would you tell the interviewer, it always bothered me about what the best answer would be.

I would....

Posted by OI on Thursday 02 September 2010 14:30

say to the CEO that I have some work to do for my line manager within same time frame. Best to be straight forward and open in such circumstances I reckon.

I am sure the CEO will then speak to the line manager and agree on priority of both tasks.

But I have worked for some fiendish CEO's that will not take no for answer and expect everything to be done like yesterday.... in that case I would accept the task then have a chat with my line manager and hopefully split the task with him/her.... the line manager that is.

Ronaldo - What was your answer and did you get the job or least a 2nd interview?

 

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Posted by Ronaldo McDonaldo on Thursday 02 September 2010 15:15
I didn't get the job. The way they put it was quite a closed question, as though it seemed like the answer was an either/or answer rather than what you would do in an ideal world. So I think I said I'd do what the CEO told me too and explain to my line manager that the boss has asked me to do something. It seemed like whatever answer I'd have given would have been wrong anyway.