When I have several projects going on at once, I make
internal deadlines for each project and keep track of my
progress relative to these deadlines.
I note all the due dates and additional information about
each project, such as to whom I've delegated parts
of the projects.
I can tell at a glance when internal deadlines
are coming up.
This system has been quite useful for me for the past
several years.
I've never been fired, but I have been laid off.
The company I was working for was in its fifth consecutive
quarter of losses, and I was the one in my department
with the least seniority.
When I was a freshman in college, I was a typical
freshman - concerned more with my social life
than my grades.
I was a part of a group project in a science course.
I let my fraternity commitments take precedence
over my group.
I let them down.
When I saw how hard the rest of the group had to work to
make up for my part, I decided then and there that
I would never let that happen again.
Even though I earned a "C" in the class, I retook the class
because I knew I could do better.
This time around, I led the group and we earned an "A."
But more importantly, I earned the respect
of my peers.
Though my supervisor rated me as superior in all areas,
he did note that I needed to work more on delegating my
authority rather than taking on an entire project myself.
I found that once I worked on getting to know each of
my co-workers on a more personal level, I felt much
more comfortable sharing the workload.
As a result, our department was more cohesive than many
of the others during the last departmental review.
That's a tough question... One of my strong points is
that I am assertive.
When I want to say or do something, I analyze the
situation, then I act accordingly.
Another strong point is that I love to learn.
I enjoy reading, even reading computer manuals.
Now for my weakness... I guess it would be that I sometimes
get too involved in projects.
I like things to be done well, and I've been involved
in many situations in which if it was going to be done
right, I would have to be the one to do it.
However, I have recently discovered the art
of delegation.
The company I worked for conducted annual
performance reviews.
Sometimes they would also conduct a mid-year review to
recognize outstanding performance.
On my first evaluation, I earned excellent marks in
all areas except for delegation.
I wanted to be deeply involved in every project
in the department.
Once I got to know my employees and co-workers on
a more personal level, I felt more comfortable in trusting
them with responsibilities.
I'm proud to say that on my most recent evaluation,
I excelled in all areas.
My supervisor noted that she was impressed with my
delegating abilities now.
About the only disappointment I had was that I could not
spend more time working on my projects there.
I succeeded at everything I started, but I was finishing
my education at night, so I was not able to put in the
overtime like I was used to.
Because I could not do everything myself, I learned
how to delegate my authority more effectively.
I truly enjoy working with computers and learning
new software programs.
That's one of the reasons I was so interested
in this position.
My first big accomplishment was convincing my manager
that computerizing our records would be a
great timesaver.
My second accomplishment was getting through my first year
with a 50% decrease in staff turnover.
My third accomplishment was finishing my degree while
working full-time.
I maintained a high grade-point average in
college and never missed a day of work.