Important Multitasking Skills Employers Value

Important Multitasking Skills Employers ValueImportant Multitasking Skills Employers ValueThere are very few jobs that dont require multitasking skills of some sort or another. Employees rarely have the luxury of focusing on one task at a time in todays work world. Most jobs require employees to balance competing demands for their time and energy, and employers expect you to be able to handle multiple priorities. Even if you dont think you do much of it, you are most likely multitasking much of the time. When youre job searching, employers will want to know that you have the ability to multitask successfully. So, its importantto be ready to share examples, during your job interviews, of how you have handledmultiple tasks or projects in the past. What Is Multitasking? Multitasking entails juggling different work activities and shifting attention from one task to another. Ideally, an employee will be able to meet the demands of several different stakeholders without dropping the ba ll. The danger in multitasking is that effectiveness can be compromised if the worker tries to carry out too many tasks at the saatkorn time. Modern technology complicates the situation for many workers since they are expected to handle simultaneous demands through emaille, text messages, phone calls, and in-person contact with constituents. Its become the norm to check your phone and your email while working on other tasks. Jobs that require intense concentration on complex tasks and also entail frequent interaction with others can be particularly challenging. It can be hard to focus when youre trying to do too many things at once, and its important to be able to manage your workload. How (and How Not) to Successfully Multitask Employees who multitask effectively must be able to rotate their concentration smoothly and entirely from one activity to another. In order to multitask successfully, workers must be able to prioritize tasks and address the most critical and pressing dem ands first. Its also important to know when multitasking is a bad idea. There are certain jobs and tasks where you need to work on one thing at a time. Be cognizant of that when youre interviewing and be sure to tailor your response to questions to the job youre being considered for. Examples of Multitasking in Various Professions The following list features examples and situations in which one would be expected to multitask based on their career path. Industries in this list range from hospitality to medicine, and design to finance. See if you can recognize any familiar situations that apply to you. If you can, remember to bring up any applicable experience when explaining your multitasking capabilities to a future employer. Answering the phone while greeting visitors in a busy reception areaCarrying out work on three different graphic design projects at varying stages of completionCompleting five different meal orders at the same timeDesigning a new website while updating othe r sitesDisciplining a student who is acting out while teaching a lessonDriving a bus while quieting a verbally abusive passengerFielding calls from distressed investors while managing portfolios during a downturn in the marketManaging several social media accounts while working on email marketing tasks Monitoring air traffic patterns and directing aircraftPolishing a press release while finalizing the details for a promotional eventPreparing a lecture, generating a grant proposal, interacting with advisees who drop in, and providing input to a committee chairPreparing a sales presentation while fielding a complaint from another customerPrioritizing complaints in a customer service officeProcessing closing documents for a variety of real estate dealsProcessing insurance paperwork, scheduling appointments, greeting patients, and answering the phone in a dental office Refining computer programs while responding to the needs of in-house usersResponding to the call button from patients w hile recording case notesRevising the wertmiger zuwachs review process while answering employee questions about benefitsScheduling workers while managing their job responsibilitiesServing drinks, finalizing checks, taking orders, and delivering food while it is still hot to restaurant patronsTriaging patients in the emergency roomWriting a performance appraisal while fielding a call from the boss and finding a replacement for an absent worker Writing a proposal for a remodeling job while scheduling subcontractors More Skills You Need to Get Hired Multitasking is just one of the skills employers seek in candidates they hire. Organizational skills are a high priority. Review this list of the top skills employers look for, along with the job-specific skills required for a variety of occupations. How to Demonstrate Your Skills If a job announcement you are interested in specifically says that the ideal candidate for the position must have strong multitasking skills, then its a good idea to sit down before your interview and list instances where you have had to multitask either in your previous jobs or, if you are a recent college graduate, as part of your coursework.Once you have two or three examples you know that you can elaborate upon, youll be more than prepared to show (as opposed to simply telling) your interviewers that youre the multitasking rock star theyre seeking.