Are you a procrastinator or a "prioritzor?"

Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash

Maybe you’ve never had a job interview before. Maybe you’ve had many of them. Some questions will be invariably easier to answer than others.

 

But one question you need to be ready for is this one: “What is your greatest weakness?”

 

I’ve been interviewed many times and I’ve had to interview potential employees many times.

 

When this question is asked, it is painful (and sometimes humorous) to watch some of the potential job candidates squirm in their seats as they struggle to find an answer to their “greatest weakness.”

 

Sometimes, I’ve had potential candidates be bold enough to state that, “I can’t think of any area for improvement,” or even “I have no weaknesses that I can think of.”

 

Guess what?

 

They weren’t hired.

 

Their huge ego or their lack of introspection was obviously an area of weakness. Maybe both.

 

Even if the candidates were all-stars in each and every area of their job function, there has to be at least one area that isn’t as good as the others. Everyone can improve. Everyone should strive for perfection. If you aren’t perfect, then there is still room to grow and improve.

 

If you are perfect, then why are you in a job interview in the first place?

 

If we don’t have the ability to honestly self-evaluate our current abilities, then we won’t know what areas of our life (personal or professional) need improvement.

 

I don’t want to hire an employee that isn’t willing to admit areas of weakness and improve on them, and neither does your potential employer.

 

Admittedly, we don’t want to bring up all of our skeletons during our initial job interview. But we must be prepared to have a satisfactory answer for this question.

 

While many of my friends and colleagues would be quick to identify many of my areas of weakness, years ago I came up with my standard my standard “go-to” answer during a job interview:

 

“I am deadline driven.”

 

I have always been deadline-driven. If you want something done by the 15th of the month, don’t expect me to provide it to you on the 10th. If you want it on the 10th — you need to tell me that up front. I will do whatever it takes to meet the deadline, but don’t expect it any earlier.

 

My wife always tells me that my weakness is because I procrastinate.

 

I will tell you it is because I prioritize.

 

I try to fit as much as I possibly can into both my personal and work lives. When she tells me that she wants me to paint the kitchen, I let her know that I will “get to it.” Of course, I never do.

 

Why?

 

Because she hasn’t given me a deadline.

 

So — am I a procrastinator or a “prioritzor?” The truth is that I am neither a procrastinator nor a “prioritizor.” While some people may be true procrastinators, I am not one of them.

 

There have been many times in my life that I fell victim to the Student Syndrome — a term that refers to “planned” procrastination, but I don’t think I am a victim of this today.

 

I remember back in college I was certainly guilty of falling prey to the Student Syndrome. I would wait until the last possible moment to start a research a paper and then pull an all-nighter to get it completed and turned into my professor. Why did I put it off for so long? I had other, non-important but far more enjoyable things to do, like football games, basketball games, socializing and watching TV.

 

While I may not be guilty of the Student Syndrome now, I am certainly guilty of falling victim to Parkinson’s Law.

 

Parkinson’s Law is generally expressed as the phrase “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

 

If I have a deadline to complete something in 4 weeks, it will be done in 4 weeks.

 

If I have the same task but only given two weeks to complete it, it will generally be done in two weeks. Nothing has changed but the deadline.

 

To meet the condensed deadline, I have to prioritize. What can I put off in order to make certain that I can get the other assigned task done within 2-weeks time? If I have excess time, I will try fit in something that is a higher priority and finish the task later. Or I may have to delay other non-pressing tasks (like painting the kitchen) in order to meet the 2-week deadline. Either way, I have to prioritize.

 

You may look at the terms Parkinson’s Law and Student Syndrome as being the same thing.

 

I do not.

 

With Student Syndrome, you intentionally put something off because you just don’t want to do it. With Parkinson’s Law, you continue to do the amount of work that is required so that it is still accomplished within the given time period.

 

Keep in mind that Parkinson’s Law, or the phrase, “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion” can be a double-edged sword for employers.

 

Some employers may give highly-motivated and highly-productive team members a shorter time period to compete their tasks knowing full well that the employee will do whatever they have to do in order to meet that deadline.

 

Other employers — one’s that are not familiar with Parkinson’s Law — may give too much time between assigning the task and the deadline for completion. What happens in this case? All too often, work will “expand” so that it takes the entire allotted time. (We will sometimes refer to this a “billing-and-chilling” in my industry.) They employee could finish quicker, but they drag their feet, don’t work as hard as they should, and bill the company unnecessarily while “taking it easy.”

 

It is important for an employer to set reasonable deadlines and expectations so that employees don’t get abused by Parkinson’s Law (being assigned too much work in a short period of time) and so they don’t abuse the company by Parkinson’s Law (dragging their feet so that the employee is unproductive and doesn’t get the work accomplished until the required deadline.)

 

Employers that understand Parkinson’s Law should establish reasonable time expectations for the actual work that needs to be accomplished — not too much and not too little. It needs to be just right to maintain optimum productivity.

 

So, there you have it.

 

I am neither a procrastinator or a “prioritizor.”

 

I guess I am a “Parkinsonian” — guilty of falling victim to Parkinson’s Law.

 

Regardless, I am still deadline-driven, and some employers may view this as an area of weakness.

 

Now, time for some introspection:

 

What is your greatest area of weakness? How will you respond during a job interview?

Updated: TOP 11 Pointers for Successfully Completing College!

“Where’s my syllabus to guide me through life?”
– Megan McCafferty

1. On the first day of class, the instructor will give you something called a "syllabus." 

Do NOT throw this away. (I did my first semester and learned this the hard way). 

This is NOT high school and the instructors will NOT constantly remind you about upcoming assignments, due dates, quizzes and tests. If it is in the syllabus, it is due and expected on the date of the syllabus. Don't lose it. Don’t expect professors to accept “late” work for half-credit. 

You aren’t in high school anymore. 

“I used to keep my college roommate from reading my personal mail by hiding it in her textbooks.”
- Joan Walsh Anglund

2. Text books – even digital ones - are expensive. 

Someone may try to steal them. Write your name on the same page number of all your books. (I always put my name on Page 77 – my old high school football jersey number.) If you think someone has your book, you can help prove it by asking them to go to your page number.

“If You Aren't Taking Notes, You Aren't Learning”
– Ben Casnocha

3. Take notes. Detailed. Lengthy. Copious.

Most high school kids never learn how to take notes. Write down whatever the professor says. Odds are, they will verbally review what is important to THEM. Remember, you're not in high school anymore. Many professors have egos the size of Montana. Most of them don't care what is in the text book - they will test you on what THEY think is important. This means that you could read the entire textbook and never be tested on a single word in that text book. (Of course, this will vary subject-to-subject, but take great notes in every class.)

You have to take great notes. And then, before taking a test, review your notes and then review them some more. 

“Old professors never die, they just lose their faculties.”
- Stephen Fry

4. Professors love getting to know the students. 

At least once or twice a semester, stay after to ask a question even if you have to make one up. 

Some may call this "brown-nosing." (Call it “networking” if that term is more appealing to you.) 

Whatever you call it, I call it a smart move to help get the professor on your side and to take an interest in you. Show up at least one time a semester to the professor's office hours and ask a question. Let them know you are interested in the subject and care about your grade and performance. This will in turn help them take a greater personal interest in helping you achieve success. 

“You want to see an angry person? Let me hear a cell phone go off.”– Jim Lehrer

5. As you enter your class or lecture hall, turn the phone OFF!

If a professor catches you looking down at your phone, texting, emailing, reading, etc., I can assure you the thought in the Prof's mind will NOT be a positive one. And trust me, Profs are people too. Just like high school teachers, they enjoy seeing students they like and hard-working students succeed. By the same token, it doesn't bother them one bit when they see a lazy kid or a kid that plays on their phone during class stumble and fall. 

Turn OFF the phone. Don't be tempted.

“The worst comes first. Do that thing you've been needing to do. Then do it again tomorrow. If you take just one step toward your big goals every day, you'll realize those goals weren't really far away.”
– Benjamin Hardy, PhD

6. I hated college my first year. 

I was taking all these “stupid” classes that had nothing to do with my major. For me, it seemed like a waste of time and money. And before I had a chance to take classes that were interesting and dealt with my major, I had already blown off enough classes that my GPA was substantially lower than where I wanted it. 

DON'T blow off any class, regardless of how ridiculous you think it is.

"Don't join an easy crowd; you won't grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high."- Jim Rohn

7. Find people in your major and stick to them like glue. 

Go to class with them. Study with them. Hang out with them. They become great friends, great study partners, and eventually you can all network together and help get each other jobs. 

DON'T hang out constantly with someone taking an easier major than you. All they will do is help encourage you to watch tv, play video games, go to the gym, or do anything but spending time studying. 

Friends in your major will study with you - and encourage you.

“Idle hands are the devil's workshop.”

8. Do what works best for you, but take enough courses to keep you focused and busy.

12 credit hours per semester is generally considered full-time. 

I always found that the MORE credits I took, the more I was focused on college and the more I enjoyed it. During my least favorite semester, I only took 14 credits. The extra time was spent playing racquetball, watching TV, and engaging in activities that only made me focus less and less on my courses. This was also the semester that I had my lowest GPA. During my favorite semester, I took 21 hours, and had one of my highest GPAs. 

“Always make your future bigger than your past.” 
– Dan Sullivan

9. Many people will tell you that college is the "Best 4 years of your life." Don't believe it. 

Was it fun? Yes - certainly at times. But college is supposed to be there to prepare you for a bigger and brighter future. It is a tool to help you become successful out in the real world. There are bigger and better things for you after college, so use your time in college to become well-rounded and prepared for becoming a successful, contributing member of our society.

“We are kept from our goal not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal.” 
—Robert Brault

10. Ideally, you already know exactly what you want to study and will stick to it once you start at college. That is certainly the best thing to do financially. 

Anytime you switch majors, you can lose credits for classes that you've already taken. Anytime you switch schools you can lose even more credits. Losing credits means paying more money and spending more time to regain those lost credits. 

The cheapest and quickest way to get through college is to stick with the original plan. Depending on what you study, you may have a “tough” major. It can be very tempting to look toward an easier major, take life easy, hang out with your friends and “enjoy” your remaining years at college. But taking the easier road during these 4 years may cost you a life of happiness in the career that you really wanted to enter. 

Don’t let the present desire for an easier schedule cost you a career of happiness. 

“Other things being equal, it is better to be smart than to be stupid.”
- Carl Sagan

11. And last, but not least, if you ever have to decide between two majors that you have equal interest in, equal passion in, and you could see yourself in that career for the rest of your life....all things being equal, choose the one in which you could earn the most amount of money!!! 

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy a house, a car, a boat, and can pay off college loans.

I wish you the best of success in college! Take these pointers or leave them - these are just my thoughts - Clark's Thoughts.