A common phrase that people write on their CVs or even when answering employment related questions is “I can work under pressure”. That is what every employer would like to hear. They all like to hire a person who can work hard and reach his or her objectives regardless of the hurdles they will face.
What does working under pressure entail? Having a deadline for submission of a report by 11th December while you are given the assignment on 10thDecember?
Does it mean being the only person around in your department when all the others have gone on leave and Seminars?
Or is it acting in the capacity of your boss when he has traveled for 2 weeks and you are asked to approve things you have no clue about?
Is that really pressure or is it just the day to day challenges of office life?
Picture this:
A customer Service Representative is on the phone with an angry customer, another angry customer walks in hurling insults at the whole company and is heading towards that same Representative’s desk. The Customer Service Manager quickly approaches the same Representative and shouts ‘Where is that report I asked you to send me 30 minutes ago?’
Would you drop the phone, pick up your things and run out in anger?
Would you tell your boss to wait?
Would you finish talking to the customer on the phone first and deal with the rest?
In this context can you really defend “I can work under pressure”?
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