Interview Questions and Answers: Do you take your work home?

A woman is interviewing to be a clerk in a law firm. She works in a similar position, but this is a higher ranking job. The question is, 'Do you take work home when you're getting overloaded?'

Her response is, 'Sometimes I do, depending on the needs of the job. I try to make sure we never develop backlogs, and we're on performance targets for turnarounds. I can take some of the hard copy administration work home, with permission from my manager. I can't take home any of the legal papers, for obvious security and privacy reasons.'

Analysis

This interview answer shows

• The applicant understands the need for permission to take work home
• The requirements of confidentiality
• The applicant works hard to meet performance targets
• Obvious familiarity with the risks of backlogs

It's a very strong and appropriate response to the interview question.