Tuesday is the most productive day of the week for workers.

At least that's according to a recent survey of 150 senior executives from the nation's 1,000 largest companies.

The survey by Accountemps found that 57 percent favored Tuesday, compared with 12 percent for Monday and 11 percent each for Wednesday and Thursday. It was no surprise that Friday, with 3 percent, was considered the least productive day of the week.

Elizabeth Albright, coordinator of academic operations at Towson University's College of Business and Economics, says she gets the most work done between Tuesday and Thursday - and in the mornings, too.

"Monday is definitely catch-up time and trying to plan for the week and making sure you have things lined up," she says. "And the rest of the week, between Tuesday and Thursday, is when I get a lot more work done."

But she adds, "The goal is always to be productive, though."

Accountemps, a temporary staffing firm for accounting, finance and bookkeeping, offers several suggestions to keep productive throughout the week:

Take 10 minutes to 15 minutes to plan and prioritize your tasks for the day.

Cluster tasks that require similar effort or resources so you're not switching gears as often.

Designate a time to check e-mail so you're not easily distracted.

Take short breaks throughout the day so you remain refreshed.

What are your tips for staying productive throughout the week?

From the mailbox: What would a job interview be without at least one unusual question?

Several readers responded to my column last week about interview questions that range from annoying to ridiculous to those that border on the illegal.

David, a reader from Annapolis, says an interviewer once asked him: Do you do your own taxes?

Also this: What do you do for the common good?

"He later said that the taxes question was to determine if I could follow instructions to complete a complicated task. Fair enough," David writes.

"After detailing some civic and charitable work I was involved with, I asked my interviewer what the mega corporation I was applying to had done 'for the common good.' He couldn't seem to come up with anything," David adds.

Send your stories, tips and questions to working@baltsun. com. Please include your first name and your city.

On the Job is published Monday at www.baltimoresun.com.