How To Answer Cross
Difficult Technical and People Challenges
So, you want to ace your technical program management interview. Youre in the right place! Introducing the Exponent TPM Course – your best ticket to a successful TPM interview.
While TPMs must manage technical programs, this also means the management of the cross-functional relationships that come with it. Technical programs involve many different teams and departments. It is part of a technical program manager’s responsibility to navigate these cross-functional partnerships and keep everyone on track and on the same page.
Generally speaking, these interview questions are focused on:
- Your previous experience working alongside various stakeholders,
- How you collaborate with others,
- How you manage conflicts between different teams,
To give you a better idea about what cross-functional partnerships are all about, here are some of the teams you’ll likely work with:
Engineering
Naturally, TPMs will work most closely with the engineering teams. Of which, you’ll likely partner with many engineering managers and tech leads.
It’s recommended that you maintain good relationships with these stakeholders, considering you’ll work with them on essential timelines, processes, and milestones.
Product Management
Another essential partnership for TPMs is with the product management teams. This relationship is defined by a collaborative effort to execute product vision and development goals.
Data
Design
A Guide To The Technical Program Manager Interview
Many software developers aspire to become technical program managers . TPMs work closely with dev teams and stakeholders and handle all technical projects for an organization. The job market for TPMs is great, with big tech companies like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and LinkedIn all hiring for TPMs, as well as many other tech companies. If youre interested in the role of a TPM, this article is for you. Today, well explore common technical program manager interview questions, TPM interview preparation, the TPM interview process, and more.
Lets get started!
Technical Program Manager : Learn From Product Managers Around You
I loved my time as a Technical Program Manager but I was vocal about my goal of transitioning into Product Management. Id ask Product Managers I worked with if I could lean into projects that needed product strategy. This allowed me to gain PM experience as a TPM. I took on 01 projects working with user research and data science to build-out strategy.
At this stage, I hit my first bout of imposter syndrome. I felt like I landed here by accident, and wasnt as good as everyone else. I was lucky to have a solid manager, she coached me through these insecurities in three ways:
I also had great PMs around me during this time. Watching how they operated, copying their behaviors, and getting feedback from them also helped me gain confidence. Our group PM lead was incredible, he taught me three things:
All this coaching, and studying helped me gain confidence in my role, and after two years was ready to make my next jump.
To Summarize: Learn from great PMs around you.
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What Is Your Experience Like In Budget Management
Many technical project managers must understand how to handle project budgets, including the cost of materials, project team members and the time it takes to complete a project. A technical project manager must consider all of these when determining a budget for a project so the client understands the costs before starting. Good project managers can determine close estimates of a project’s budget, so explaining your experience or expertise in budget management will show the interviewer that you are the right candidate for the job.
Example:”I started my project management career solely on time management and team member management, and over the years, I have gained an expert understanding of the fiscal side of projects. My previous jobs required me to create estimates, budgets and final expenditures for a project’s cost, and I can create and manage budgets for any project. If a project begins to require more money than initially stated, I understand the procedures for requesting budget changes as well as managing resources to stay on budget throughout the project.”
Complete Guidetechnical Program Manager Interview Questions & Answers
Hey there! Technical Program Manager Course.
Have you been intrigued by the position of Technical Program Manager? Between the unique, stimulating job descriptions and the lucrative salaries that come alongside them, we wouldn’t blame you for wanting to jump into the role!
Nevertheless, the TPM interview feels daunting for many. This shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise, considering the role occupies a special place across several different fields.
But this doesn’t mean you can’t prepare for and ace your upcoming technical program manager interview. The best way to get ready is by reviewing some real TPM interview questions from some of the top tech companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon, and more. We’ve compiled a list of the top 50 most commonly asked questions and answers below.
Complete TPM Interview Course
So, you want to ace your technical program management interview. Youre in the right place! Introducing the Exponent TPM Course – your best ticket to a successful TPM interview.
TPM interview questions can be grouped in the following ways:
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Tips To Prepare For Your Upcoming Tpm Interview
Here are some tips our FAANGPath mentors would give candidates preparing for their technical program management interviews.
Communication And Interpersonal Skills
Communication is the foundation of the TPM role. TPMs must communicate strategies, roadmaps, and program issues with all key stakeholders.
That said, communication skills are essential for all program managers but even more critical for technical program managers. TPMs are responsible for communicating complex technical ideas to both technical and non-technical team members.
Strong communication skills help you explain the technical aspects of projects so that everyone is on the same page. Potential technical program managers must keep this unique communication challenge in mind.
As a technical program manager, you communicate with product managers, leadership teams, and external vendors. So, you must have the skills to communicate in these instances.
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Wrapping Up And Next Steps
Many people want to break into technical program management. The role of a TPM is one that will continue to grow in demand as the need for cross-team and cross-functional collaboration increases. Landing a TPM role will require experience and preparation, but were here to help! If you want to get started preparing for your TPM interview, I highly recommend checking out Hacking the TPM Interview.
This course was written by an experienced TPM who has worked with multiple FAANG companies. Youll learn about what it takes to pass the difficult TPM interview, as well as get some practical advice on how to thrive in the role.
Happy learning!
Why Did You Choose The Technical Side Of Project Management
Your answer to this question can show the interviewer that you understand the technical aspects of project management. Technical project managers frequently have more experience and knowledge of project management, so you can use this question to show how much you know about the field and position.
Example:”I’ve worked in project management for many years, and over time, I have gained experience in all facets of managing projects, team members, budgets, time restrictions and clientele. I became very interested in the technical side when I started working for a software development firm. I found that technical project management involves a new set of challenges that I enjoy solving.”
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Technical Program Manager Interview Questions
Careerflow Team
Technical Program Manager roles have become increasingly popular these days in FAANG and other top tech companies. Many candidates we help with resume writing mention that they’re targeting Technical Program Manager roles and are intrigued by the exciting job opportunities available in the job market for this position. You must be wondering – what does a TPM exactly do? ð¤Let us help you learn more about the role before diving headfirst into it! ð
Software Development Life Cycle
The SDLC provides several steps for developers to follow to create new software. The technical program manager oversees the creation of software. For this reason, you need to understand how teams built it.
Knowing a software development life cycle makes you more effective in managing projects. This also enables you to complete projects on time and within budget.
Its well-defined framework allows software developers to pursue producing, designing and maintaining premium quality software.
A senior technical program manager incorporates software development into their resume by:
- Improving software design by identifying inconsistencies and recommending the software development team.
- Evangelizing Agile methodologies and pioneers expansion of standard waterfall Software Development Life-cycle framework.
- Delivering within budget against aggressive project schedules using waterfall and agile software development methodologies.
- Steering factory diagnostic software development to increase factory throughput and defect detection.
- Defining and developing ManTech software development procedures, policies, and infrastructure.
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Program Manager Interview Questions About Their Responsibilities:
- How do your responsibilities differ from those of your project managers?
- What technology and tools do you find are necessary to be successful in your role?
- What metrics do you review to measure success?
- Whats your experience with program charters?
- Do you leverage a code of ethics that enable you to be a better manager?
- Why is change management important for this role?
- How do you properly define/document and control the goals for each program that you execute?
- How do you keep up with industry trends?
Behavioral Based Program Manager Interview Questions:
Anytime assessing a program manager that will impact others across the organization, its important to dive into that individuals core motivators and behavior.
- Describe the most recent program you managed. What was your contribution?
- Tell me about a time where you were asked to develop a budget and allocate resources to a past program.
- Tell me about a time where you were managing a program that was falling behind schedule. What would you do differently now, if given the chance?
- Tell me about the biggest challenge youve faced while managing a team of project managers.
- Have you ever faced a communication problem while managing a program? Who with and how did you resolve it?
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Stakeholder And Partner Management
Stakeholder and partner management entails managing and maintaining relationships with vendors, suppliers, and contractors. This includes reviewing invoices, negotiating contracts, and ensuring that all parties are happy.
Technical program managers demonstrate leadership and team building with key stakeholders to ensure successful project delivery. They also partner with business stakeholders to prioritize tasks and roadmaps while achieving organizational objectives.
These partnerships enable the technical program manager to create training solutions that align with business requirements.
It also allows the TPM to implement best practice approaches for communication, project management, and overall solution delivery.
Program Manager Interview Questions For Operations Management:
- What are the most common reasons why projects fail?
- Tell me about a time where you managed a project that didnt go as planned. What happened? What would you do differently if given the chance?
- When managing multiple projects, how do you determine which are the highest priority?
- If you were assigned a program with a 6-month deadline, what steps would you take to plan and deliver the project successfully?
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What Is One Word That Someone Would Use To Describe You As A Project Manager And Why
Some interviewers may ask you to describe yourself using one or a few words. Consider choosing a few words that you or others would use to describe yourself as a manager and relate these words to real scenarios and experiences you have managed. Choosing words like organized, prepared or efficient will show the interviewer you understand the qualities of a project manager.
Example:”Every team I’ve managed would describe me as prepared. Whatever happened during a project, I always had a solution or a process that I could use to manage every situation effectively. There are always unknowns in projects, and I believe that being prepared for anything has been my best quality as a technical project manager.”
How Would You Resolve A Conflict Between Two Or More Team Members
Working with teams sometimes results in conflict and being able to manage and resolve disputes among team members saves time and creates positive environments. Show the interviewer how you would successfully resolve a conflict between two team members. Consider speaking about a past conflict and how you acted as the team leader or project manager to resolve it quickly and efficiently. The STAR method is an effective way to explain your conflict resolution skills.
Example:”Every conflict is different, but the only way to truly resolve one is to understand the root of the problem. Once the root of the problem is understood, it is my job as the technical project manager to resolve the conflict in the fastest and most effective way possible.
I once encountered a situation between my business analyst and QA lead about the best way to approach user acceptance testing. The business analyst had been with the company longer, but the QA lead had more experience in testing. Since they both had good ideas, I held a short meeting with both of them to present both sides and choose the best method. At the end of the meeting, we all agreed to use the QA lead’s idea, but the business analyst would be heavily involved to ensure we followed company guidelines.”
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What Is A Weakness You Have With Project Management
Your answer to this question can show your ability to recognize your errors and strive for self-improvement. Briefly describe what weakness you have or had as well as what you have done or are currently doing to fix or strengthen it.
Example:”One weakness that I have is sometimes delegating too much of a task to a single person. While I know someone has the skills to complete a task, there have been times when I have relied on a single person too much. I now try to minimally increase a team member’s workload to ensure the project gets completed successfully.”
Delivery And Program Management
Companies need program management for product delivery and effective communications with internal and external teams.
Delivery and program management include creating new programs when the company requires them. It includes understanding the vision/objective and starting new programs.
The technical program manager also manages and tracks programs through their various phases. In addition, they communicate progress and issues with all stakeholders on time.
Getting familiar with agile methodologies helps to manage program development and understand what its like to supervise a scrum team.
Technical program managers devise strategies for programs that meet a businesss big-picture goals. This involves making important decisions every step of the way.
A technical program manager must demonstrate that they rely on solid data and empirical evidence for decision-making. This is an essential part of sustaining an organization in the long term.
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Technical Project Manager Interview Questions
The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed’s data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.
Related: Top 6 Common Interview Questions and Answers
Jenn, an Indeed Career Coach, breaks down the intentions behind employer’s questions and shares strategies for crafting strong responses.
Technical project managers are the leaders that manage the IT aspects, risks and problems with projects and teams. There are common questions that interviewers might ask to find out how much you understand about the position. Knowing some possible questions that an interviewer could ask you about a technical project management position can help you prepare your answers.
In this article, we list 43 common interview questions about technical project management and provide examples of answers as a guide.
Related:
How To Answer Program Sense Interview Questions
Ownership & Status Quo
So, you want to ace your technical program management interview. Youre in the right place! Introducing the Exponent TPM Course – your best ticket to a successful TPM interview.
As the name suggests, a critical part of technical program management is, of course, the managing of programs. That is managing technical processes designed to actualize the goals of an organization.
A TPM’s “program sense” is their capability to comprehend and build upon these technical programs.
Ultimately, there are four main aspects to program sense. These are:
Influence
A cornerstone of managing programs is managing the people involved in them. This means that TPMs must know how to effectively influence these teams to achieve the program’s goals.
As such, you should expect program sense questions to evaluate how you as a candidate can navigate all the stakeholders of a program.
How do you pitch your ideas around these programs to the teams involved in them?
Navigating Technical Dependencies
A centerpiece of a TPM’s role is navigating through technical dependencies. This is especially important considering TPMs are usually tasked with driving deadlines and business processes to completion.
A crucial piece of a TPM’s program sense is knowing how to best work around technical constraints.
Product Context
Simplifying Complexity
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