Friday, April 26, 2024

How To Prepare For Technical Program Manager Interview

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Dashboards To Track Your Projects

Interview tips from Google Technical Program Managers

Monitoring a project is the only way to make sure your team is aligned with the project plan. Online Gantt charts measure the progress of each task, but project managers want a birds-eye view. ProjectManager has a real-time dashboard that tracks six project metrics to help project managers monitor the overall progress of the project. The dashboard also helps project managers keep their stakeholders in the loop.

How Would You Design A Particular System

System design questions are yet another way for hiring managers to evaluate your design skills and technical knowledge. How you answer the question will reveal how you approach problems, communicate, and devise solutions.

Many technical interviews ask candidates to design a solution or even a whole system. Getting the right answer isnt necessarily the most important part, especially if you only have limited time the interviewer is more interested in your thought process, and whether youre creative and thorough in your approach. Make sure to explain your steps as you workand be prepared to defend your decisions.

Tips: The best candidates spend 10 to 15 minutes asking questions and clarifying the goals before suggesting a solution, while the worst candidates jump right in, Gerard said. Walk me through the reasons and logic behind a particular approach and design, he added, and be ready to explain the advantages and disadvantages of the solution you chose.

Tips To Negotiate Microsoft Program Manager Salary

  • Do not share the current compensation you are receiving.
  • Do not share the compensation you are expecting.
  • Invest in building a good rapport with the hiring manager.
  • Do not insist on receiving offers in writing.
  • Ask for a relocation package if it applies to your case.
  • Compare your offer with publicly available data.

Read Also: Design Interview Preparation

What Is Your Communication Style With Your Team

If your interviewer asks this, youll want to assure him or her that you are an effective communicator who motivates others on your team. Not only should good project managers be encouraging when delegating to their team, but they should also be clear in their expectations. Make sure you point out that you understand the significance of being an effective communicator as a project manager.While the first question helps the interviewer assess how effectively you can handle communication in challenging situations, the second question helps understand how you engage with others, whether you demonstrate good sense and judgment, and are able to use language effectively.

What Are They Looking For

How to Prepare a Virtual Interview for a Project ...

Ill disclaim that I do not know what they are looking for. This is just what I think they are looking for.

  • Programming questions
  • Can work on a whiteboard in front of an audience.
  • Verbalizes thought processes while working through problems.
  • Can I put this candidate in front of a customer? A partner? an executive?
  • Read Also: Preparing For System Design Interview

    What’s The Most Significant Impact Youve Made On A Company As A Program Manager

    The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate’s ability to positively impact the company they work for within their role as a program manager. What to look for in an answer:

    • Ability to make progress within projects and programs
    • Communication skills to provide clear direction and support to their team
    • Management and leadership skills to build a solid and effective department

    Example:

    “The most significant impact I’ve made as a program manager would be the successful launch of a brand new client retention program for my previous employer. It was a project we had worked on for a year and to see the impact it made for the company’s revenue was a great feeling.”

    What Process Do You Follow To Monitor Various Projects In Progress

    A program manager typically monitors various projects and provides leadership to several project managers. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate’s process for monitoring current projects under their program. What to look for in an answer:

    • Use of technology and software programs to monitor projects effectively
    • Understanding the scope of the projects under their leadership
    • Communication skills to ask questions and have open discussions with their project managers

    Example:

    “As a program manager, I prefer to use a project management software platform that allows me to have real-time access to the progress of each project. I also believe in having regular update meetings with my project managers to stay current and intervene as needed.”

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    Whats Your Preferred Project Management Methodology

    There are almost as many ways to manage a project as there are projects. From traditional methods like waterfall to hybrid methodologies, you want a project manager who understands the many ways to work. And more importantly, can they use the project management methodology that best suits the work at hand?

    Amazon Program Manager Interview Questions

    Prepare for Your Google Interview: Project, Product, and Program Management

    Amazon program manager interview questions | amazon interview questions technical program manager| How to prepare for Amazon program manager interview questions.

    • Amazon Program Manager Behavioral Questions
    • Amazon Program Manager Strategy-Based Questions
    • Amazon Program Manager Interview Questions Based on Program Management, Planning, Execution, and Process Design

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    How Do You Decide Which Metrics To Track And Share With Stakeholders

    Program managers shouldnt follow a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to communicating with dashboards and data. Show the interviewer that you grasp which metrics are important, and why. Remember, theres a huge difference between a vanity metric that doesnt impact the companys broader goals, and a real metric that can make an appreciable difference to the business.

    Tips: Communicating with stakeholders isnt just a task, its a strategic activity. To win over a hiring manger, explain how you tailor the type, volume and frequency of metrics reporting to audiences with different functional expertise. Different divisions can also have wildly different information needs.

    Additional Program Manager Interview Questions

  • What value is created by grouping several projects into a single program?

  • Have you worked in this industry before?

  • Whats your leadership style?

  • What resources do you use to stay on top of industry trends?

  • Do you use a different approach for small programs than large ones? Why or why not?

  • When you have a chance to build your team, how do you put one together?

  • If you were assigned a program with an 8-month deadline, how would you go about planning and delivering the outcome?

  • Imagine youre halfway through the completion of a program when theres a change in the companys business strategy or objectives. How would you handle this?

  • Are you familiar with the PMI code of ethics?

  • What would you use six sigma for?

  • Describe the most recent program you managed. What was your contribution?

  • How did you measure the success of deliverables in your last program? How did you choose the best metrics?

  • Have you ever faced a communication problem while managing a program? Who with and how did you resolve it?

  • 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?

  • Do you leverage a code of ethics that enables you to be a better manager?

  • How do you properly define/document and control the goals for each program that you execute?

  • How do you evaluate a projects performance?

  • Then again, theres one more thing you can do.

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    Describe A Time You Had To Share Resources Between Two Individual Projects

    A successful program manager must maximize their workforce and resources, often sharing between several project teams. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate’s ability to manage shared resources effectively. What to look for in an answer:

    • Understanding of project management best practices and organization
    • Ability to delegate responsibilities and tasks to others
    • Creative thinking and problem-solving skills to determine best methods of resource sharing

    Example:

    “I often have team members work on several projects at once, with accountabilities for each project they’re involved in. For example, a team member may work on social media graphics for several projects. I’m also familiar with…”

    What Is The Salary Of A Project Manager With Pmp Training Skills In Rochester

    How to Prepare for a Technical Engineering Interview ...

    A project manager with PMP training in New York would get a gross salary of US$93,643 per annum. Based on various factors such as education, skill, operation efficacy, and experience, the individual’s salary varies. With PMP certification training in Rochester, the individual can understand project management, which will help him be paid a higher salary.

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    Engineering Manager Interview Stages

    In general, the engineering manager interview has the following interview stages at most companies:

    1. Recruiter screen

    In this 30-45min interview, you’ll be asked questions about your resume, light technical questions to gauge your domain knowledge, and behavioral questions to assess your personality and working style. In general, try to be authentic and genuine, while also showing that you’ve done research on the company and are genuinely excited to work there. We often recommend looking up your interviewer on LinkedIn to understand them a bit better.

    2. Manager screen

    In this interview, you’ll speak with the hiring manager about your technical skills and domain knowledge . Expect to talk through why you’re the best candidate for the job and how you’d add value to the company.

    3. On-site

    On-site interviews also vary, but they follow a predictable structure. Typically youll interview for 3-5 hours total with a lunch break midway through. Youll go through many rounds, each 30 – 60 minutes long. EMs may be given a technical screen or coding challenge and complete 1-2 rounds of people management interviews and system design questions. There may be a separate round for a project retrospective. We encourage you to gather as much information as possible about the exact structure from your recruiter, as well as checking our list of EM interview questions that have been recently asked by tech companies.

    Can You Tell Us An Example Of A Failed Project Have You Had Any Such Experiences

    Success and failure are part of your career as a project manager. It is not wise to answer no to this question as well. Instead, you can think of an event or phase in your previous projects where you have experienced failure. This project management interview question aims to check your experience in managing risk too. You need to include how you have handled the issue.

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    What Does 36 Months Of Non

    According to PMIs calculation, the concept of non-overlapping experience refers to the following: If a professional is working on multiple projects at the same time, then the experience will be counted for one project over that stipulated period for which he/she worked on the project.

    Example: Mr. A has managed 2 projects in 2016, Project 1 ran from Jan’16 to Aug’16 and Project 2 ran from April’16 to Dec’16 . In this case, we have an overlap of 5 months . So the experience for these 5 months will be counted as 5 months and not as 10 months . The non-overlapping experience is 12 months.

    Tell Me About Yourself

    Microsoft Program Manager Interview: 12 Questions You Can Expect

    In polling hundreds of different companies & HR departments, this is by far one of the most frequently asked questions in any job interview. Your interviewer will use this as an icebreaker, ideally to put you at ease and get you speaking openly and honestly.

    While you definitely want to be prepared for this question, you certainly dont want to make your answer sound memorized. Keep in mind, while this question may sound like an invitation to share your life story, you can be assured your interviewer has very little interest in hearing about everything youve ever done.

    The person giving the interview has a job to do as well respect their time. Unless you are asked about something specific, focus on your education, your work history, relatable hobbies and outside interests, as well as your current situation.

    Be sure to start chronologically and tell a linear story. Start where you feel is sensical, then work your way up to the present.

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    Amazon Interview Questions & Answers For All Non

    I interviewed for a pm position at Amazon & got my offer recently. I created a guide that has Amazon interview questions and answers that helped many people get offers.

    * Amazon added two new Leadership Principles to its list of 14 LPs, to bring the total to 16 at the beginning of July 2021. I have now added questions, sample answers and significance information for these new 2 LPs into the guide as well.

    Amazons job interviews are unique in such a way that all non engineers get their questions randomly from a nearly fixed set of interview questions . Most probably you have heard that Amazons interviews are not easy and you have to answer the questions in a special Amazonian way to pass your interviews and impress your recruiters. So, there is more to answering the questions in just the STAR format!

    Walk Me Through A Challenging Program That You Owned And Managed

    Successful program managers take ownership of their work, know how to get results, and lead others even without formal authority. They also know how to impress a hiring manager with their storytelling skills. How do they do it?

    Tips: Set the stage by providing an overview of the scope and complexity of the project, then describe the challenges you encountered around risk, conflict, lack of trust and so forth. Finally, show that youre not only capable but a cultural fit by describing how you used integrity, persuasion and negotiation to unblock obstacles, support the team, and deliver outcomes.

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    How Do You Ensure You And Your Team Deliver Or Exceed Customer Expectations

    In a nutshell, the interviewer wants to see how, in detail, youre able to succeed as a project manager. After all, meeting customer expectations when it comes to project delivery is your ultimate goal. Its important not to be vague and give a generalized answer youll want to give precise examples and details about your process.

    Generate Reports For Stakeholders

    Are You Over

    Stakeholders usually ask for broad strokes to make sure the project is going well, but sometimes they want more detail. ProjectManager has one-click reports that can be filtered to show just the information stakeholders or project managers need to keep tabs on the progress of the project.

    Teams are a projects most valuable resource. ProjectManager keeps team morale high by giving project managers the tools they need to manage their workload and make sure no one is giving too many tasks while others are idle. ProjectManager also streamlines the timesheet process and has features that manage project resources, so projects can deliver on stakeholder expectations.

    One youve gotten through the project manager interview process and a job offer has been made, then its up to you to provide them with the best tools to manage the project. ProjectManager is a cloud-based project management software with real-time dashboards, online Gantt charts and a collaborative platform for your team. Theres no question, this is what your project manager will want. Try our award-winning software for free with this 30-day trial.

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    Q 12 Explain Your Understanding And Experience Of Program Charters

    Answer: Possessing knowledge on program charters is a given for any veteran program manager, so your answer to this program management interview question should be:

    Starting any program without a charter is not viable as they are one of the first agreements both parties formulate. A charter specifies different pieces of evidence, duties, and commitments, making it pivotal for every concerned party.

    Defining any role or activity would not be possible without it, so a program manager must hold onto it preciously. A program charter can set the desired benchmark for the program, and in my experience, keeping up with it is exponentially beneficial.

    Prepare With Questions Of Your Own

    Heres a hint from a hiring managers perspective: its not a good sign when the candidate hasnt preparedquestions of their own.

    In addition to demonstrating and articulating technical skills and general professionalism, prepare for your technical phone screening by learning everything you can about the company, the role, and your own ambitions. Prepare some questions based on what you discover.

    The company: Yes, you are hoping to be a fit for the company. But is the company is a fit for you? Find out everything you can about its history, mission statement and values, and HR policies. Do your own research first and dont be afraid to take it further with questions. Consider asking your interviewer about their own experience with the company.

    The role: Is this a new position? Is it an existing one that has seen frequent turnover? Is it part of a bigger team? Who will you be collaborating with and/or reporting to? What resources are available when you need support? Are there opportunities for professional development, education, and growth? What technologies, frameworks, and tools are they currently using?

    About the Author

    Chris Polonchek

    Chris Polonchek is a software development manager at an energy investment company in Palo Alto. He has a degree in computer engineering. Outside of work, he enjoys cycling, surfing, cooking, and spending time with his family.

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    Amazon Tpm Interview Questions

    Amazon TPM interview questions broadly cover three categories â behavioral, technical, and program management. Some common questions are:

    Behavioral Questions for Amazon TPM Interview:

  • Tell me about a time you did something that was not a part of your job description or your responsibility.
  • How would you make Amazon.com better?
  • Give me one instance when you took an important decision without approval from your reporting manager.
  • Describe a time you made a mistake.
  • Talk about a time you received negative feedback. How did you handle it?
  • Technical Questions for Amazon TPM Interview:

  • What is the difference between a router and a switch?
  • How do you run programs from end to end?
  • How do passwords pass securely from server to client?
  • Build a program that can revert a string.
  • Write a program that will help identify all equal elements between two arrays.
  • Design an anti-virus scanner.
  • Talk about the computational complexity of hash tables.
  • Design a database for a URL implementation.
  • Using OOD, describe a deck of cards.
  • How does Amazon.com work?
  • Program Management Questions for Amazon TPM Interview:

  • Do you use any metrics to review success? What are those?
  • What is the most innovative idea you have ever come up with?
  • How do you think your responsibilities differ from those of a project manager?
  • Walk us through your approach to create a strategy and roadmap for your programs.
  • How do you approach change management?
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