Keep An Eye Out For Candidates Who Can:
- Pivot if changes occur during the project process
- Handle challenges without feeling overwhelmed
- Take accountability and think outside of the box
- Keep team members productive and motivated
Top tip: Diversity is key to a thriving workplace. Keep an eye out for management and exec-level candidates from varying backgrounds and aim to eliminate bias from your hiring process.
How Did You Handle Mistakes You Made When Managing A Project
Everyone makes mistakes, including project managers. You can learn a lot about a candidate by asking about where they stumbled. It can help you understand how the candidate deals with mistakes and learns from them. The question can also give you a sense of the candidate’s character, honesty, maturity and willingness to take responsibility for their actions.
Interviewer tips
Encourage candidates to discuss specific incidents. There are no wrong answers, but be wary of candidates who can’t come up with examples. It could indicate a lack of honesty or integrity on their part, or it might mean they’re not aware of their own mistakes, which is just as bad.
An example of a good candidate answer
One of the biggest mistakes I made was on a large project that included several working parts. When defining the milestones, I failed to account for the effort needed to integrate the various components and test that integration. As a result, I didn’t allow enough time in the schedule to complete the project, and I had to call a meeting to inform everyone of what had happened and how, because of my mistake, we might miss our delivery. It was a difficult admission, but just putting it out there was let us move ahead to a solution. After that, I’m more careful to set realistic milestones and schedules.
How Deep Is The Deepest Quicksand At The Equator
This is not meant as a trick question, but rather a question that will give you a sense of the candidate’s ability to handle the unexpected and come up with creative solutions. Most projects are rife with the unexpected, and the candidate should treat this as such. You’re not looking for accurate answers, of course, but the question should give you a good idea of how the candidate uses critical thinking, logic and creativity to arrive at an answer.
Interviewer tips
You might need to encourage candidates to take the question seriously, although there’s nothing wrong with them having a little fun with their answers. You can easily substitute this question with a similar one.
An example of a good candidate answer
Before I answering, I need some additional information. By “at the equator,” do you mean each quicksand pit must be at exactly zero degrees latitude? Can it deviate off that exact latitude, perhaps, one degree in either direction? Also, if a quicksand pit is near a tidal zone, should it be measured at low tide, high tide or somewhere in between? The same goes for quicksand pits that might be impacted by changing water tables. Should I base my research on the average depth of each pit throughout the year or on another metric?
Next Steps
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What Have You Done To Improve Your Knowledge In The Last Year
Thisquestion is a good measure of your own passion for your career as a projectmanager if youre genuinely passionate about it, youll be learning somethingnew just about every other year. Showing that you are open to learning willimpress the interviewer.
Tip #1: You donthave to refer to any specific training or education you may have received. Youcan even narrate your efforts to conduct online research to improve yourskills.
Tip #2: You haveto prove that your efforts to improve your knowledge enabled you to executeprojects successfully.
Sample Answer
Iam an avid reader. Over the past year, I have read three books on projectmanagement, which helped further my knowledge. I recently read the A Guide tothe Project Management Body of Knowledge, the sixth edition of which came outin 2017. Though I am familiar with the PMBOK methodology, the book helped melearn a few new things.
I also branched out in my previous job, taking on projects of larger scopes than I managed before. Luckily, I managed to complete the first project successfully. Thus, I learned to manage large-scale projects, which I hadnt done before.
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.”
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What Criteria Are You Using To Find Your Next Job
Good because: It will show you whats important to them at work: green credentials, career progression, work/life balance, working for a big brand etc. It will also tell you if they are actively job hunting or whether they saw your ad and couldnt resist .
Bad response: Salary, expense policy and the chance to travel abroad.
Can You Elaborate A Little More On The Projects You Just Mentioned
This is a follow up to the previous question. As youre interviewing for a project manager role, the interviewer wants to know what skills youve acquired during your career. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your capabilities as a project manager. Use your experiences to highlight your expertise. Another major thing to keep in mind is to customize your answer to suit the companys requirements which you’ll find by reading the job description. Heres an example:
In my role as the project manager, I monitored the execution of the biggest online banking portal. I would constantly be in touch with the clients to understand their requirements. I, along with the other team members, worked on a tight schedule to deliver this project. We developed milestones, mapped out a timeline, and conceived a communication plan and a risk management plan to successfully finish the project. This project was challenging as it was a high-stake project, where even a slight delay would have cost the company $67,000 per day. It involved working with 40+ team members comprising of engineers and banking professionals, so it was all about teamwork and collaboration.
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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
How Will You Avoid Gold Plating
- To prevent gold plating, the top management should first stay away from anything above the requirements and scope baseline.
- Secondly, We need to look at the project’s scope from the outside. An independent auditor or inspector can quickly detect gold plating by verifying the deliverables to the project’s scope baseline.
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Project Manager Interview Questions And How To Answer Them
In a project manager interview, you’re likely to encounter questions about your people skills, technical knowledge, and how you would react to specific situations.
A project manager interview can be intimidating, especially if you donât know what to expect. The good news is that going through some common questions can help a lot to be prepared. Though all interviews are different, itâs likely that youâll encounter questions that ask about your people skills, technical knowledge, and specific situations.
What Is Your Risk Management Strategy For The Projects You Manage
How to Answer
Managing risk is another critical function of an IT project manager. While not all risks can be eliminated, mitigating risk without increasing cost or delaying the project is a key talent you should have as an IT project manager. Be prepared not only to acknowledge that you can do this but also to discuss specific techniques you use to accomplish this objective.
Written by William Swansen on October 1st, 2020
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Name Three Tactics Youve Used To Develop And Maintain Great Customer Relationships
Depending on your field, you may have to deal with customers or clients on a regular basis. If youre skilled at creating and maintaining solid relationships, youre going to be a great asset to your company.
What the question means: Happy clients or customers are importantthe interviewer wants to know if you have more than one card up your sleeve when it comes to fostering meaningful professional relationships.
How to answer: Think about your past customer relationships and what they valued. Did they appreciate your quick and positive communication? Did you make them feel like they were your only client or customer? Did you consistently exceed their expectations? Were you able to understand their goals and speak their language? All of these are tactics proven to build and maintain strong business relationships.
What not to say: Dont brag about how great you are with clients or customers. Humility is one of the many tactics that help maintain positive professional relationships so make sure youre staying humble in your interview to prove youre capable of this.
Do You Have Budget Management Experience
It helps to drill down into specific aspects of the project management experience of your candidates. Naturally, if the candidate has specific skills theyll be briefly sketched in the resume, but heres your opportunity to get a deeper sense of where they stand in terms of their experience with project management processes such as budget management. Project managers are known as planners. They create a project schedule and lead teams to success. But theres often money involved, so they better know how to handle a project budget.
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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 Certifications Do You Have That Qualify You For This Position
How to Answer
Many professions require certifications. These validate that a candidate is qualified for the position and has acquired the appropriate education and training to work in this job. While not every employer requires a certification, having them will distinguish you from the other applicants and encourage the hiring manager to review your training, skills, and experience. Many employers will acknowledge your progress towards a certification even though you haven’t received it at the time of the interview.
Written by William Swansen on October 1st, 2020
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Ace Your Next Project Manager Interview With Our Guide To Common Interview Questions And Answers
Prepare for your next project manager job interview with our guide.
Project managers play the principal role in planning, implementing, monitoring, and delivering successful projects. They are accountable for the entire project and their team, ensuring its delivered on time and within budget. The good news is there are plenty of industries to find work in project management, including finance, healthcare, construction, technology, marketing, education, and retail. Plus, a career as a project manager can offer you an excellent salary and doesn’t require any formal education. Find out more about how to become a project manager with our detailed job description.
It’s essential to answer project manager interview questions with real-life examples and use your unique selling points to demonstrate why you should be hired over other applicants. To become a successful project manager, you’ll need valuable skills such as leadership, communication, organisation, and strong people skills. The role also requires a strategic business mindset, teamwork, and conflict resolution skills. In a project manager interview, you’ll likely encounter situational and behavioural-based questions that delve further into your skillset and ability to perform in specific scenarios.
Here are some project manager interview questions that you may come across. You can use this list as a starting point to prepare your own responses.
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
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What Types Of Construction Projects Do You Like
This is a great way to get to know your candidates overarching goals and interests. This question will also help the interviewer gauge your strengths and adaptability as a construction project manager.
Every expert has a niche specialty and your interviewer wants to know yours.
Our advice on this question? Speak from the heart. They want to know what types of construction projects you like and why you like them.
Have You Worked In This Industry Before
Does the candidate have project management experience in your industry? Thats important because they might excel at the project management methods your company uses or may have the right risk management skills to manage your projects. If they dont, its not a game-closer. Much of project management is the same from industry to industry. Perhaps they have strong project management skills that relate to your industry, such as project management software skills even if they dont have direct experience. However, if they do have experience in your field, thats a plus, so ask how those relevant projects panned out. Note how confidently they answer behavioral interview questions. You want an authentic person who is comfortable in the position.
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How Would You Avoid Gold Plating
Gold plating in project management terminology is when a team member or manager adds extra functionality not defined in the project scope to showcase their skills. The interviewer asks this question to check how you handle team members who do not follow instructions.
Example:”I am always on the lookout for signs of gold plating. If I encounter any extra functionality, I would speak directly with the concerned team member. I would instruct them not to add extra functions without getting approval from the client first.”
How Do You Handle Unexpected Changes In A Project
Projects aren’t static from beginning to end, and project managers must be able to quickly adapt to changing circumstances, whatever the cause. It might be because of technology updates, customers asking for new features, a team member leaving the organization or even a natural disaster. This question helps you evaluate a candidate’s ability to handle the unexpected, while keeping the project moving forward and minimizing the impact on the schedule and budget.
Interviewer tips
Candidates should provide examples of unexpected changes in the projects they’ve managed, showing how they’ve dealt with those situations. If they managed projects through COVID-19, have them discuss the effect of the pandemic on IT projects and how they handled them, such as transitioning to new ways of working.
An example of a good candidate answer
On a recent project I managed, I received a change request from the customer that would extend the application’s reporting capabilities. My first step was to learn as much as I could about the new features being requested and then to assess their effects on the project. I discussed the proposed changes with several team members, and we identified what it would take to make them. I then spoke to the relevant stakeholders, making it clear how the change would impact the budget and schedule. After I got their approval, I updated the project plan and informed the rest of the team we were moving ahead with the new features.
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