Summary: Being the manager of a project takes special skills that interviewers want to find out if you have by asking a specific set of questions.
You have an interview for a project management job coming up. You know how to prepare for a general interview, but if you want to give yourself the best chance to succeed in the interview, then you need to know what kind of questions to expect in this particular interview. Here are 8 typical questions that will likely be asked in a project management job interview and how you should respond to them:
“Tell me about your last project.”
The interviewer is looking to verify any basic experience you claimed on your resume. They want to make sure you are a serious contender for the job and have previous experience as a leader. Talk with enthusiasm about the project even if you hated it. Summarize the key points, keeping the overall talk short.
“Tell me about a project that has failed.”
The interviewer is trying to see how you react to negative situations and how you think on your feet. Failure is not a bad thing, and actually helps you learn. Interviewers are not concerned about the failures, but are more concerned about how you handled them. Do not blame or bad mouth others; take ownership for your own mistakes.
“Take me through the steps you take when planning a project.”
The interviewer wants to see that you have a structured process to management. They don’t necessary care about the steps as long as you can justify them. Answer with confidence so that is appears that you actually have an approach even if you don’t usually use it.
“Do you use a formal methodology?”
The interviewer just needs to make sure you understand the methodology you included on your resume and if you have had experience using it. Use this question to demonstrate your experience and how this makes you the perfect candidate. Cite an example of where you used the methodology on a specific project or projects to show you understand the theory.
“Describe a time when you convinced someone to use your way of thinking.”
The interviewer is looking for evidence of your influence and persuasion skills. Even if you are weak in this area, demonstrate your awareness of how important the skills are for a project manager to have.
“Tell me about the project are you most proud of.”
This question is begging for you to brag about your strengths and achievements. The company wants to know what you will bring to the table as a person and project manager. This question also shows what motivates you as a person and what kind of drive you have.
“How would you handle a relationship with an unhappy customer?”
This question is trying to expose how you handle problems on the project such as an unhappy customer. They want to see that you will take ownership of the problem and that you have customer service skills.
“Why do you like being a project manager?”
The interviewer wants to see your commitment to the new job, especially if this job would be a promotion or sideways career move. Mention how you want to develop in the role and that you are looking forward to learning and training in this opportunity. Explain what aspect of the new job excites you compared to your current job.
Read these general interview questions to learn more about how to prepare:
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