3/29/2015

ProjectManagementInterviewQuestionsI'veBeenAskedtheMost.WhatWouldYouAdd?|LinkedIn

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ProjectManagementInterviewQuestionsI'veBeen
AskedtheMost.WhatWouldYouAdd?

ChrisR.
ProjectManagement&PMOLeader|Sr.ProjectManager|PMP,
CSM
OverthelastfewmonthsIvehadmanyphoneandinperson
interviewsforprojectmanagementjobs.Theyhavebeenwitha
varietyofcompaniescoveringmanyprojecttypes(thoughprimarily
softwaredevelopmentandITfunctions.)
Chris

IdliketosharesomequestionsIvebeenconsistentlyaskedduring
theseinterviewswiththisgroup.Imaynotbequalifiedtogivemuch
adviceonhowtoANSWERthem(disclosure:Imstillinterviewing!
So,grainofsalt.)However,ICANshedalittlelightonwhat
questionsyoucanexpectasanapplicanttomidtoseniorlevelPM
positions.
Now...imagineyouhavearrivedattheinterviewwithyourfolioof
crispresumes,references,andworkexamples...youdohaveallthat
stuff,right?Youareusheredtotheconferenceroom,whereyou
confidentlyshakehandsandgreetyourinterviewer(s.)Yousitdown,
exhale...andwereoff!

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So,TELLMEABOUTYOURSELF...(Havesomethingshortand
sweethere.Thereisalargegroupofinterviewersthatliketo
challenge(ahem,torture)youbystartingwiththisopenended
question.)
WHATHAVEYOUBEENDOINGsinceyourlastjob?(Ifyouve
beenoutofworkmorethanamonth,bereadyforthisquestion.Hint:
WatchingtheHistoryChannelisabadanswer.)
"WHATAREYOULOOKINGFORinanewjob?(Thisshouldwork
withyouranswertothesimilarquestion,"Whatinterestsyouabout
thiscompany?Bothanswerscanbeusedtoexpressyourgoalsand
showthehomeworkyouvedoneonthejob.)
IseeyouworkedatAcme,Inc.for5years.WHATTYPESOF
PROJECTSdidyoumanage?(Prepareexampleprojectsfromyour
pastthatyoucanspeaktoinmoderatedetailforthisquestion.Your
projectsareyourportfolio.)
WHYDIDYOULEAVEAcme,Inc.?(Justthefactsandmoveon.
Shootnoarrows,raisenoeyebrows.Theyarefiguringoutifthey
wanttoworkwithyouand/orifyouareacriminal.)
WHATWASYOURGREATESTPROJECTACHIEVEMENT?(This
wouldbeagoodplacetofocusonsomethingthathelpedthe
companybottomline.LeaveoffyourcoolGleeClub
accomplishments.)
TellmeaboutaPROJECTTHATFAILED.(Iftheyaskedthe
achievementquestionabove,youcanbesurethatthisoneis
comingnext.)
WHATWASTHETYPICALSIZEANDBUDGETofyourprojects?

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3/29/2015

ProjectManagementInterviewQuestionsI'veBeenAskedtheMost.WhatWouldYouAdd?|LinkedIn
Howdidyoumanagebudgets?(Makesureyouhavehigh,lowand
averageexamples.Estimatebasedonresourceandothercostsif
youdonthaveexactnumbers.)
WHATISTHEFIRSTTHINGYOUWOULDDOwhenassigneda
newproject?(Ivegottenthisquestion,tomysurprise,manytimes.
Whileitmaydependontheproject,itsbesttocitesomething
specificfromyourmethodologyofchoice.)
WhatSPECIFICSTEPSANDTECHNOLOGIESdidyouuseona
typicalproject?(Thisisadrilldownquestioncustomizedtothejob
requirementdetails.IfITILwasmentionedinthereqs,forexample,
bereadytospeaksomeITILdetailhere!)
TELLMEWHYYOU'DBEAGREATFITforthisposition.(This
canbeaskedanumberofways,butthegistofitisthis...whyare
youamatchfornotonlythejob,butwiththecompanyandclients
withwhomyou'llbeworking.)
WHATQUESTIONSDOYOUHAVEforus?(IusuallyhaveaLOT
ofquestions.However,ImlearningtotrimwhatIasktothetimeleft
andhowglassedoverinterviewerseyesmaybe.Ifyouearna
secondinterview,youcanaskquestionslater.)
Surprisingly,somecommonquestionsIexpectedlikeWhatisyour
greatestweakness?havenotbeenasked.Also,Ihaverarelybeen
askedaboutanyjobspriormylasttwo.Imaybeyearningtotalk
aboutmyPeaceCorpsexperience...buttheydonthavetime,or
dontcare!
TherearealotofqualifiedPMsandjobopportunitiesoutthere.
Interviewsarehappeningeveryday.So,I'dliketoknow...WHAT
COMMONQUESTIONSHAVEYOUBEENASKED?Letshelpeach
otherprepareforthenexttimeoneofusissittingacrossthattable.

LikeComment(376)ShareMay9,2012
Comments
LindaGirardi,P.,ChristopherPernellT.and561otherslikethis
376comments Jumptomostrecentcomment

SamirP.
*MarketingDirectoratTrissential*
HelloChris
Samir
HowwouldyoumanageconflictoratoughsponsorisacommononeIhavebeenasked.
Goodlistofquestionsyouhavehere!
SamirPenkar
www.futureofprojectmanagement.com
ChrisR.
ProjectManagement&PMOLeader|Sr.ProjectManager|PMP,CSM
Chris

Samir,yes!Oftenconflictonaprojectisposedasanexample...eithera"toughsponsor"asyou
noted,oraproblematicteammemberorprojectthatisbehindscheduleand/oroverbudget.An
applicantshoulddefinitelybepreparedtoanswerhowhe/shewoulddealwithanyofthese
issues.
AhmedA.
VASSolutionArchitectandProjectManager

Ahmed

Tellmeaboutthemainmilestonesofaprojectyouhavedone.
whatarethemostimportantthingsyouhavetotakecareaboutinaprojectandwhy
Tellmeaboutalessonlearnedfromafailedproject
ChristopherP.
ITProjectManageratWestcon

MostoftheonesthatChristouchedonIhaveseen....belowareafewdifferentonesIhavecome
Christopher across.

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3/29/2015

ProjectManagementInterviewQuestionsI'veBeenAskedtheMost.WhatWouldYouAdd?|LinkedIn
Describetome,indepth,aProjectthatfailedandhowso?
Ifyouweregiventheprojectofbuildingahousefromscratch,whatwouldbeyourthought
processandhowyouwoulddefineitslifecycle?
ChrisR.
ProjectManagement&PMOLeader|Sr.ProjectManager|PMP,CSM

Chris

Christopher,yes,the"failedproject"onehascomeup,anditcanbetough.Besttohaveatleast
2examples(onebig,onesmall)readytogoforthatone.Seemstooftenbefollowedby,"What
didyoulearnfromthatexperience?"or"Whatwouldyouhavechangedtosavetheproject?"
Ihaven'tbeengiventhe"buildahouse"or"buildacar"analogytypequestion,yet.Ididonce
workwithadeveloperwhocomplainedaboutpeoplewantingtobuyshinywheelsforthecar
beforebuildingtheframe,though.Usually,withsomecolorfulexpletivesthrownin!
AmitS.
ServiceOwneratVodafone

Amit

AquestionIhavebeenaskedofteninthelast2yearswhatwerethechallenges(failures,bad
teammemberordeliveryslippages)duringtheprojectpahseandwhatdidyoudotomitigate
them?also,sometimesIamaskedwhatyoucouldhavedonedifferently?bothofthesehint
towardssometalkingaboutRiskandStakeholdermanagement.
MillaB.
BusinessAnalyst/ProjectManagerintheFinancialServicesIndustry

Milla

PersonallyIfindusing"caseinterviews"asaveryeffectivetoolforevaluatingprojectmanagers.
Iusuallyuseaspecificproblemforspecificbusinesswithspecificobjective.ThenIaskthe
candidatestotrytostructurethesolution/makeaplananddescribewhatresources/expertese
theyneedtogettheprojectdoneItallowsmetojudgehowtheythinkaboutaproblem,how
wouldtheystructureasolution,dotheyknowwhentheyhavetorelyonsomeoneelseshelp
kindofsimulatestherealworldthattheywillbethrownin...(Hint:touseChris'sexamplebuying
theshinywheelsbeforeyoubuildtheframeiswhatocassionallyhappensinacase...)Youcan
alsoseewhatprioritiespeoplehaveintheirmind(e.g.HadsomeonebuildingaairportinNew
Yorkwhoseprimaryconcernwaslandregulation..beforeneed,beforecost,beforepossibilityto
doitfromanengineeringperspective,beforelocationavailability..guesswhat?Hewasworking
forthegovernment!Ididnotevenneedtolookathisresume...)Ialsoaskveryspecific
questionsuchas"HowwouldyougoaboutX...e.g.pickingthelocationforthatairport...?"It
allowsmetojudgewhetherthepersoncanswitchbetweenbigpictureandthedetails..whichis
importantforaprojectmanagerwhodealswithalllevelsofstakeholders.
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