Excellent news: You’ve landed an interview for a undertaking supervisor job. Perhaps it’s step one in a brand new profession, or possibly you’re a seasoned PM in search of greener pastures. Both means, you’ve gotten your resume via the hoops and now have an opportunity to speak to actual folks about your {qualifications} for this job.
Interviews generally is a little nerve wracking, so having a way upfront of what you may be requested about is important to creating an excellent impression. We spoke to a variety of profession specialists and coaches, together with of us who’ve supervised and employed undertaking managers, to get insights into the types of questions you may count on at a PM job interview — and the way it is best to put together to reply them.
1. What have you learnt?
They gained’t be the meatiest questions, however you may be requested to show baseline data about undertaking administration and the sphere of specialty you’d be working in if employed. “If you’re within the IT area, you ought to be ready to reply questions on software program you might be conversant in for undertaking administration,” says Sara Hutchison, an govt resume author with a background in working with IT professionals and a CompTIA Undertaking+ certification.
Even when confronted with primary factual questions, it is best to look to indicate some analytical aptitude. For example, says Hutchison, when requested about undertaking administration software program, “if you recognize a number of software program packages, are you able to discuss concerning the professionals and cons of every? You also needs to be prepared to speak about the way you stay abreast of the newest expertise in these areas.”
That stated, this isn’t a pop quiz that it is advisable rating 100 on; the way you cope with a query that throws you could be revealing about your character and capabilities. Cynthia Davis, co-founder of recruitment platform Diversifying.io, says that one factor she would search for in an interview can be if a candidate is “open sufficient to say, ‘I don’t know, however right here is how I can develop that.’”
2. What have you learnt concerning the firm the place you’re making use of?
In relation to your potential new employer, Davis says you ought to be as in control as attainable. “In an interview, the candidate must present that they’ve understood the position they’re making use of for and have taken the time to analysis the corporate and show that is the proper position for them,” she says.
Keep in mind, although, that an interview is a two-way road, and a chance so that you can ask questions as nicely. When you ought to know as a lot as you may concerning the firm and the place you’re making use of for, you’ll solely be capable to be taught a few of the particulars — and the way precisely you may match the invoice — by asking about them throughout the interview; doing so exhibits you’re critical concerning the job.
“It’s necessary to uncover the why behind the place,” says Tushar Gadhia, observe director of consulting at Synoptek. “This may enable you decide the right mindset for the actual job. Do it is advisable are available in as a change agent and undo issues that the predecessor set into movement or couldn’t obtain? Then again, if issues weren’t problematic, the corporate could also be hiring a PM to return into the fold and get in tune with the processes they have already got in place. Understanding precisely what the corporate wants from a PM is important to make sure you’re the proper particular person for the place and know what will likely be anticipated of you.”
3. What’s your course of?
Assuming you’ve made your means via the filters to get an interview, your potential employers are most likely comfy that you recognize that primary information — the what — that you just’ll have to do the job. What they’re going to need to hear you speak about is the how: your course of as a supervisor to assist groups shepherd tasks to completion, and the mindset behind it.
For example, the way you method tradeoffs is a key a part of your work philosophy. Tim Bailey, vp of world consulting at Deltek, would ask candidates, “When managing a undertaking, how do you identify which of the triple constraints — scope, schedule, value — is most necessary?”
Try to be ready to reply questions on your management type as nicely. Since you’ll be in command of a crew, this will likely be probably the most essential parts of the interview. Dave Garrett, chief technique and progress officer on the Undertaking Administration Institute (PMI), provides an instance of the types of issues a hiring supervisor will need to know:
- “How do you lead and affect folks with out authority? As a result of tasks are sometimes cross-functional, your crew members have one other ‘boss,’ and your undertaking is just not all the time prime precedence for different stakeholders.”
- “Are you a fast examine? As a result of tasks could be on any matter and you may be simpler for those who can shortly be taught concerning the topic and perceive what’s necessary.”
- “How do you determine which method to make use of? As a result of undertaking groups can apply many approaches: predictive, agile, design pondering, and extra, relying on the challenges they face.”
You may additionally be given an opportunity to speak about the way you method the job of a PM in a meta sense. Debra Wheatman, president of Careers Finished Write, says such questions is perhaps framed this manner: “Have you ever improved the undertaking administration processes at your organization? What did you suggest or implement? What had been the outcomes?”
David Ciccarelli, tech entrepreneur and CEO of Voices, will get a bit extra cerebral when he interviews PM candidates. “I attempt to perceive the candidates via course of or get a way of their psychological fashions that they depend on to make sooner, smarter selections,” he says. “A query is perhaps, ‘Are there any psychological frameworks you employ to speed up your decision-making course of?’ Psychological fashions are merely frameworks that determine patterns and assist an individual resolve a troublesome scenario in a predictable method. Figuring out {that a} candidate has a toolkit is an indication that they may stand up to hurry shortly and begin making a optimistic impression.”
4. What have you ever accomplished?
It may be exhausting to foretell what types of questions you’ll get in a PM interview. However there’s one which’s nearly assured: “Inform me a few current undertaking.”
This one is “a pure ice-breaker query,” says Alan Zucker, founding principal at Undertaking Administration Necessities. “Be ready to explain the undertaking, your position, issues that went nicely, and challenges encountered. Your preliminary response must be lower than two minutes. Apply. Keep centered and high-level.”
And be able to be particular on this one. “Undertaking managers should be ready to reply questions that heart on actual experiences and challenges and the way they overcame them,” says PMI’s Garrett. “Keep away from hypothetical solutions that don’t show the way you reacted to and managed your circumstances.”
A part of the specifics you ship must be actually about when issues went lower than completely. You may get particular questions on this: “Inform me a few time if you felt overwhelmed by your workload” and “Are you able to describe a scenario wherein you missed a deadline?” are two examples provided by Mandy Bennett, director of artistic growth at Scorpion. It’s best to use questions resembling these as a chance to speak about how you’ve overcome adversity.
“A PM that feels in an interview or appraisal that each undertaking or task they’ve ever labored on has gone completely 100% of the time might be a crimson flag,” says Hutchison. “Not solely is that this extremely unlikely, nevertheless it additionally doesn’t permit the hiring supervisor to know the way you be taught from previous experiences, resolve points, and develop on what was accomplished to stop them from taking place once more. Use these previous examples as alternatives so that you can clarify the way you took criticism, took possession of a problem, and documented the suitable actions.”
5. What are you able to inform us about you?
Ultimately, preserve one factor in thoughts a few job interview: It’s the one likelihood you and your potential employers get to evaluate each other as folks. Don’t get too private, however don’t really feel like you need to spend the whole time within the realm of numbers and software program proficiency, both: Interviewers will need to know the way your character will mesh with the remainder of the crew. “The secret’s to indicate that you’re real,” says Maziar Adl, CTO of Gocious. “You need to have the ability to articulate your accomplishments, not simply by rattling off a collection of information factors and information, however quite present how these things helped the enterprise develop. Clarify the way you labored along with your crew and throughout the group to perform these metrics.”
“Employers need individuals who care, who’ve character, integrity, and are an excellent match with the corporate tradition,” provides Deltek’s Bailey. “We wish to see how candidates align with our core values. A few good inquiries to be ready for can be, ‘What’s necessary to you exterior of labor?’ and ‘What do you worth?’”
As we’ve already stated, an interview is a dialog that goes each methods, and that is your likelihood to pose related inquiries to your interviewer as nicely. “As we’re seeing an increasing number of within the ‘Nice Resignation,’ one of many huge causes persons are leaving jobs is due to a poisonous tradition or boss,” says Tracy Podell, associate and govt coach at Evolution, knowledgeable teaching and management growth firm. “You need to ask particular behavioral questions concerning the crew you’ll be working with so you will get a greater sense if it’s a tradition match for you. For example, you may ask concerning the firm values and for examples of how they play out in firm processes. You’ll be able to ask for an instance of how the crew dealt with a current battle, and so forth.”
In the end, what you need is an employer who’s invested in your profession and doesn’t simply see you as a replaceable cog. “I might ask the place the particular person desires to go and what they count on out of the work,” says Lovisa Stenbäcken Stjernlöf, identification and governance lead at Advania Sweden. “I would like an concept of what you need to discover additional on in your profession. I need to see some aspiration.”
However to get that respect, you need to earn it, and which means displaying respect throughout the interview course of. Diversifying.io’s Davis warns of blunders to keep away from: “Saying the flawed firm title, calling the interviewer by the flawed title, and never answering the questions. Some issues are particular to interviews happening over video. Not trying on the digicam makes you appear disinterested — the identical with checking your telephone or taking a telephone name. It provides the looks that you’re not current and centered on the interview.” Tripping up this manner undoubtedly tells your interviewer one thing about you — and never one thing they’ll need to hear.
