Answering project-management job interview questions can be more stressful than the new job itself. Most candidates expect to talk about their strengths, weaknesses, skills, and methodology as a PM. But to truly be prepared when walking into that next PM interview, be ready to answer these difficult project management interview questions.
By itself, the title of project manager can be a bit misleading in terms of the responsibilities and level of accountability involved. Make no mistake about it, though; a PM is a leadership role, and as such, project managers should think and act as leaders, always factoring in high-level business goals and objectives. With this in mind, be prepared to answer a few broad, complex project management interview questions about business strategy, objectives, and leadership.
How to answer questions relating to company-wide business objectives
What do you think your role is as a project manager in terms of achieving company-wide business objectives?
Before your next interview, spend time doing some research in preparation for your response:
- Research the industry the business resides in.
- Research the nature of the business, its activities, products and services, stakeholders, and so on.
- Review the business vision, mission statement, and short-term and long-term objectives.
- Search for information on the management team and overall business culture.
- Determine how your role as a project manager and leader may impact that particular business and, in turn, how it may be impacted by that business.
- Think about how you can best utilize your training and experience to advance the overall business objectives. Picture yourself working within the business to envision your role.
Questions about your project-leadership style
Describe what your style of project leadership is and why you think it will work well with this company.
In preparation for your response:
- Think about leadership characteristics that you may possess—and be honest with yourself.
- Consider if your specific leadership style will work within the new business’s specific projects and if others would find your project leadership style helpful and supportive.
- Take some time to think about your leadership style within previous projects and note any feedback you may have received.
- Be honest; this is not the time to project something you are not, as it may come across as disingenuous.
- Give thought to attributes that may make you more effective than other project leaders; these are the things you want to focus on in an interview.
Sometimes you may be asked to voice your expectations from company leadership to assess the type(s) and level(s) of support they may be expected to provide to enable your effectiveness in the job.
This is important because it establishes expectations on both sides up front and can be an indicator if the fit works for both company and candidate. Remember, both parties need this to be the right fit to avoid disappointment after the hiring process is complete.
Questions about your communication style(s)
As project management involves much more than just technical knowledge and centers to a great extent around human interaction and communication, you can almost guarantee that you will be asked questions similar to the following.
Describe your communication style(s) as well as the situations you believe your style works best in.
Prior to the interview:
- Walk yourself through past projects and the various types of communication mediums used.
- Be honest with yourself about how you usually communicate with various stakeholders.
- Think about what your communication preferences are and how they have been received by various stakeholders.
- Be constructive and analyze the pros and cons of your communication methods.
Questions about your most important attributes
What do you think are the three most important attributes to have to offer as a project manager, and why?
In preparation for your interview:
- Reflect on positive feedback you have received on previous projects from stakeholders.
- Factor in the new role in terms of business objectives and intended outcomes, as well as vital job-specific requirements.
- Think of this as simply prioritizing the top three must-have skills necessary for doing the job successfully and accomplishing the desired outcome(s).
Multifaceted situational questions
Project-manager interviews invariably include multifaceted, situational questions. Listen to them carefully and note how many questions you are asked and how they relate to the previous parts. Always keep calm. Remember, it’s acceptable to ask your interviewer to repeat or rephrase any part(s) of the question. Always be honest about your experiences—don’t embellish.
If you don’t have a relevant example to share, it’s OK to admit it. Here are some of the situational questions you may be asked:
- Give examples of the most complex project you have managed and strategies you employed for a successful outcome.
- Give examples of when you have worked with difficult stakeholder(s), how you handled the situation, and what the end result was.
- How have you handled conflicting goals and deadlines? Provide examples.
- Have you ever had a failed project? What were the circumstances, and what were your lessons learned?
- How and when have you utilized technology to improve or enhance your effectiveness as a project manager? Provide some examples.
Questions about why you like your job
The following expressive questions may seem like the trickiest questions to answer, as they involve career aspirations, job satisfaction, stress-management techniques, and motivation.
Tell me why you like your job as a project manager?
- This question is straightforward. Resist the urge to overcomplicate the answer.
- Typically, there are no right or wrong answers here, as the answers rely solely on personal preferences and job-satisfaction aspects.
- Try to remember that various people may enjoy completely different facets of the same role.
What keeps you motivated when projects become difficult or frustrating?
- Think of mechanisms and strategies you have used to stay positive and focused in situations. When have you been discouraged while managing a project? Similar to question nine, each individual’s style is a personal preference when it comes to staying motivated. There is no one right answer.
- Think of your internal value system in relation to the company and its culture.
Several other tough questions
There are several other tough questions a project manager should be prepared to answer. Alexandra Levit, a former nationally syndicated columnist for the Wall Street Journal, current writer for the New York Times, and author of six career-advice books, posed the following questions that she would ask a potential project manager:
- If a project is proceeding contrary to your ethics or values, what would you do?
- What PM innovations were you responsible for at your current job?
- What types of projects play to your strengths?
- What’s your approach to managing people who don’t officially report to you?
There are, of course, are many other technical and situational project-management-interview questions you could be asked. The most important things to remember? Come prepared to answer some difficult and specific questions based on your previous experience; take your time when answering questions; and be transparent, truthful, and personable.
Your technical experience and training are easily verifiable and often speak for themselves. Companies want to know that they are hiring innovative, positive, dedicated individuals who can help them advance their culture, vision, work ethic, and direction.
For those who are already well entrenched in their PM careers, there are things that have the potential to derail a project leader’s career and should be avoided.
