Project management interview questions Top 10 questions and Answers
project management interview questions Top 10 questions and Answers
The interviewer will be interested to know how you have managed any project that is multidisciplinary, like matrix management or even cross country management. "My co-workers will tell you that I am a team player and a colleague they can count on to pull his weight whether it's a normal day or we're in a crunch."
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Most candidates for assistant project management roles have already had a great deal of experience working on projects at different levels. Start tabout a complex project you managed from start to finish to get the interviewer feel your strongest points and skills. Look for examples of successful delivery while keeping everything on time, within budget and to specifications. However, a project rarely goes exactly to plan, so finding out about times when things did not go so well and how he coped, adapted and learned are equally important.
The interviewer is looking for work related examples of how you measure success and when know you have reached accomplishment. Use a work related example and keep your answer short and to the point."In my opinion and as it relates to the workplace, success is a measurable variable. If you don't measure your accomplishments, success is lost. Success can be tied to everything you do each day.If I plan to accomplish 3 tasks before the end of the day and I do so, then I have been successful. Success simply means accomplishing what you set out to do within the parameters you specify, whether they be time, money or learning, etc."
your have to take into consideration several disagreements. They can be between employees, between the superior and the employees, or even the client and the employees.
If you reply that you have never had any disagreements, the interviewer will wonder whether you were really a key player for your skills or simply because you are a people pleaser.
Make sure that you come up with at least one incident where employees and superiors had differences in thought and you were instrumental in changing the scenario.
When the activity effort and resource estimates are known getting the work done depends on how the tasks are sequenced. Dependencies with other activities have to be clearly known. The basic sequence is determined by what activities should be carried out first and what should follow. Unconnected tasks/activities can be sequenced in parallel to reduce project time. Most optimized sequencing would give you the best possible time needed given the resources allocation is ideal and there are no constraints there. Scheduling is done from activities list prepared after WBS has been finalized.
Most employers are looking for PMP certified for project management vacancies. Be prepared to talk about your intentions, whether you already have it or you are currently in the planning stages of getting it.
At every monitoring point the planned value (PV), earned value (EV) and actual cost (AC) are monitored. PMB, performance measurement baseline is the aggregation of all planned values. Variances from baselines are determined and Schedule variance (SV) and cost variance (CV) are calculated. If earned value is equal to the planned value then the project is achieving what it is supposed to. If there is schedule or cost variance is significant, appropriate action needs to be taken to correct the slips. Estimate at completion (EAC) is estimated and compared with budget at completion. In case there is a slip, the cost consequences will be known.
Always try to focus on something positive especially if you left your last job on bad terms.Be honest but also diplomatic and professional. If you left because you disliked your supervisor, be more specific,As the person conducting the interview, I then understand that you don't work well with someone who is a micromanage and can determine how you would fit within the role on our team.
This question ensures both parties are on the same page,Postpone any talk of salary until all other issues about the job are resolved to both parties' satisfaction. If pressed to answer, always state a range rather than a single figure, so there's room for negotiation when the offer comes.You must be realistic in what you ask for knowing there are many qualified candidates out there. Be prepared to make a strong case for the top of the range. My final advise to you is to prepare yourself and try to collect more information about the company and its past and ongoing projects to give you an idea about what type of project management interview questions you will be asked.
2- What is Team Management ?
The interviewer will be interested to know how you have managed any project that is multidisciplinary, like matrix management or even cross country management. "My co-workers will tell you that I am a team player and a colleague they can count on to pull his weight whether it's a normal day or we're in a crunch."
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3- Tell me about your Previous Experience?
Most candidates for assistant project management roles have already had a great deal of experience working on projects at different levels. Start tabout a complex project you managed from start to finish to get the interviewer feel your strongest points and skills. Look for examples of successful delivery while keeping everything on time, within budget and to specifications. However, a project rarely goes exactly to plan, so finding out about times when things did not go so well and how he coped, adapted and learned are equally important.
4-What is your definition of success?
The interviewer is looking for work related examples of how you measure success and when know you have reached accomplishment. Use a work related example and keep your answer short and to the point."In my opinion and as it relates to the workplace, success is a measurable variable. If you don't measure your accomplishments, success is lost. Success can be tied to everything you do each day.If I plan to accomplish 3 tasks before the end of the day and I do so, then I have been successful. Success simply means accomplishing what you set out to do within the parameters you specify, whether they be time, money or learning, etc."
5- Have you ever faced any disagreements in your previous job? How did you solve it out?
your have to take into consideration several disagreements. They can be between employees, between the superior and the employees, or even the client and the employees.
If you reply that you have never had any disagreements, the interviewer will wonder whether you were really a key player for your skills or simply because you are a people pleaser.
Make sure that you come up with at least one incident where employees and superiors had differences in thought and you were instrumental in changing the scenario.
6-How do project scheduling help achieve project execution?
When the activity effort and resource estimates are known getting the work done depends on how the tasks are sequenced. Dependencies with other activities have to be clearly known. The basic sequence is determined by what activities should be carried out first and what should follow. Unconnected tasks/activities can be sequenced in parallel to reduce project time. Most optimized sequencing would give you the best possible time needed given the resources allocation is ideal and there are no constraints there. Scheduling is done from activities list prepared after WBS has been finalized.
7-Are you PMP certified? If you are not certified do you have a desire to attain a PMP certification?
Most employers are looking for PMP certified for project management vacancies. Be prepared to talk about your intentions, whether you already have it or you are currently in the planning stages of getting it.
8-What is EVM, earned value management?
At every monitoring point the planned value (PV), earned value (EV) and actual cost (AC) are monitored. PMB, performance measurement baseline is the aggregation of all planned values. Variances from baselines are determined and Schedule variance (SV) and cost variance (CV) are calculated. If earned value is equal to the planned value then the project is achieving what it is supposed to. If there is schedule or cost variance is significant, appropriate action needs to be taken to correct the slips. Estimate at completion (EAC) is estimated and compared with budget at completion. In case there is a slip, the cost consequences will be known.
9- Why did you leave your last job?
Always try to focus on something positive especially if you left your last job on bad terms.Be honest but also diplomatic and professional. If you left because you disliked your supervisor, be more specific,As the person conducting the interview, I then understand that you don't work well with someone who is a micromanage and can determine how you would fit within the role on our team.
10-What is your salary expectation?
This question ensures both parties are on the same page,Postpone any talk of salary until all other issues about the job are resolved to both parties' satisfaction. If pressed to answer, always state a range rather than a single figure, so there's room for negotiation when the offer comes.You must be realistic in what you ask for knowing there are many qualified candidates out there. Be prepared to make a strong case for the top of the range. My final advise to you is to prepare yourself and try to collect more information about the company and its past and ongoing projects to give you an idea about what type of project management interview questions you will be asked.