Tag Archives: interviews

guest blogger, Interviews, IT Project Management, Project Management Interviews

5 typical project manager interview questions

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The interview process is an imperative hurdle to conquer in order to secure the job you desire. It will be the difference between successfully answering the questions provided, or voicing a chaos of answers only to witness the job slip through your fingers. As a project manager, your interviewer will primarily be looking for your ability to perform well in certain situations, and examples of where your skills have delivered a project on time, in budget and with fantastic results to boot!

In preparation for your next interview, there are a selection of project manager interview questions listed below, so you can get in, answer the questions, and get hired!

1.       Give an example of your experience with managing different projects

Your potential employer is looking for a clear and honest explanation of your past experiences at a former company, and how you handled yourself in those situations. The question seeks to find out more about your management skills, and ultimately, how your skills can benefit their company.

Problem or Solution2.       What kind of techniques would you use to motivate ineffective team members?

This would be a good time to give an impressive example of your leadership skills. If you have experienced an unproductive team member at your previous job, communicate what the problem was and how you motivated them into becoming an efficient and key member of the team.

3.       What kinds of project management software do you use?

The point of this question is quite simply, “are you up to date with the latest technology, or are we going to have to spend our resources to get you up to speed?” Like many companies, they would rather have an employee enter the company with the knowledge of certain processes firmly in place, instead of hiring a novice. So do yourself an act of kindness and make sure you’re familiar with all the latest tools.

4.       How do you handle politics in the workplace?

The ability to keep the peace between team members while maintaining the focus of the project is key here. Your interviewer is asking for an example of a time where employee differences may have had the potential to be detrimental to the goal of the project, and the actions you took to resolve the issues.

5.       How do you close your projects?

Your employer isn’t interested in hiring an employee who fails to close projects well. This is your opportunity to shine and provide examples of projects you’ve successfully managed from beginning to end. Include details of team member and client feedback, and how you evaluated those results to present a positive end solution.

The most powerful tool to employ before your interview date is preparation. These questions will be sure to assist you in your adventure into the menacing world of the interview process and help you see the way forward in your career progression. With a splash of confidence, a pinch of positivity and a heap of preparation, go grab this opportunity with both hands!

Karly Edwards is a freelance copywriter writing for Computer Recruiter, an IT recruitment agency based in Cardiff, South Wales: http://www.computerrecruiter.co.uk

guest blogger, Interviews, Recruitment

3 Things You Shouldn’t Forget Saying During A Job Interview

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We bet you dream of building a really good and successful career. But every career starts with a successful job interview, doesn’t it? Your main task is to make a good impression on a job interviewer and make him understand that you differ much from other candidates (in a good way of course). It’s clear that there are many cliches a majority of candidates use to attract the attention and make an impression, but interviewers know them perfectly already, so, they rarely work today. It’s high time for something different!

InterviewsDo you want them to hire you? There is no need to use assignment help for that: just remember these 3 things to say during an interview to make an impression of a potential employee they actually need.

Ask them questions

Certainly, they will ask you many questions, and you will have to answer all of them. But remember, that your job interview is not a grilling: you have the right to ask questions too! Moreover, you should do that in order to show your interest towards this job and the company itself.

But our tip here will be the following: forget about all those cliché questions every interviewer heard a thousand of times already. Your task here is to attract the attention and differ from other candidates, so, your questions should be as original as they can be. For example, you many ask an interviewer about what he personally likes about the company he works at. Quite unexpected though logical, isn’t it? Or ask about what they expect from you within the first month of your job there.

What will be your value to their company?

It’s clear that a company that hires you wants to earn money. Your task is to show them how you can bring this money to them. Just try to demonstrate what your skills and knowledge can be used to achieve and bring the results they want to see. Do you have any ideas how to improve their business? Do you know how to make a company better? What new will you be able to bring them if they hire you? Just answer all these questions to an interviewer before he asks about that. It will prove the fact you totally understand what they need you for, and you know how to give it.

Your examples

While telling an interviewer about your skills, knowledge and achievements, don’t forget to support your answers with good examples. They will prove the fact that you are a person of a word, and you don’t just try to make an impression by telling about something you didn’t actually do.

Show an interviewer that you perfectly understand a job you will do in case you are hired, and you know all the requirements needed for this job. But anyway, don’t try to impress by knowing everything! Remember, that no one likes people who just boast, so, avoid long monologues about what a unique and perfect candidate you are.

The article submitted by , a pro copywriter and blogging enthusiast, who is always ready to help you with writing on different topics.

Careers Advice, Interviews, Project Management Interview Questions, Project Management Interviews

Questions you should ask the interviewer

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Interviews can be stressful for some and even enjoyable to others – it just depends on your perception of what you hope to achieve from them. Clearly you are hoping to be offered a job but that is not always the case; the interview should be a two way setting and often the candidate loses sight of this. I have been in interviews where I have known quite quickly that it is not the role for me, and walked away from interviews wondering if I actually would welcome an offer – therefore it is important to make sure you know if this is the one for you.

Notes

Most formal interviews will consist of an introduction from the interviewer followed by a series of questions presented to the candidate to understand how you work and react in situations, towards the end of the interview you will be presented with the opportunity to ask questions back. This is where some good planning comes into play; you need to think outside the box as the interviewer should answer a lot of questions in their introduction. A trap, a lot of candidates fall into is to respond with “I think you have answered everything I was going to ask” – this can come across as a lack of real interest in the business / role and can put interviewers off you.

Here are a few questions you may find useful to note down for future interviews:

  • What does the actual day to day work involve? (bearing in mind Project Management makes for constant change, there will still be core duties required of you)
  • What do you enjoy most about working here?
  • What are the main challenges the team / projects face at the moment?
  • Have you identified any weaknesses in the team; are these something you would like me to address from the start?
  • What do you think it might take to be really successful in this role?
  • Could you talk me through the management style here?
  • Do you have any specific projects in mind that the successful candidate will be working on?
  • Is it likely I will be working as part of a team and are the staff involved in different projects at any one time?
  • Does the business encourage employees to study and gain professional qualifications? What kind of support is in place?
  • What kind of backgrounds personally and professionally do the existing team have?

And to round up:

  • When can I expect to hear from you with a decision and do you usually call or write to let candidates know the outcome?
  • Would it be possible to gain some feedback from you regardless of the outcome?
  • Have I answered everything thoroughly enough for you or is there anything else you would like to ask me?

I recommend writing a list of questions to ask – always write down more than you need in case some are already covered by the interviewer (some interviewers are more thorough than others). Avoid any questions about pay, holidays, benefits, sick leave, hours of work etc as this can give a bad impression – these questions will be answered at the offer stage (if you get that far). Once you have a list of questions, place them in a folder and when you are asked for questions do remember your manners and ask if it is OK to refer to the list you prepared prior to the interview.

guest blogger, Interviews, Planning

5 Tips to Help You Stand Out In An Interview

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After all the hard work you put into making your CV stand out and impressing an employer with your application form, it’s the best feeling in the world when they want to meet you in person for an interview. But now is not the time to relax, this is where the hard work really starts. Now it’s time to really sell yourself and stand out from the other 10 or 15 people they may be interviewing! Here are a few tips to help you do that:

  • First impressions count – It takes between 5 and 30 seconds for a person to make their judgement about you, and once they’ve made their assumptions it’s very hard to change their mind! So it’s really important to create the right first impression in an interview. Obviously the way you dress will be one of the first things they notice about you so keep it smart and well-groomed, and avoid too much jewellery or excessive perfume/aftershave. If you’re not used to wearing smart clothes wear them in the house a couple of times to get used to them and ensure you feel confident and comfortable. Carry yourself confidently, head up, shoulders back and offer a firm, confident hand-shake!
  • Speak slowly and clearly – It’s perfectly natural to be nervous in an interview but there are ways you can ease your nerves and appear more confident. Speak slowly and clearly, there may be one interviewer asking the questions and another one recording your answers so think before you speak and don’t talk too fast! If English isn’t your first language you may want to consider taking a course to improve your conversational skills. Most cities in the UK have a language school. Taking English Courses in Manchester, London, and Birmingham etc is useful as larger cities provide more opportunities to practice your conversational skills.
  • Being preparedResearch the company – Every company worth working for will have a website, so use it! Look for key information such as the roots of the company, any future visions they have, their ethics and morals etc. If there’s not enough on the website then it’s a good idea to give them a call or visit their premises to ask a few questions. It’s good practice to structure your research as a SWOT report: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Look at what the company does well already, areas they could potentially improve on, what’s happening in the industry that could provide good opportunities, and any external threats from competitors or the economy.
  • Preparation is key – There are certain interview questions that always get asked, such as “Why do you feel you’re right for the position?” and “Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?” So prepare some answers to several commonly asked questions and you’ll feel more confident when these questions arise. Try to think of several situational stories/anecdotes that demonstrate your skills, for example if you’re asked about a time when you gave great customer service, be specific, talk about specific situations and customers. Make sure you know what the job description and person specification are for the role and answer questions accordingly to demonstrate how you meet the employer’s needs.
  • Ending on a good note – Make sure you’ve prepared 2 or 3 questions to ask the interviewer at the end of the interview. Try asking them things like “What does your training plan offer?” or “How much scope is there for personal development?” Questions like this show that you’re interested in the company and a long-term future with them. It’s also good practice to thank the interviewer for their time, perhaps followed up by an email the following day. Little touches like this may make you stand out more than other candidates.