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by Sandra A on May 19, 2014 in Interview Questions
Update Feb 2014:

Thanks again for visiting my site. If you like the
content on my page, please consider purchasing my
E-Book, in which you will find more interview
questions and answers plus further tips and tricks on
how to prepare for your job interview. Thank you for
your support!
On this site you will find the most common interview
questions and answers which are used by recruitment
agencies and hiring companies in order to find out if you
are the right person for the job.
To each questions, Ive provided some background information on why a particular question is
being asked. This will help you understand what your interview partner is hoping to hear from you.
For demonstration purpose, Im using a Project Manager as an example, looking for a project
management job. You can easily change or modify the answer to suit your expertise, knowledge
and skill.
1. Interview Questions and Answers: Tell me about yourself:

Background:
This is one of the most common questions to start the interview. Make sure you have prepared an
answer in advance which outlines your skills, knowledge and experience. This will help you to
market and to sell your skills. Your interview partner is after information on how you can add value
to the company. Try to conclude your answer with a question in order to get the initial discussion
going.
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Interview Questions and Answers - E Interview Questions And AnswersE ... http://einterviewquestionsandanswers.com/interview-questions-and-answers/
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Statement:
Im an experienced Project Manager with a record of successful project delivery. Im efficient and
highly organised. This enables me to be as productive as possible on the job.
Example:
At my last company X, I was involved in the development of a new online insurance product. As a
Project Manager I was responsible and accountable for a budget of $1m, my project team was 20
members strong. The project needed to be delivered on a tight timeline due to legislative changes.
Benefits:
Ive delivered this project within the 10-month deadline and under budget. The company sold 2000
products within the first 2 month. Id like to discuss how I might be able to do something similar for
your company.
2. Interview Questions and Answers: Why do you want to work for

our company?
Background:
This is an important question, as the future employer wants to know if you really want to work here
or if you are just applying for any job. Interviewers want to hire people who are like-minded and want
to work for the same company. Therefore be passionate. Demonstrate that you have done your
research on the company beforehand (for example on Google, LinkedIn). Can you show your
interview partner that you can add value to the company?
Statement:
Im really interested in working for your company.
Example:
Im familiar with some of the people who work for you; or I have conducted web research and found
/ believe that the products / services are impressive and very interesting. Your company is leading
the market and was ranked highly at the Choice of Employee of the year. From my understanding
this company has a very dynamic, very competitive, and fast business culture. And your company
has the reputation for hiring top talents.
Benefits:
I do believe my skill set would fit very well with your job requirements and Im sure I can help you to
be more productive and efficient in your project delivery.
3. Interview Questions and Answers: Why do you want to leave your

company? / Why have you left your company?
Background:
There are three rules with this question: keep it simple, honest and positive. Good reasons for
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leaving your job or company can be:

Career growth
Your company is restructuring
Moving or finding a job closer to home
Looking for new challenge
If you are in a situation where you are or were unemployed for a time mention the reason. Always
frame the answer positively and make sure your time off has some learning activities involved.
Example for career growth:
Statement:
I had a fabulous time at company X.
Example:
I started out in the Project Manager area. I have been promoted several times, developed new
skills and formalised my Project Management skills. After 6 years, I feel that it is time to look for a
new challenge and Im using this as an opportunity to grow and learn. Im very selective where I go
with my next move because it is important move where I can grow as a professional and enhance
my skills.
Benefit:
Im looking for an opportunity to take all the skills and experiences that I have learned at (company
X) and apply this in a new environment where I can make a real difference to the particular
organisation.
Example for company restructure:
Statement:
I was made redundant due to a company restructure in May. After some consideration I decided to
turn this situation into an opportunity for my personal and professional growth.
Example:
I fulfilled my childhood dream traveling through Europe and to experience and learn about foreign
cultures. Since Im back, Ive completed several Project Manager educational courses online in the
area of financial management in order to brush up my skills and joined the Professional Project
Management Group here in Brisbane to grow my business network.
Benefits:
Im looking forward to use my experience in a new environment where I can make a real difference.
4. Interview Questions and Answers: Tell me about your strength?

Background:
Describe your skills and experience here. Provide three or four statements and back them up with
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examples. Employers normally like to see examples in the area of:

Great communicator
Team player / team leader
Hardworking
Motivated and determined
Using consultative approach
Mentored and coached teams
Statement:
My key strengths are: great communicator, good team leader, hardworking and motivated to
achieve my goals. In addition, I have a strong knowledge of IT systems and have managed projects
for over 6 years.
Example:
All those strength have been developed over the last years. I started at company X with small
projects in the area of XX. Not all projects were easy to manage, and I did make mistakes in the
beginning especially when it came to managing staff. But I learned quickly and improved my
project management skills over the last couple of years. Now, Im at the point where I manage large
and complex projects, with development sites in India and China.
Benefit:
This enabled my last company to simplify their environment and saved $400.000 in the first 8
months.
5. Interview Questions and Answers: Tell me what motivates you?

Background:
This is a psychological question. The interviewer wants to know if you think more about short-term
or long-term goals. Below you will find two possible answers to this question.
Statement 1:
I like to be involved in constant changes and like to be involved in new things like new process
developments, new product development, further improvements to processes and methodologies.
[Change is the only constant, and I have the urge to be involved].
Example 1:
As a Project Manager Im heavily involved in implementing new ideas and projects and see them
deployed and realized. I want to use my Project Manager skills and talent in order to work on
exciting and challenging projects in order to realise the companies goals.
Benefit 1:
I am motivated by the challenge of implementing projects ahead of schedule and by managing
teams that achieved their goals.
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Statement 2:
My career is important to me. Im really into developing myself. I want to get into senior
management level and I want to take on more responsibilities.
Example 2:
Im taking on an Executive Leadership course for Project Managers to work at a more strategic
and senior level; thats what motivates me.
Benefit 2:
This will help me grow and achieve my personal goals and help the company to reach their targets.
6. Interview Questions and Answers: Can you please tell me why we

should hire you?
Background:
This is a value proposition. How can you add value to the company? Make sure you have read the
job description and know what they are looking for. This is now what you need to mention. If they
mentioned that you need to be Excellent in Stakeholder Management, then you need to use and
provide an example here. In general people will hire you for the following reasons:
You do the job well
You fit into the company culture
You are passionate about your job
Statement:
Based on my past projects and experiences I do believe that I can add and bring value to your
company.
Example:
In the job description you highlighted that you are looking for someone with the following skills: list
now three of the requirements in the job description and provide examples to each, to show that
you have this experience they are looking for.
You mentioned that you are looking for someone with Excellent Stakeholder Management skills,
Experiences in Agile and has a record of successful project delivery.
At my previous company, agile was the project management standard. I was responsible for a $2m
projects delivering a new online banking product by the end of the year. I had to deal with various
stakeholder. We were running in a major problem as the product, we just developed, didnt comply
to regulatory standards. It was a very challenging situation. Further describe a situation.
Benefit:
I do believe that my skills and experience will meet your expectations and will complement your
team to deliver the required results.
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7. Interview Questions and Answers: Can you please tell me how you
will contribute to this company?
Background:
The best way to answer this is to give example of what you have achieved in the past and to relate
this to the future. Relate your abilities to the employers goals. You will want to let your interviewer
partner know that you have the right skills necessary to do the job they are hiring for.
Statement:
Im an experienced Project Manager who worked for X number of years in the industry. Im familiar
with different project management methodologies and processes.
Example:
Ive delivered many successful projects in the past like Project X, Project Y which were very
complex in nature and provided the expected benefits to companies Ive worked for. Ive also
trained and mentored others in the Project Manager discipline up-grading their capability.
Benefit:
I do believe that my knowledge and skills will greatly improve the quality and the delivery of your
projects.
8. Interview Questions and Answers: Where do you see yourself in 5

years?
Background:
Your interview partner wants to know if you have clear goals in life. In reality, most people have no
idea what they will do in 5 years time. You can answer this question in two ways:
You want to become an expert in your field and would like to stay in the area: Advance from
being a Project Manager to become a Senior Project Manager.
Or you want to leave your area moving from a Project Manager position to a senior
management position.
Statement for becoming an expert:
I want to become an expert in the Project Management area.
Example for becoming an expert:
In 5 years time, I see myself progressing in the Project Management area. Taking on larger and
more complex projects and learning new skills to the benefit of (the company). I find this advertised
Project Management job extremely interesting and motivating.
Benefit of becoming an expert:
I am willing to invest my next 5 years gaining further experience on the job and towards
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professional advancement. To sum it up I want to be an expert in project management

Statement for moving:
In five years time I see myself in a senior management position.
Example for moving:
Having more responsibilities, coaching other employees and managing teams. I am interested in
pursuing my career based on (this companys) goals.
Benefit for moving:
Im planning to acquire further qualification in my field (e.g. MBA), which will assist me in this
endeavor.
9. Interview Questions and Answers: Describe a time when your

workload was heavy and how you dealt with it?
Background:
Here your interview partner wants to see how you acted and behaved under a certain situation in
the past in order to predict on how you are likely to handle a similar situation in the future.
Statement:
For Project Managers it is quite common to work under heavy workload especially when it comes
to the delivery of the project.
Example:
When I was working on the Project X, one of my key staff members fell ill for some time. I had to
distribute his workload within the team. We worked hard for long hours, in order to cover for this
person. We caught up every morning for short meetings to discuss and to re-prioritise the
upcoming work for the day.
Benefit:
Despite having one resource less on the project, we implemented the project successfully. This
was mainly due to the teams contribution in taking over extra work, re-prioritisation and team
updates each morning.
10. Interview Questions and Answers: How do you manage difficult

people or a problem with an employee reporting to you?
Background:
This question will test your people management and leadership skills. When managing difficult
people, it is important that you make sure their goals and objectives are measurable, specific,
quantifiable and in writing for accountability. Failing to do so, will not improve the situation.
Statement:
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When dealing with difficult people it is important to document everything to establish facts. In a few
cases the only option is to terminate their employment, but it may not be necessary; instead in most
cases I try to provide a plan for improvement.
Example:
On one of the larger programs, I was dealing with a Project Financial Analyst who didnt
communicate well with Project Managers. Her communication style was very direct forcefully
instructing them on how to provide the requested financial data. This didnt go down well and
complaints arose. In order to have a fact based conversation with the Analyst; I started
documenting each issue related to the situation. Rather than criticising her forceful attitude, I
provided examples on how to communicate her requests in a milder manner, while still getting the
required results. We worked out a plan, which included mentoring and training in order to overcome
these issues. The plan was monitored on a regular basis.
Benefit:
The Financial Analyst started to change her communication style to a more consultative approach.
She started listening to the Project Managers first and assisted them with their financial problems
instead of telling them what to do. The entire change and performance management process took
several months, and required a lot of energy from my side, but in the end we accomplished a good
working relationship.
11. Interview Questions and Answers: Can you describe a situation

where you had a conflict in your team? How did you handle it?
Background:
This question will test your leadership and conflict resolution skills. The researcher Thomas
Kilmann has proposed five different ways of addressing conflict, which results in different
outcomes:
1. Competing: power oriented mode in which you try to win
2. Accommodating: unassertive and cooperative. Opposite of competing, the individual neglects
his / her own concern
3. Avoiding: unassertive and uncooperative not dealing with the conflict (postponing an issue to
a later time or withdrawing from a situation)
4. Collaborating: is both assertive and cooperative opposite from avoiding. It involves an
attempt to work with others to find a solution. A win-win solution for both parties.
5. Compromising: find a mutually acceptable solution that partially satisfies both parties
When answering this question, make sure you do not blame or bad mouth somebody. In general
the best possible outcome for both parties is the Collaborating resolution, but it depends on the
situation you are in.
Statement:
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When addressing conflict situations I have found that open collaboration is the most effective form
of addressing it.
Example:
Please refer to example given in question 10
12. Interview Questions and Answers: Youve been appointed as a

Project Manager to a project where the team morale is low. What do
you do to uplift it?
Background:
This question probes your team building and engagement skills. Activities that generally uplift the
team spirit are:
Praise wherever you can (it costs nothing)
Never criticise or correct this is the biggest de-motivator always talk about possible
solutions to problems
Give small recognitions such as movie tickets, dinner vouchers etc.
Celebrate occasions such as birthdays and make social contact Friday late afternoon
meetings, common lunch every 4 weeks
Be open and communicate both success and failure
Statement:
Sometimes project teams can be affected from poor team morale due to causes which are outside
a Project Managers control.
Example:
Once, I was working on a project where team morale was very low due to the restructuring of the
organisation, which included several redundancies of staff members. Though I was not able to do
anything about the restructure, I encouraged the team to be open with their communication and
listened to their concerns. I praised people wherever I could and made sure that people didnt work
long hours over extended periods. I organised lunch and learn sessions on Fridays where we
exchanged experiences and promoted things that worked well.
Benefit:
We established team camaraderie, which uplifted the mood and helped us to focus on our project
and on our people rather than on the environment, which we were not able to influence or control.
13. Interview Questions and Answers: How do you handle pressure

and stress?
Background:
Everybody gets stressed. The interviewer would like to know on how you deal with it. Stress is
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generally good for you; as long as you know how to manage it. Recovery phases between periods
of stress are key and vital for achieving a good and sustainable performance at work and in your
life. When answering this question, make sure you highlight your recovery phases. For example
taking regular timeout, leaving the office during lunch and performing regular exercise like having a
run in the park.
Statement:
As a Project Manager you experience many stressful situations, some of them you can influence
where as others are beyond your control.
Example:
When I notice that a stressful situation starts impacting my performance, I close my eyes, take a
couple of deep breaths to detach myself from the situation. I then review the activities that need to
be done and possibly re-prioritise or re-scope them. When I work long hours, I make sure that I
have regular breaks, get up from my desk and walk around to get a new perspective.
Benefit:
In general I try to go to the gym on a regular basis in order to be fit in life and at work.
14. Interview Questions and Answers: Can you tell me what do you
do when project priorities constantly change?
Background:
In Project Management you have the iron triangle which outlines the relationship of: scope, cost
and time. If you change one site of the triangle e.g. re-prioritising scope than this will affect time and
cost. The interviewer would like to know on how you would handle such a situation.
Statement:
Re-prioritising scope of a project has always an impact on time and / or cost. Therefore, it is
essential to analyse the change and its impact beforehand.
Example:
At project x we had one stakeholder who consistently changed his mind on how we should develop
the new online-shopping application. First he wanted to include videos and forums where
customers could exchange ideas. Later on, he changed his mind including a delivery service. Each
of the changes we analysed and provided an impact analysis on cost and time and its benefits to
the stakeholders. Some changes were adapted where as others were rejected.
Benefit:
The project got delivered to the new scope at a higher cost. Though the additional business
benefits of providing the delivery service capability have outweigh the additional costs.
15. Interview Questions and Answers: What have you learned from
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your mistakes?
Background:
This is a behaviour interview question.
Everybody has made mistakes the key is to see, acknowledge and learn quickly from them. This
will form the development of your experience. Senior Project Managers get hired because of their
experience and knowledge, which they have gained over the years. If you can openly admit to have
made mistakes in the past than this will viewed positively as someone with integrity and character.
Statement:
I have made mistakes in the past and I believe the key to it is to admit them and to learn from them
Example:
A few years ago I was leading a project where I had to make a decision terminating the contract of
one of the project team members. I was not aware that this person had a very close relationship to
our CEO. This person was taken off the project but was offered a very senior position in the
company instead. It did cause a lot of distraction and trust issues in the project team and with the
stakeholder. I shouldnt have reacted so quickly, trying to get this person away from my project
instead I should have given this person some tasks where she would have little stakeholder contact
and impact on the project.
Benefits:
My lesson learned from this is: Dont make quick decisions on the spot without evaluating the
impact.
16. Interview Questions and Answers: How do you set and manage
expectations (with customers, your managers and your team)?
Background:
Expectations are generally unstated but are critical to the success of your project. For
example,your customer wants to be involved in your project in all the details, not at all, wants
the project done regardless on the quality or wants to set an example. The success often is not
related on how good you executed the contract (Statement of Work) rather than how good you
fulfilled your customers expectations. Setting expectation of customers, team members and
managers is therefore critical to the role of a PM. It will establish trust and credibility. The best way
to do this is to communicate frequently and to set expectations. Monitor these expectations by
asking probing questions. If the expectations differ from yours, you need to find the basis for it and
correct your course of action.
Statement:
I believe that good expectation management is a key to a project success.
Example:
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When starting out with my projects I make sure to have informal meetings with my customer /
manager and team members to understand their expectations. This helps me to better understand
on how to deliver the project. On one project, I had a customer who didnt get involved into the
project he just wanted me to do it as quickly as possible on a different occasion I had a
customer who wanted to have daily updates and wanted to be included in every decision. From the
outside, both projects would have looked the same but different treatments were required in order
to complete them successfully and to make the end customer happy.
Benefits:
Sometimes its not the end goal on what youve delivered, but more the journey on how you
delivered it and how you engaged your stakeholders and managed expectations.
17. Interview Questions and Answers: Describe the four phases of

team building and how do you use it as an advantage on your
project?
Background:
The four phases of team development (according to Bruce Tuckman) are:
Forming: Project team get to know each other and establish objectives clearly.
Storming: Characterized by conflicts and competition between team members. In order to
move to the next stage team member need to be focusing on solution
Norming: Team members actively acknowledge ideas and contribution. A team starts to form
Performing: A team has been established and performs well.
Adjourning: This is the fifth stage when teams break up after a finite length of time. This
includes recognising team members and saying goodbye
Statement:
The four stages of team development are: Forming, storming, Norming, performing with a fifth
stage called adjourning where the team will be released.
Examples:
When Im leading a project Im using the above framework in order to develop a high performing
team. In the forming stage, I try to have a project kick off meeting which is not only work related. It
will be a small celebration, where socialisation will happen and where people will get to know each
other. In the storming phase, people might have some anxiety about the project goals and possible
its realisation. Some team members start questioning roles and responsibility. In this phase Im
supporting team members and share my vision and goals of the project. If conflicts arise I make
sure that they are fact based and solution oriented. In the norming stage, the team slowly comes
together and my leadership will change to a more to participants style. The fourth stage is the
performing stage where the team performs well together. In this stage I normally have some
breathing space and can delegate more activities and focus for example on future work or on some
analysis work. The last stage which sometime is mentioned, is called adjourning where the project
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will be closed and released into a BAU state. Generally we have a closing event like a dinner where
we acknowledge team performance and say good-bye to the team members.
Benefits:
I found that this framework provides guidance in developing a high performing project team, which
will work well and achieve the project goals.
18. Interview Questions and Answers: Can you please describe with
which methodologies (or process) you are familiar with?
Background:
A project methodology is a process on how projects will be delivered. Common methodologies are
PRINCE 2, PMBOK, Agile Project Management (like Scrum) or a combination of Process-based
management (like CMMI) methodologies. Apart from the obvious which methodology have you
worked with your answer will offer insight whether you are flexible in your methodology and can
adapt easily to a new process or you are keen in implementing your preferred methodology (which
might not be desired).
Statement:
Over the last couple of years Ive worked with different methodologies.
Example:
The company X Im currently working for has a customised version of agile. The project lifecycle is
split in phases and approval including funding that will be released once the required activities
and mandatory artefacts have been completed in the current phase. Earlier I was working on a
Government project, which used PRINCE 2 for project delivery.
Benefits:
Regardless which project methodology the company has, Im quite flexible in terms of methodology
and approach. Im good at organising and believe I have good communication skills, which can be
applied to any methodology.
19. Interview Questions and Answers: What project management

software have you used? Can you describe your experience?
Background:
There are literally 100s of different software products on the market. Please check the following
link for Project Management Software. When asked this question, name the tools you are familiar
with and youve worked in the past. Generally MS Project and Excel are the ones that are
commonly used. But in the agile world Jira and Greenhopper are frequently in demand.
Statement:
The software tools Im familiar with are MS Project, Excel and Jira.
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Example:
I used MS Projects mainly on projects following a waterfall or PRINCE 2 methodology as these
tools are well aligned for these processes. Ive planned and executed my projects, which included
activities, dependencies, resources and budget information. The tool was very strong in areas of
monitoring and executing tasks from a project management perspective. In projects, which are
more aligned to the agile methodology, Ive used Greenhopper and Jira. Both of these tools support
collaboration and can be used to monitor team performance and project progress.
Benefit:
I believe that Im tool savvy and that I can learn any tool quickly. Do you mind me asking which tool
you are using? Do you have any preferences?
20. Interview Questions and Answers: Describe the most complex

project you have managed from start to finish?
Background:
This question is focusing on your experience. The more complex and larger a project is the more
formality is normally around it. Start explaining the project first in terms of: purpose and objective,
scope, complexity [e.g. working with new technology, number of resources, budget and timeline] and
the key challenge you needed to overcome.
Statement:
One of the more complex assignments I was involved with was a new software implementation
project where I had the role as Project Manager.
Example:
The insurance Company X bought automated testing tool software in order to improve the quality of
their software releases. My role was to implement this tool in the IT department. At that time, testing
of software was done manually with little or no documentation. The developed software suffered
from quality issues with several defects, resulting in many customer complaints. The project scope
was
to install and configure the tool for 20 testers and developers
provide training on the tool
facilitate workshop on new usage models
develop new procedures and process around test management
provide ongoing consulting and support to manage the change
I had some challenges to overcome, for example the automated software couldnt recognize some
of the objects we used in our programming language and some change management challenges
with the teams. Some of the older people in the team did not want to learn or touch an automated
testing tool. We agreed that those testers would focus on the management and planning of the
tests rather than on the test script development and execution. The project itself took 6 months to
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implement and had a budget of $300K.

Benefits:
Once we had implemented our project we were able to see the dramatic benefits. With the new
testing software we were able to run tests overnight, saving time and improving the quality of the
software. The team could test more and better in the available time, with a positive impact on
customer satisfaction.
Want more questions and tips? Want to feel more confident? Want to get that job? Then
head to my eBook
7
Interview Questions And Answers was last modified: November 1st, 2014 by Sandra A
Author: Sandra A
I have worked as Project Manager and PMO Manager in the financial industry for
many years and have hired and employed numerous people. In my spare time I'm
writing now this blog, helping people with the interview process so that they hopefully
find a job. For more information, please check my LinkedIn profile.
Google+
Sandra A
11
About Sandra A
I have worked as Project Manager and PMO Manager in the financial industry for many
years and have hired and employed numerous people. In my spare time I'm writing now
this blog, helping people with the interview process so that they hopefully find a job. For
more information, please check my LinkedIn profile.
View all posts by Sandra A
common interview questions, common interview questions and answers, interview questions
and answers, job interview questions, project manager interview questions and answers
Project Management Interview questions you need to know
93 Responses to Interview Questions And Answers

Michelle September 24, 2013 at 3:59 pm #
REPLY
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Wow Thank you for offering these interview questions and answers for free. I really like
how the answers are structured. I will certainly try to use this approach in my next
interview.
sandra September 24, 2013 at 4:15 pm #
REPLY
Thanks Michelle! Im glad I can help.
zina September 26, 2013 at 12:11 am #
REPLY
Wow thx a mill Sandra,

no waffle answers. This a definite good to have secret weapon in my interview armour.
sandra September 26, 2013 at 12:42 am #
REPLY
you find them useful! Good luck with your next interview
zina September 26, 2013 at 12:13 am #
REPLY
Oops! noticed a typo meant to write experienced just as I was clicking send
sandra September 26, 2013 at 12:43 am #
Tina October 7, 2013 at 11:53 am #
REPLY
REPLY
Thanks. These questions/answers are really good and helpful.
sandra October 8, 2013 at 4:39 pm #
REPLY
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Thank you Tina! Good luck with your interview!
Srikanth October 10, 2013 at 7:22 pm #
REPLY
Good answers that i have ever seen Really Good Job !!!
REPLY
Imm glad you like them
Binu Kumar October 11, 2013 at 12:47 pm #
REPLY
Wow.. Beautifully structured questions.
REPLY
Thank you Binu
venkat October 18, 2013 at 1:55 am #
REPLY
beautiful answers and questions it is very useful for me
REPLY
Thanks Venkat, Glad That I could help
Nana October 23, 2013 at 6:34 am #
REPLY
These are pretty good. I have a PM interview tomorrow and they will most definitely help.
Thank a million.
REPLY
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sandra October 24, 2013 at 9:18 am #

Good Luck, Nana! Cross fingers let me know how you go
sibaji November 7, 2013 at 9:45 pm #
REPLY
Sandra, Great piece of work. Very common questions with appropriate answers. This
would be really helpful.
sandra November 8, 2013 at 7:30 am #
REPLY
Thank you, Sibaji Good Luck with your interview!
Renuka November 25, 2013 at 8:35 pm #
REPLY
I wish I got them a day and not a few hours before my interview..Very impressive and easy
to comprehend.
I am sure this is going to be very helpful.
Thank you
sandra November 26, 2013 at 7:42 am #
REPLY
Thanks Paul. How was your interview? Got the job?
WanderingMonk December 2, 2013 at 4:26 am #
REPLY
Brilliant! Very useful tips and well written. Once you read this and relate it to your own
experiences in the past, you feel more confident to take up job interviews. And most interviews
certainly contain at least 50% of these questions. Thanks for sharing!
RVM December 7, 2013 at 7:40 am #
REPLY
Thanks for offering this. here are some of the questions i encountered:
Could you describe your worst day and how you dealt with it?
What are the things that you find most difficult to do? And how did you deal with them
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How do you know your design would work for a given problem
sandra December 10, 2013 at 9:31 am #
REPLY
Hi RVM,
here is a suggestion on how I would answer the questions
1. Could you describe your worst day and how you dealt with it?
Please note with this questions that everybody makes mistakes regardless. The key is to
learn from it quickly and to move on. In addition, you dont have to tell them the worst mistake
you made. Pick one, which is severe but which you solved and from which you learned and
which wouldnt stop the company from hiring you. Also, its good to mention something that
happened a couple of years ago. For example: you can bring an example that you send an
angry email to someone in a different department -> he or she forwarded this email to the
manager, who than contacted your manager. In a meeting with your manager you acknowledge
the mistake and learned how important the right communication is.
2. this is a two part question: first the interviewer would like to know what you think is difficult
and secondly: how did you handle it. Example could be: unethical work situation e.g. you
notice that somebody stole something from the company, you have been given a target that
was not possible to reach or finishing a work deliverable in time which was not possible.
Make sure in your answer mention: gathering facts, assess and analyze problem, breaking in
smaller manageable tasks, finding a solution based on facts
3. How do you know your design would work for a given problem
This questions deals with your problem solving skills. What are the steps you do in order to
tackle it. Have a look at the following sites which will give you an indication on whats
required:
http://litemind.com/problem-definition/
Hope this helps
RVM December 10, 2013 at 3:50 pm #
REPLY
thanks so much Sandra. Your responses helps.
Prash January 11, 2014 at 3:53 am #
REPLY
Valid questions and explaination!!! its really helpfull
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Kwaku Adjekum January 18, 2014 at 10:51 pm #
REPLY
Hi Sandra, your interview questions and answers are very helpful and thanks for sharing
your knowledge and expertise. What is the best way to answer this question: What problem have
you encountered in a project and how did you get it resolved? Thanks
sandra January 20, 2014 at 11:50 am #
REPLY
Hi Kwaku,
You could possibly mention the following:
1. One of the major issues in project management is the funding of projects. Often there is a
lack of funding when implementing projects properly, but you have a lot of creative ideas to
overcome budget constrains e.g. review if some of the previous artifacts (depends on your
industry) can be re-used, outsource activities, increase time-frame but have lesser staff,
automate activities with tools.
Pick a project in the past and see how you could have applied some of the above money saving
activities and use it as example
Jack January 30, 2014 at 9:25 am #
REPLY
Hello Sandra, I am currently in an IT service Management role and applied for a PMO
position earlier few months back, where I was asked a question on Data gathering of the projects if
from where do I gather the data of the previous projects etc. Can you help me with this question if
the Project Managers/PMOs use any specific tools to manage the data of their current/previous
projects?
sandra February 6, 2014 at 12:41 pm #
REPLY
Hi Jack Thanks heaps for your questionI will answer this from my personal
experience:
1. Q: From where do I gather the data of the previous projects?
1. A: In most organisation, projects should have been archived and the PMO should be able to
access it. So if you require and old project data, the PMO (Project Management Office) should
be able to help you.
2. Q: Specific tools for current data storage?
2. A: It really depends on the maturity of the company. Smaller companies might not have PM or
PMO tools and they are just storing the data on a specific drive on a server (which hopefully
gets backed up). If the company is more mature, they might use Sharepoint (document
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management software) or even Microsoft Project Server (Project and PMO software) for the
data. Other specific tools can be: Clarity, Primavera, Rally Software to name a few.
A good Best Practice would be: to perform a lessons Learned with all project stakeholders
once the project has been completed, to capture what worked and what didnt work well during
the lifetime of the project. Those notes are quite valuable and can be shared with next project
team, which starts a new project. Again, those lesson learned documents should be stored and
managed with the PMO.
Hope, this answers your question
Haroon Ahmed February 6, 2014 at 8:20 am #
REPLY
Great set of questions and examplesvery impressed
sandra February 6, 2014 at 10:32 am #
REPLY
Thank you, Haroon
Srini February 24, 2014 at 3:18 am #
REPLY
thanks sandra, tommorow i have interview for PM, this blog helps me more to gain
confidence
sandra February 25, 2014 at 10:08 am #
REPLY
Let me know how you go. Any feedback would be great!
anita March 4, 2014 at 2:13 am #
REPLY
Awesome site!! Most of other sites offer only the questions, but this is awesome. The
answers are so well structured with examples. Great job!!
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sandra March 4, 2014 at 10:09 am #
REPLY
Thank you Anita!!!
Bruce March 5, 2014 at 1:24 am #
REPLY
Hi Sandra Thank you for this great blog! I had an interview today for a PM position within
the supply Chain area, one of the questions that was asked was: How would I validate that the
Data from each Category Segment was followed according to the steps as prescribed?
Onexis DeLair March 12, 2014 at 12:24 am #
REPLY
Thank You so much I have an interview in a couple of hours, and I was so stress out until I
read your post is so nice of you to think of others. God Bless
sandra March 12, 2014 at 8:32 am #
REPLY
Thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate it.
Paul March 13, 2014 at 5:14 am #
REPLY
Hi Sandra, This is simply awesome. I have got an interview next week and I have been
asked to prepare a verbal presentation for 10mins on the following topic: Portfolio Service Office is
a relatively new team and has involved the introduction of new project management standards and
reporting across a number of diff estates teams. What would you do to ensure that these project
mgt processes are successfully embedded? What tips have you got Pls..
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sandra April 8, 2014 at 2:11 pm #
REPLY
Hi Paul, Sorry for my late reply I was on holiday

So, basically the questions will ask you about What would you do to ensure that these
project mgt processes are successfully embedded?
I would make sure that you focus on Change Management and Communication. Often
processes will be designed and rolled out but the implementation will fail due to the change
aspect. Check out this links this will give you more infos to the topic: http://www.changemanagement.com/tutorial-prosci-methodology.htm
shah
March 18, 2014 at 10:19 am #
REPLY
Thank you very much Sandra.It really Helped me a lot. can you please help in following
question
Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a new situation?
Have you ever had to persuade a team to do something? How did you achieve this?
Tell me about a time when you helped improve something?
Have you ever had to deal with different audiences and explain a concept to them in numerous
ways? How did you do this?
How do you build relationships?
Amit March 26, 2014 at 12:48 am #
REPLY
thanks for your valuable compilation and suggestion. it will definitely help me for my
interview.
Ansari April 26, 2014 at 5:09 am #
REPLY
Fantastic, I got all my answers from this site, Really helpful for my upcoming interview.
good work.
Sandra A April 27, 2014 at 7:21 am #
REPLY
Thank you! Let me know how you go!
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Kalai April 27, 2014 at 8:58 am #
REPLY
Hey Sandra, That was a neat package of questions and answers. Im mom who is
reentering work after 8 years, when I read your article, it brought me all my stored experience into
my cache memory and now I have my own answers but in your style, Im gonna attend my first
interview after break I was so nervous, but now I feel relaxed. Thank you very much.
Sandra A May 12, 2014 at 5:16 pm #
REPLY
Good Luck Kalai I hope you got the job!! All the best!
henry April 29, 2014 at 10:52 am #
REPLY
Thanks so much Sandra for sharing this hands on experiences in having a successful
interview. Sandra Im preparing for an interview for a country program manager position with an
INGO and will kindly appreciate your guidance in this .
Rohit May 4, 2014 at 11:53 pm #
REPLY
Thanks Sandra. Your structured answers will certainly help me in responding to interviews.
This is a big help and I appreciate it.
annie May 7, 2014 at 4:08 am #
REPLY
guys can you help me with the following questions ..

When you are assigned a new project in an unfamiliar area, how do you begin?
REPLY
What is something you have learned from your experience that has surfaced repeatedly if
you do not follow your own guidelines or rules?
REPLY
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What experience do you have with system design?
Aditya May 15, 2014 at 5:39 pm #
REPLY
Hi Sandra.The blog is really helpful & eye opener. The answers are so well structured with
examples & benefits.Really great.Thank a lot for sharing such interview answers.Great job.
kebetsang May 20, 2014 at 9:48 pm #
REPLY
Hi Sandra
am going for interview this friday could you kindly help me with this questions:
how would you manage time scope quality and cost ?
how do you priotise two urgent projects ?
areas of PMBOK and explain them.
thanks in advance .
Geeta May 26, 2014 at 3:01 am #
REPLY
I liked this site very much. Its a very beautiful and clean way of explaining the points.
Thanks a lot for such a good database.
Ritzy June 3, 2014 at 12:54 am #
REPLY
Thank you Sandra, after going through all your questions and answers my confidence is
really boosted. Thank you so much
Jemma June 7, 2014 at 1:22 am #
REPLY
These are really good example questions. I am due to be interviewed for a PMO Analyst
role in 2 weeks have you another other questions you could throw my way? I get extremely
nervous during interviews so the more preparation I can get the better! Jemma
Sandra A June 8, 2014 at 11:26 am #
REPLY
Hi Jemma,
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I would ask you to bring an example report to the interview to see how you present data. In
addition I would ask you on:
- how did you train an support the PMs with their financials,
- how would you report project financials that span over 1 or more financial years?
- youve been asked to reduce the project portfolio by $1m -> what suggestions can you offer?
Hope these questions help
All the Best,
Sandra
Hanaa June 16, 2014 at 6:16 pm #
REPLY
Hi Sandra, Thanks for your effort, its very helpful.

i have an interview today i hope i will do better.
REPLY
Good Luck!
Srinivas June 23, 2014 at 4:48 am #
REPLY
This is by far one of the most informative blog i have read in past few months. Question
posted by an interviewer is easy but answering them right was always a challenge. Thanks to the
structured approach or the framework ( background, statement, example & Benefits) that you have
proposed, every new question will have a meaningful answer. Appreciate all your efforts. Will post
more question based on interviews I attend & interview I conduct.
REPLY
Thank you greatly appreciated!
Parvez June 28, 2014 at 3:38 pm #
REPLY
Thankyou Sandra.. This is a very well researched and comprehensive question list.
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Rajita July 5, 2014 at 10:30 am #
REPLY
I would like buy your E Book, it says $2.99 as special offer but when I add to cart price is
getting changed to 7.99. So how can I get this book as special offer.
Sandra A July 8, 2014 at 7:47 pm #
REPLY
I just changed it
Thank you!
Satya July 8, 2014 at 9:48 am #
REPLY
Excellent Sandra, Most of the answers are exact match for with experience. So far I didnt
know how to put them in a structured way, you sorted that. A ton of thanks. I will use them in my PM
interview coming up on this Friday.
Satya July 8, 2014 at 9:52 am #
REPLY
* with my experience.
Amit July 9, 2014 at 7:37 pm #
REPLY
A great set of questions, i think it answers all of your doubts on how to prepare for porject
managment interview. I think the ther should be one more thing covered Risk Management
suni July 16, 2014 at 10:30 pm #
REPLY
Hi Sandra, Thanks a lot for such a wonderful information. I have a question please can u
help me. If we are given a project of 1 million, how would we plan the project and what is the
process involved as a delivery manager. Please enlighten me. Thanks a lot.
George July 25, 2014 at 4:24 pm #
REPLY
Sandra, Great Blog! Thanks for taking time to put this together for everyones benefit. God
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Bless You!! The questions and answers so well structured to prepare for the interview, which makes
you to gain confidence.
Pavan Valluri July 29, 2014 at 12:54 am #
REPLY
Hi Sandra,
Really good effort in supporting people who are going to attend the interviewsAppreciate your
help and initiativeUseful tips to face the interview..Thank you!
Poonam August 1, 2014 at 4:19 pm #
REPLY
wow, your responses to these general PM interview questions were so crisp! Thanks for
sharing these
John Alexander August 6, 2014 at 9:22 pm #
REPLY
Am about to attend an interview and I feel really confident after going through your
interview questions. I though I knew a lot. But you proved me wrong. Thanks a lot for the effort.
Shaun
August 18, 2014 at 11:43 am #
REPLY
Hi Sandra,
Great article! I have an interview this Tuesday and would definitely use the information you have
provided to be better prepared. I was hoping you could help me as I know one of the questions that
will be asked, which is: What will you do if your project is over budget and behind schedule?
I appreciate your help!
Gokul Raman September 4, 2014 at 9:46 pm #
REPLY
Dear Sandra, I am very glad I landed on this page. Very clear answers with good examples
and benefits. I have 18 years experience with 7 to 8 years of PM experience, I thought I knew
answers to most questions, but your responses gives completely different perspectives and help
frame even better responses. I am looking for a job as a PM and I believe this will help me a great
deal and all other PMs. Thank you very much. Gokul
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Suresh September 7, 2014 at 5:27 pm #
REPLY
Thank you very much for sharing these interview questions with precise answers. Very
helpful! Really appreciate your effort.
SD September 11, 2014 at 4:04 pm #
REPLY
A great set of questions indeed. I liked the answers as these are based on practical
experiences, you need not make the story. All you have to analyse the past experiences and frame
the answers. Thanks a lot Sandra
NMM September 13, 2014 at 6:44 pm #
REPLY
Excellent blog. It helped me refresh my interview skills. Thank you.
Liza September 16, 2014 at 9:22 am #
REPLY
Hi Sandra, just want to say a big thank you for you these questions and suggested
answers its making me reflect and better prepare myself for my upcoming interview. I really
appreciate this. THANK YOU.
kirtisingh September 27, 2014 at 4:24 am #
REPLY
thanks,,, great set of questions and answers,,,, i hope they will help me in my interview
chel September 30, 2014 at 10:24 pm #
REPLY
What past project or job have you had that is most like this one and why? help ..
Sandra A October 12, 2014 at 4:40 pm #
REPLY
Hi Chel,
You might want to highlight activities that are similar to the job you are applying for. You can
answer this question by mentioning that you like: a) teamwork b) challenges 3) solving problems
11/16/2014 3:56 PM
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make sure you have some examples from your previous jobs that you can use.
Hope this helps
Martina Agho October 2, 2014 at 11:39 pm #
REPLY
Thank you Sandra for this excellent piece, well written and spot on
Jyoti Chakraborty October 10, 2014 at 3:32 pm #
REPLY
Hi Sandra,
I find your answers very helpful. I am QA Engineer by profession. Well, our performance appraisal
is due next week, our employer has put this 3 questions for us:
1What you have done in past 6 months because of which you feel your contribution has a value
add in company growth.
2.What you think as per your skill set is the best fitment for your personal and company growth.
3.If you wish to move to another role then please come with a plan for complete migration and a
strong rationale for the proposal.
Could you please give me your valuable suggestion on the above.
Thanks & Regards,
Jyoti
REPLY
thank you!
11/16/2014 3:56 PM
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REPLY
Hi Jyoti,
in regards to your answers:
1) you need to find something where you added value: as a QA Engineer it could be: Improved
process of QA by doing x -> which reduced time to do y; automated process x -> therefor you
were able to test more; mentored colleague in Y -> therefore quality of team output is better.
2) mention skills here you can apply for different roles: working in teams, analytical skills,
stakeholder & relationship management skills -> provide examples
3) My questions would be here do you want to move? If yes, have a 3 6 month plan in place
where you transition into a new role but also train up your replacement. If you want to stay in
your role make sure you come up with some training courses / e learning activities (3 month
plan) in order to upskill yourself.present this to your manager. Hope this helps
Jyoti Chakraborty October 11, 2014 at 2:28 pm #
REPLY
Hi,
I have posted a comment yesterday [10/10/2014], but its been found after subscription that the
comment does not exist in this blog, either its been removed or modified which i have not been
informed about.
I am Re-posting the comment again..
Sandra, I find this blog very helpful. I am QA Engineer by profession. Our appraisal is due next
Monday[10/13/2014]. I would like to have your valuable suggestion on the following questions which
have been asked by our Employer:
1 What you have done in past 6 months because of which you feel your contribution has a value
add in company growth.
2.What you think as per your skill set is the best fitment for your personal and company growth.
3.If you wish to move to another role then please come with a plan for complete migration and a
strong rationale for the proposal.
I will wait for the reply and please dont remove the posted comment without prior intimation to the
follower.
Thanks & Regards,
Jyoti
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jyoti October 12, 2014 at 4:59 pm #
REPLY
The above post is due to delay in getting reply and unable to view my earlier posted
comments..So please ignore the above post..
Thanks
Azhar Aslam October 14, 2014 at 5:49 pm #
REPLY
Hi Sandra
This is a great help indeed, I have a interview today and this blog helped lot in preparation
Zahira October 16, 2014 at 5:14 am #
REPLY
Hi Sandra. Brand new to the PM space and have an upcoming interview. These questions
and answers are fantastic and after reading through it I feel that much more confident.
Thank you for sharing, definitely shows you care!
venki October 16, 2014 at 9:09 am #
REPLY
This is sheer brilliant and can only be done by kind hearted people like you.
Well structured and precisely delivered.
satish
October 31, 2014 at 12:22 am #
REPLY
Hi Sandra,
Can you please reply these toughest questions.
1. What are the Major challenges you faced in Managing the Project ? and how did you handle that
?
2.Suppose the Project is not going as per the schedule and whom so ever stakeholders you
contact, all are saying they are busy and unable to takeup this and ofcourse they will be busy with
other deadlines. How did you handle this ?What is your approach as a PM based on your
experience.
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Finding a job after the floods hit me was quite a relief - by Susan Brown - September 26, 2013
[] bringing those qualities out in my interviews. I found a site that helped me by providing sample
interview questions and answers that are typical in most interviews. The site was even relevant and
provided me with project []
I got the job! : Wesley Stanford - December 3, 2013
[] if you do need to prepare for an interview check out the following site, where you can find example
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Interview Questions And Answers

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Project Manager Interview Questions EBook Give Away

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I have hired and interviewed many people over the past 10 years. I hope I can pass on my experience to you in
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by Sandra A on May 19, 2014 in Interview Questions

Update Feb 2014:

1. Interview Questions and Answers: Tell me about yourself:

2. Interview Questions and Answers: Why do you want to work for

3. Interview Questions and Answers: Why do you want to leave your

leaving your job or company can be:

4. Interview Questions and Answers: Tell me about your strength?

examples. Employers normally like to see examples in the area of:

5. Interview Questions and Answers: Tell me what motivates you?

6. Interview Questions and Answers: Can you please tell me why we

8. Interview Questions and Answers: Where do you see yourself in 5

professional advancement. To sum it up I want to be an expert in project management

9. Interview Questions and Answers: Describe a time when your

10. Interview Questions and Answers: How do you manage difficult

11. Interview Questions and Answers: Can you describe a situation

12. Interview Questions and Answers: Youve been appointed as a

13. Interview Questions and Answers: How do you handle pressure

17. Interview Questions and Answers: Describe the four phases of

19. Interview Questions and Answers: What project management

20. Interview Questions and Answers: Describe the most complex

implement and had a budget of $300K.

93 Responses to Interview Questions And Answers

sandra September 24, 2013 at 4:15 pm #

Thanks Michelle! Im glad I can help.

zina September 26, 2013 at 12:11 am #

Wow thx a mill Sandra,

sandra September 26, 2013 at 12:42 am #

zina September 26, 2013 at 12:13 am #

sandra September 26, 2013 at 12:43 am #

Tina October 7, 2013 at 11:53 am #

Thanks. These questions/answers are really good and helpful.

sandra October 8, 2013 at 4:39 pm #

Thank you Tina! Good luck with your interview!

Srikanth October 10, 2013 at 7:22 pm #

sandra October 11, 2013 at 7:14 pm #

Imm glad you like them

Binu Kumar October 11, 2013 at 12:47 pm #

Wow.. Beautifully structured questions.

sandra October 11, 2013 at 7:13 pm #

Thank you Binu

venkat October 18, 2013 at 1:55 am #

beautiful answers and questions it is very useful for me

sandra October 20, 2013 at 1:09 pm #

Thanks Venkat, Glad That I could help

Nana October 23, 2013 at 6:34 am #

sandra October 24, 2013 at 9:18 am #

sibaji November 7, 2013 at 9:45 pm #

sandra November 8, 2013 at 7:30 am #

Thank you, Sibaji Good Luck with your interview!

Renuka November 25, 2013 at 8:35 pm #

sandra November 26, 2013 at 7:42 am #

Thanks Paul. How was your interview? Got the job?

WanderingMonk December 2, 2013 at 4:26 am #

RVM December 7, 2013 at 7:40 am #

sandra December 10, 2013 at 9:31 am #

RVM December 10, 2013 at 3:50 pm #

thanks so much Sandra. Your responses helps.

Prash January 11, 2014 at 3:53 am #

Valid questions and explaination!!! its really helpfull

Kwaku Adjekum January 18, 2014 at 10:51 pm #

sandra January 20, 2014 at 11:50 am #

Jack January 30, 2014 at 9:25 am #

sandra February 6, 2014 at 12:41 pm #