I’ve interviewed for several Project Management roles in my career over the years and I’ve learned a few effective tips for landing a role.
Here are the Do’s and Don’ts of interviewing for a project management role.
First, the Do’s…
Do: Thorough research
Once you receive the job description from the job posting, you should study it frontwards and backwards to gain a deep understanding of the role you will be asked to fill.
Then, it’s best to research the specific company to gain a better understanding of the industry needs and how your role will fit into the company's overall business goals and growth.
Once you have a good understanding of the role and company, you should write up a few responses to common interview questions with key words from the job description and company goals to showcase your knowledge of the role and the business.
Glassdoor has common interview questions for Project Managers that you can use as a starting point.
Do: Come with concrete examples
As with any interview, there will be situational questions that you will be asked that calls back to your previous job experiences. These are the “tell me about a time when…” questions.
Come with a few concrete examples of challenging experiences in your previous roles and explain in detail how you navigated out of the challenging experiences with a successful outcome.
This will show the interviewer that you are well equipped to solve any issues that come your way.
Here are a few situational questions that you may hear:
- Describe a time when you had to manage a high-risk project.
- Can you tell me about a time when your stakeholders disagreed with you on a project?
- Tell me about a time where you were asked to execute a project with little to no details. How did you navigate that?
Do: Ask Questions
Toward the end of the interview, the recruiter or hiring manager may ask you: do you have any questions for me?
The answer to this question should always be “yes!”
Asking questions to the hiring manager shows them that you are engaged in the process and have a genuine interest in the role and how you can be the right person to fill the position.
Here are a couple of great questions to ask:
- What does the ideal candidate for this role look like?
- What are the primary challenges your project teams are facing, and how could someone in this role help to address them?
Do: Scripting and Reciting
This is my favorite tip to give people that are interviewing for a role — script and recite!
Whenever I have an interview, I write down my job experience, skills and competencies in a conversational format and recite it like a script from a play several times.
This helps prepare me for any question that comes throughout the interview process and it also helps me with any nervousness that I may feel during the interview process.
The more you prepare, the more you feel comfortable, and the more likely you are to succeed in an interview.
Write it down.
Read it aloud.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Now, here are a few things that you should never do in an interview…
Don’t: Be vague or short
Whenever you’re asked a question in an interview, it is better to over-explain than under-explain. This is your time to explain your experience in detail and show your expertise in your subject matter. Give it all!
You never want to leave anything up for interpretation, tell the interviewer exactly what you want them to know about you and your skillset.
Don't: Be cold
I always say, project management is equal parts project management and relationship management. You want to show the interviewer that you're able to build and maintain relationships, so don’t be cold or dry during the interview process. Show your warmth and friendliness every step of the way.
A Project Manager needs to be someone that people come to for problem solving, so be open and be friendly. Trust me, it goes a long way.