As a project manager, it is your job to oversee the creation and execution of company projects and ensure that all team members stay on track to meet deadlines. Expect interview questions that will assess your ability to lead a group and communicate effectively to members with different roles and varying concerns. As the scope, schedule and cost of a project can change frequently, the interviewer may ask you to role-play a few scenarios in which a project deadline changes or several group members leave the company.
Here are three top project manager machine operator interview questions and tips on how to answer them:
How to answer: Dealing with conflict is expected in a project management role. Strong candidates need to demonstrate how they help to foster cooperation and collaboration among all parties involved in a project. Describe situations in which you acted as a mediator, focusing on the actions you took in response and the results of your actions. Use the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method when describing the disagreement and how you achieved a resolution.
How to answer: A project manager needs to have a strategy for managing tasks and keeping others on schedule with their work. When answering this question, it is helpful to describe a situation in which you applied your strategic management method, took action and maintained that strategy for various projects. Explain how you reached your project goals.
How to answer: Discussing your failures may be challenging in an interview, but hiring managers ask this question to understand your potential weaknesses and areas for improvement. Try to keep the conversation positive by talking about how you turned a project around, made changes during the course of a project or improved the outcome.