PM Interview: Advanced Methods and Strategies to Excel at the PM Interview and Be an Effective Project Manager

By Jefferey Michaels

Master the most effective techniques to excel at the PM interview.

Are you applying for a Project Manager position?

Do you have trouble showcasing your talents at PM interviews?

Do you want to learn to land the Project Manager Job successfully?

The key to acing a PM interview is preparation. This book wil

• Language: English
• Publisher: Goodworks publishing
• Release date: Jul 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088229804

Book preview

Introduction

Job interviews are never easy and can be nerve-wracking. Being prepared will make you feel more confident and help you handle unpredictable questions or situations during an interview. Knowing certain things when applying for a project manager job is essential. This book will guide you.

Before you apply for a job, the first thing to take care of is your resume. A strong first impression is key in any job interview, and your resume will help you achieve it. In the first chapter, we discuss how to write a resume to impress any recruiter and how to prepare a cover letter to make you a strong candidate. The book moves on to the interview process. We cover everything, like the duration, the types of interviews you could experience, and what usually happens from the moment you apply for the job until the panel decides.

Success doesn't come easy, and every project manager should have certain skills to advance their career. We explain these skills and how to showcase them during your interview. However, your skills aren't the only thing the interviewer will discuss with you. We will help you familiarize behavioral questions to tackle them confidently.

Interviewers will also ask you estimation questions. We have provided different strategies to help you answer these questions. Interviewers will also ask questions about products. The company will evaluate you by what you can do for them and how you intend to improve their products. This book provides potential product questions and various strategies you can use to answer and impress the recruiter.

Case and tech questions are also common in project manager interviews. We cover the potential questions relevant to these topics to prepare you. Solving problems is another topic the interviewer will discuss with you. The interviewer must feel confident that you will be prepared if any issue arises. Answering these questions confidently while providing creative solutions will show them that you are the right candidate for the job. We provide all the relevant information to handle these tricky questions. Strategic questions will also come up during the interview, and these are covered with examples of similar questions and explain strategies to help you tackle them confidently and intelligently.

Implementing these strategies increases your chances of getting the job greatly. However, when you get the job, you must know what to do once you become a project manager. The last chapter of the book provides tips to help you get started and how to improve your skills to become better in your new career.

Job interviews are almost always nerve-wracking, especially if you are unprepared and unconfident. It shows in your body language, and your interviewers will pick up on it immediately. Applying for a prominent position like Project Management requires confidence, skills, preparation, and knowledge about the prospective company.

This book provides you with all the help you need to prepare for your next interview. Start reading now and gain the necessary confidence and skills to help you tackle any interview questions. Good luck.

Chapter 1

Resume and Cover Letter

Making a strong first impression is key in any job interview. Therefore, people put much thought into what they wear, how they speak, and even their handshake. However, many assume the first impression starts when you enter the interview. But this isn't true. Recruiters judge you from the moment they see your resume and cover letter. They only invite you for an interview and will give you a chance based on these documents. Creating the proper resume and cover letter definitely impacts your application process.

This chapter covers everything associated with resumes and cover letters.

Resume

A resume, or CV, is a formal document every job applicant must create to provide relevant professional information about themselves and their expertise. This document usually includes their education, skills, qualifications, accomplishments, and experience, and it shouldn't be longer than two pages. Your resume is how you showcase your abilities and what you offer. A good resume is what separates a strong candidate from a weak one.

The word resume originates from French and translates to summary. The word's meaning is appropriate as it reflects what a resume truly is. It is a summary providing facts about who you are professionally and sums up your career until that point.

It isn't an exaggeration to say that a resume is the most significant step in the job application process. You can't apply for a job without one. It is how you introduce yourself to hiring managers. Recruiters get hundreds of applicants every day, and the first step in the hiring process includes going through resumes to filter candidates and separate the potential from the rejected ones. They want people who will be a great addition to their existing team, who can solve problems, meet project deadlines, cut costs, or increase profits. These skills help them determine whether you have what it takes to be a project manager. A resume should highlight all this information to show recruiters that you are the right person for the job.

When marketing a product, agencies develop clever and creative ads to grab the customers' attention. The same is applied to job candidates. Think of yourself as a product, and your resume is your marketing strategy.

Rules for Creating a Good Resume

Every job applicant should follow certain rules when creating a resume to make them stand out.

Watch Out for Grammatical Mistakes

The last thing any recruiter wants to see is a person using your instead of you're or confusing there with their. These simple mistakes are serious in the hiring process, and they will dismiss your resume even if you have the right qualifications. After completing your resume, review it several times to ensure there aren't any grammatical or spelling mistakes. Send it to a friend or a family member to look over it. A fresh pair of eyes will never hurt.

Watch out for your tenses, too. Stick to the past tense when discussing previous job experiences, and only use the present tense when discussing your current job or projects. Mixing the two will confuse the recruiter and reflect your lack of attention to detail which isn't a good quality in project managers.

Avoid Long Resumes

Remember, hiring managers check hundreds of resumes a day. They want to go through as many resumes as possible, so they will probably check each one for a few seconds before moving on to the next. They might not even glance at it if your resume is long-winded or over two pages long. Some recruiters only check the first page. Don't make your resume longer than two pages; it is always recommended to stick to one page. You don't have to include every detail about your past jobs or accomplishments; this is what the interview is for. Focus on providing highlights and keep it short and to the point.

Make Your Resume Easy to Read

Choosing the right font and font size is crucial. Small fonts will help you get all your information on one page. While this is a nice and helpful trick, ensure it is still easy to read. If the font is too small or too big, it can exhaust the recruiter's eyes, and they will merely move on to another resume. Rule of thumb- don't go under a 10-point font.

Keeping your resume organized will also make it easy to read. For instance, make your previous job titles and each section subheading bold. However, be consistent with your formatting. Don't change the font type in the middle of your resume, nor make a sub-heading bold and the other not. Organizing your resume will show recruiters that the person behind it is someone who pays attention to detail and is focused. Sometimes you can communicate your best qualities without saying a word. In this case, you don't have to mention that you are an organized person; your resume will speak for itself.

There Is No I in Resume

Don't use first-person pronouns like I, my, or me. For instance, don't say, I met last project's deadline. Instead, say, Met last project's deadline.

Use the Correct Label

Let's be honest; we all save our resume documents with labels like dhsdgsah or just the word resume. Since we are always in a hurry, no one bothers to type an appropriate label. Remember, the recruiters will see your file's name, and labeling it with random letters isn't professional and will show a lack of care. Save your resume under your first and last name, then add the word resume. For example, Linda_Carter_Resume.

Leave Out References

As mentioned, you can mention certain details in the interview or include them in your application, and references fall in this category. Your resume is about you, your background, and your contact information. There is no need to waste space on information the recruiter will not need in the hiring process. When they need this information, they will ask for it.

Be Specific

Be specific about the information you provide. For instance, when you mention previous projects, add the country, state, and city you worked at. Did the project take place in more than one city? Did you have to travel a lot? How long was each project? When did each one start and end? All this information is significant.

A Little Bragging Won't Hurt

Yes, you read that right. Your resume is your time to shine and brag a little. List all your accomplishments for a successful project or performance, whether a promotion or a raise. Don't get into too many unnecessary details; it is all about the headline, not the news. Yet, avoid exaggeration and stick to the facts. Ensure your resume reflects someone