What do you do if your manufacturing engineering interview requires project management skills?

1 Know the basics

Before the interview, review the basic concepts and terminology of project management, such as the project life cycle, the project charter, the scope, the stakeholders, the risks, the resources, the deliverables, the milestones, and the tools. You should also be familiar with some common project management methodologies, such as Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, or Lean. You don't need to be an expert, but you should be able to explain how you would apply them to a manufacturing engineering project.

2 Show your experience

The best way to demonstrate your project management skills is to provide specific examples of projects that you have managed or participated in as a manufacturing engineer. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe the project, your role, the challenges, the actions you took, and the outcomes you achieved. Highlight how you used project management skills to define the scope, set the goals, allocate the resources, monitor the progress, communicate with the stakeholders, solve the problems, and deliver the results.

3 Ask questions

Sometimes, the interviewer might give you a hypothetical scenario or a case study of a manufacturing engineering project and ask you how you would manage it. In this case, don't rush to give a solution without clarifying the details. Ask questions to understand the context, the objectives, the constraints, the risks, and the expectations of the project. Then, outline your approach and explain your rationale. Show how you would use project management tools, such as Gantt charts, PERT diagrams, or Kanban boards, to plan, execute, and control the project.

4 Be honest

You don't have to pretend that you are a perfect project manager who never makes mistakes or faces difficulties. In fact, the interviewer might ask you about a time when you failed or struggled with a project. Be honest and admit your weaknesses or errors, but also show how you learned from them and improved your project management skills. For example, you could say that you underestimated the complexity of a project, but then you adjusted the scope, revised the schedule, and communicated with the stakeholders to get back on track.

5 Show your enthusiasm

Finally, show your enthusiasm and interest in project management and manufacturing engineering. Explain why you enjoy working on projects, what motivates you, and what skills you want to develop further. You could also ask the interviewer about the current or upcoming projects that the company is working on and how they manage them. This will show that you are curious and eager to join the team and contribute to their success.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?