Day 18: Interview Question Resource

When you are first launching your career it can feel like the only way to get to know interview questions is by going to interviews and failing.

Then you try to practice (interviewing is a skill just like everything) and you get a little better.

But the questions still can feel like a puzzle, wrapped in a riddle and then locked in a secret box and you are supposed to find a key in this room:

Today I want to share a resource I didn't make. I was going to make it but during research found it existed already. It is done by a company called Project Management and is in the e-Learning space to provide great resources to Project Managers and those getting into it. They don't write everything they share, but they do bring it to the LinkedIn space.

64 Toughest Interview Questions

This guide doesn't cover technical questions about Project Management, but it does cover a host of other ones, and more than that, it helps you switch your mindset from defensive to conversational. Our brains work better in that space. Plus, you should always have a thread of the interviewer's perspective running through. Why are they asking it?

The last encouragement is to look out and create your own resource of questions to ask. Before an interview, research the company. Write specific ones. Reread the job summary and write 2-3 sentences about who the person is they are looking for. Maybe they need someone that thrives in grey spaces, or a common thread running through is influencing without managing.

Here is your pre-interview checklist:

• Knowledge of not only how common questions should be answered but why they should be answered that way and why they are being asked.
• Research into the company and their history and current goals.
• Research into the job and whom a great person to fill it would look like (and how it can be you).
• Conversational, "suit up" approach leaving the defensible armor at home. Flashing a smile into the mirror encouraged.
• Enough technical know-how about your position to be able to fill in the gaps (even if you fall back on layman's terms). Transitioning positions into new fields? This can be found in the upskilling and drawing inferences from your prior field.
• A list of questions for them. I often have just as many questions as the interviewer, if not more. I often work them in between questions being asked so we are taking turns. Suddenly it is an organic conversation.

Talk about a killer first impression. I honestly see that out of many candidates I've interviewed only 5% of the time. Even if you aren't the best technical candidate, you are fast on your way to being the best co-worker. That is what it is about half the time.

Stay fantastic like you are,

Bexs

Job Search Like a Project Manager Series:

1. Session Zero, Day 1: Getting going with User Stories (check comments!)
2. Session Zero, Day 2: Tracking the User Stories and Getting Main Values
3. Session Zero, Day 3: Plan for Life Event Interruptions
4. Session Zero, Day 4: Get a List of Companies You are Already Connected To
5. Session Zero, Day 5: Job Search Charter
6. Planning Week, Day 6: ... Dreaded Resumes
7. Planning Week, Day 7: Company Shortlist
8. Planning Week, Day 8: Agile Job Search
9. Planning Week, Day 9: Recap, Claps, and Sprint
10. Sprint 1, Day 10: Backlog and Sprint Planning
11. Sprint 1, Day 11: Daily Scrum
12. Sprint 1, Day 12: Backlog Grooming
13. Sprint 1, Day 13: Interview or Networking Opportunity?
14. Sprint 1, Day 14: Sprint Review
15. Sprint 1, Day 15: Sprint Retrospective (Weekend Bonus Edition)
16. Sprint 2, Day 16: First Impressions Focus (Resume)
17. Sprint 2, Day 17: Who are You in the Interview