Six Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Next Project Manager Job Interview

For most people, interviews are nerve-wracking ordeals. It is the final test in the process of evaluation. It is meant to put you on the spot and assess your technical knowledge as well as your soft skills. The demand for project managers has seen a meteoric rise in recent years. With the rise in demand for project managers, competition has become steeper.

Possessing only technical knowledge is not going to cut it. You have to be smart, intuitive, adaptable and possess excellent problem-solving skills in order to make a good impression on the interviewer. The interviewers are always on the lookout for something that sets one interviewee apart from others. Here are some tips to better prepare for your next project manager job interview.

1. Confidence: Confidence is the key to making a good impression. Even if you don’t feel it, you have to project a confident image. You will be asked questions about your skills, technical knowledge, and past experiences. Emphasize your skills and areas of strength. Tell them about your past experiences and highlight what you have learned from them.

2. Communication: It is imperative that you demonstrate good communication skills. Show that you can actively listen and are able to draw conclusions, and if needed, ask pertinent questions. Your body language must complement you. You must maintain eye contact and proper posture to indicate you are present in this conversation.

3. Display your enthusiasm: Do not be passive in your attitude. You must show the interviewers your enthusiasm for this job. Talk about what parts of it excite you the most, what new things you will learn, and what you will bring to the table. People value an inquisitive mind.

4. Prepare for standard questions: During an interview, you will be asked to define your idea of success, what you have learned from past successful projects and failures, and what your strategy is when a project goes wrong. These are standard questions, and you must have your answers prepared.

5. Prepare for questions regarding hypothetical situations: During an interview, you will be given hypothetical situations, mostly about encountering problems. This is to test your problem-solving abilities and your workplace skills. You must mention that you will get to the root of the problem and be fair in your approach. You will communicate clearly, leaving no room for misinterpretation, and negotiate if the need arises.

6. Think on your feet: Despite how much you prepare, there may be questions that catch you unawares. This is to test how quick your judgment is. You have to make split-second decisions that have to be strategically sound. You can prepare by responding within a limited time in mock-interviews with someone.