Prepare for your Project Manager II interview. Understand the required skills and qualifications, anticipate the questions you may be asked, and study well-prepared answers using our sample responses.
Project managers often work with teams of professionals from different disciplines. Employers ask this question to make sure you’re comfortable collaborating with people who have different skills and backgrounds than you. Use your answer to show that you enjoy working with others and that you’re willing to collaborate with anyone who can help you achieve your goals.
Answer Example: "Absolutely. I’ve worked with teams of professionals from different disciplines before, and I find it beneficial because it allows me to learn new things from my colleagues. For example, when I was working on a project management team, one of the project managers was an engineer. He taught me how to use certain software programs that helped me with my projects. Working with professionals from different disciplines has always been beneficial for me."
This question can help the interviewer determine how you manage a team and whether you have experience doing so. Use examples from your past projects to explain what worked well, what didn’t work well and how you improved upon those practices.
Answer Example: "I find it’s important to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions. This helps me get a better sense of what they’re working on and how I can help them succeed. In my last role as a project manager, I started each meeting by asking everyone what they were working on and how I could help. This helped me understand what each person needed from me and allowed me to provide more personalized support."
This question can help the interviewer understand how you handle conflict and whether or not you have strategies for dealing with it. Use examples from past experiences where you helped a team member improve their performance or behavior, or explain how you would go about doing so if necessary.
Answer Example: "In my last role as a project manager, I had a team member who was consistently late to meetings and lacked communication with other team members. I met with him individually to discuss the issue and found out that he was having personal problems at home. After discussing solutions with him, I allowed him to take extra breaks throughout the day so he could make sure his work was done before leaving."
This question can help the interviewer understand how you approach project management. Your answer should show that you have a system for organizing and managing tasks, but it should also show that you are flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances.
Answer Example: "I start by identifying all of the project requirements, which includes gathering information from stakeholders and creating a project charter. Then, I prioritize the requirements based on their importance to the overall project. Finally, I organize the requirements into actionable tasks that I can track throughout the duration of the project."
This question allows you to show the interviewer your problem-solving skills and ability to adapt to different situations. Use examples from previous projects that highlight your ability to solve problems, make decisions and manage time effectively.
Answer Example: "In my last role as a project manager, I was responsible for managing a project that involved creating a new website for our company. During the planning stage, we discovered that the hosting provider we chose didn’t have enough space to host the new website. I had to decide whether we should change providers or find another solution. After discussing the options with my team, we decided to split the website into two separate domains so we could keep the current provider."
