Vendor Managed Inventory Coordinator

No job is without its disappointments. The disappointments can be anything, from an employee who left for personal reasons or the project that you did not bag because of the financials involved.

Make sure that you provide a quick and factual answer for this question.

Inexperienced individuals are rarely hired as project managers. Organizations typically hire individuals with 2-3 years of management experience. When asked about work experience, always be honest. If you don't have a lot of work experience focus on the skills you've developed that qualify you for the position.

It's happened to the best of us: a project went too far out of scope, or became too expensive, or was behind on delivery, and it ultimately failed. The situation is always unsettling, but even more so when inquired about in an interview. The fortunate truth is that your interviewer is less interested in the actual failure than they are about learning how you deal with stressful situations. Set up the story with what happened. Be as brief as possible and try to pick a story from something that happened a long time ago. Then, detail what you did in the situation.

I've been following your company for a long time and have been impressed with your commitment to only taking on development projects that are environmentally friendly. While I'm not exactly a tree hugger, I value our environment and believe we should do everything we can to protect it. I strive to employ environmentally sound techniques throughout every project I oversee. When I saw that you had a position open for a project manager I thought it might be a good opportunity for me to transition from my current position as project manager with XYZ company to your company.

The first question helps you assess the candidate on how effectively he handles communication, including in challenging situations. The second question helps you understand how the candidate engages in a two-way exchange with others using available media and information, and assess whether he demonstrates good sense and judgement in timing the communication, and is able to use language effectively.

Regardless of where you work, you will experience disappointment during your career. You may have lost a job because of downsizing, had a colleague you were close to quit, been assigned a project you didn't enjoy, or been passed up on a promotion you were aspiring for. Provide a concise and honest answer. Potential project managers are frequently asked this question.

One of the key success factors for a project manager is effective delegation. How effectively does he get work done? Delegation must happen through empowerment without interference and/or losing control. I often ask the following questions to determine if the candidate is good at delegating.

In addition to sharing your portfolio, describe in detail past projects you successfully managed and enjoyed. Explain how you managed team members, delegated responsibilities, and measured quality. However, be sure to provide concise answers and avoid being long-winded or boastful.

If you have a lot of work experience, organize a portfolio and share it with the interviewer. Do not add information in your portfolio which is false or misleading since being dishonest will disqualify you for the position. Focus on those projects that are relevant to the company and the position for which you're applying.

Contrary to public opinion, a person that comes to you with a personal problem trusts you to help them. Trust allows you to get people to do things you want them to do. Share a simple and quick answer (similar situation that you may have personally experienced) then suggest doing a productive task at work that will distract them and provide personal achievement that they are not getting in their home life.

Your lingo acumen is being tested when you get one of these types of questions. Explain that the system design document (SDD) is a middle step separating business users and developers.

How do you see this job affecting your goals? My goal is to acquire an IT position that utilizes my talents more effectively while increasing my flexibility in scheduling tasks. IT positions are moving towards home office utilization to save company costs and travel time. This IT position will allow me to save on transportation time (to and from work, lunch and dress preparation) therefore I can work on new programs and creative ideas without the typical corporate distractions.

The Project Manager needs to identify and prevent issues from impacting the project adversely. Hence, it is important that the candidate demonstrates competence and the eagerness to take proactive actions, avoids procrastination, and does not shy away from making tough decisions. I usually ask candidates to share examples and real life scenarios from their projects and life where they took proactive actions. Here are a few such questions:

Here, the hiring manager wants to ensure you have an overall understanding of the business analysis planning process. Rather than listing numerous projects and processes, talk more about the general phases or types of deliverables you might create, while letting the hiring manager know you can customize your approaches to projects.

Answer this one head on. The hiring manager is trying to assess your soft skills, particularly your communication and collaboration abilities. Working with people from different areas of the company and perspectives is an area where nontechnical skills are key.

Being focused on project goals is absolutely essential for project managers. They should have a clear focus and clarity of thought. It is important to assess if the candidate has demonstrated the ability to align resources to achieve key objectives, to plan and identify ways to improve and achieve greater efficiency, and to monitor and fine tune execution with agility, hard work, perseverance, and good judgement. Key questions to ask in this area are:

Again, the hiring manager wants reassurance you have the skills to get the job done and know case, activity and sequence diagrams.

The hiring manager is trying to learn how you will work with all team members. A suitable answer here is that flowcharts play an important role in explaining concepts and processes to both technical and nontechnical members.

Two words that best describe me are "Chameleonliaison". I am able to change and adapt to my environment in seconds, since Ihave worked in various departments over the years. My understanding of each departments needs allows me to precisely convey information. The shorten communications via phone, email and in person minimizes frustrations and allows me more time flexibility to delegate or to take on more complex tasks.