Senior Project Officer Interview Questions & Answers

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With these many questions, the interviewer will also like to know whether you created the project business plan and were kept in the loop about the financial aspects of the project. The interviewer would also like to know whether you were the one who monitors the budget/incomes of the project, like - costs, income, gross profit and net profit etc.

As a project manager, you would have prioritization methods that would be instrumental in solving any problem that your company or institute faced.

One common question is about the various project management tools that you have worked with. One frequently used project management tool is MS Project.

One another simple question asked is whether you have managed a team directly or indirectly. The interviewer will also be interested to know how you have managed any project that is multidisciplinary, like matrix management or even cross country management.

A project manager has to take into consideration several disagreements. They can be between employees, between the superior and the employees, or even the client and the employees.
If you reply that you have never had any disagreements, the interviewer will wonder whether you were really a project manager for your skills or simply because you are a people pleaser.
Make sure that you come up with at least one incident where employees and superiors had differences in thought and you were instrumental in changing the scenario.

Since a project manager can be responsible for the supply chain management and procurement, you would also be asked questions about the same - in a bid to know whether you have handled these tasks.

As an experienced professional, you are bound to have a portfolio, and this is the right time to share such a portfolio with the interviewer. Make sure that the portfolio you share is authentic as your previous portfolio will decide whether the interviewer will be interested in you or not.

While the interviewer is at it, they may also be interested in finding out about your projects and your contribution to those projects.
Therefore, they may be asked questions about documentations such as: the SOW (scope of work) that your project had, Site Surveys Provisional Acceptance as well as the action items and tasks that were conducted.

Good because: Not everyone has the chance to work on business critical, exciting projects that make for a great CV, but everyone has the chance to offer some suggestions for improvements (even if they aren't taken up). Look for someone who has ideas and who isn't afraid to put them forward.

Bad response: "It's all pretty rubbish there but I haven't bothered to do anything about it as there's no point."

With the advent of the corporate culture, transparency is the moot point in any company.
Therefore, you might also be asked about the information that you passed on to the executives and other key management members of your company about the project.

Good because: It can demonstrate their awareness of PMI Code of Ethics and even if they aren't aware of that, their general approach to work. You can also use it to open up an interesting discussion and allow you to judge how they will fit into your business culture.

Bad response: "I awarded a contract to my cousin once, even though he was the most expensive. I did get a good holiday out of the kickback though."

A project manager has to liaise with other departments in the company, like the procurement, the R&D, as well as the Logistics department. Other than that, the project manager may also have to interact with customers and company's parters. Sometimes, the project manager may also be responsible for the invoicing and financial issues of his projects. Do you have that project management experience?

Good because: Managing up means working well with people more senior than you. Project managers do this all the time, so it's good to find out how they make those relationships work.

Bad response: "I prefer not to get my sponsor involved. They're typically a figurehead, so I don't bother them."

Another question that is commonly asked, due to the ever increasing boundaries of the business, is whether you have ever outsourcing works to subcontractors or with firms located in a country other than yours.
The interviewer would also be interested in knowing whether you were responsible for selecting the vendors and suppliers for your project.

Good because: It will show you their priorities and whether they have actually thought about what a project manager does. It will also demonstrate whether they are a good cultural fit for your team. If you have a strong focus on process and they think the most important thing is to be flexible and adapt processes as you go, then you probably won't get on.

Bad response: "Well, it's mainly admin, isn't it?"

Every project manager is aware of the risk factors of any project. As a project manager, how did you monitor these risks during the project life cycle?

Good because: There are always bits of jobs we don't like, but project managers typically work on the projects that they are assigned. It's fine to have preferences, but you're looking for someone who can respond to business needs even if that isn't their top choice of project.

Bad response: "I like to choose the projects I work on, and I only really want to do the digital media ones. That's OK, isn't it?"

The interviewer could be asking you this question for a number of reasons.
Obviously, the salary is an important factor to your interest in this job, but it should not be the overriding reason for your interest. A good answer to this question is, The salary was very attractive, but the job itself is what was most attractive to me.

Other than that, the questions may also contain information about which business management tools, like SAP, ERP, BANN, etc have you worked with.

Follow these three easy research tips before your next job interview:
1) Visit the company website; look in the about us section and careers sections
2) Visit the company's LinkedIn page (note, you must have a LinkedIn account its free to sign up) to view information about the company
3) Google a keyword search phrase like press releases followed by the company name; you'll find the most recent news stories shared by the company
Remember, just because you have done your homework, it does not mean you need to share ALL of it during the interview! Reciting every fact you've learned is almost as much of a turn off as not knowing anything at all! At a minimum, you should include the following in your answer:
1. What type of product or service the company sells
2. How long the company has been in business
3. What the company culture is like OR what the company mission statement is, and how the culture and/or mission relate to your values or personality

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.

No one likes to answer this question because it requires a very delicate balance. You simply can't lie and say you don't have one; you can't trick the interviewer by offering up a personal weakness that is really a strength (Sometimes, I work too much and don't maintain a work-life balance.); and you shouldn't be so honest that you throw yourself under the bus (I'm not a morning person so I'm working on getting to the office on time.)
Think of a small flaw like I sometimes get sidetracked by small details, I am occasionally not as patient as I should be with subordinates or co-workers who do not understand my ideas, or I am still somewhat nervous and uncomfortable with my public-speaking skills and would like to give more presentations and talk in front of others or in meetings. Add that you are aware of the problem and you are doing your best to correct it by taking a course of action.

Apart from the portfolio, everyone has some project or aspect of their jobs that they hold close to their heart. This is the time to inform the interviewer about what your favorite project was and why. Of course, you have to make sure that you do not go on a ramble and genuinely discuss some of your favorite projects.

Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to discuss what they do while they are working in detail. Before you answer, consider the position you are applying for and how your current or past positions relate to it. The more you can connect your past experience with the job opening, the more successful you will be at answering the questions.
It should be obvious that it's not a good idea talk about non-work related activities that you do on company time, but, I've had applicants tell me how they are often late because they have to drive a child to school or like to take a long lunch break to work at the gym.
Keep your answers focused on work and show the interviewer that you're organized ("The first thing I do on Monday morning is check my voicemail and email, then I prioritize my activities for the week.") and efficient.

Rarely is an inexperienced person taken in as a project manager. Any project manager would have at least two or three years of experience either as an employee or as a project manager. Therefore, this is one of the basic questions asked. Make sure that you give a brief and concise answer to this question, without going too much into the details. Also, make sure that everything you say as an answer to this question is factual.