Fresh Vendor Managed Inventory Coordinator Interview Preparation Guide

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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.

Your logical-thinking skills are being put to the test with this question. As you answer, highlight how you thoughtfully respond to changing situations.

One potential response is something along the lines of, "First, I prioritize the changes to requirements, scope of changes and the impact analysis to the project. Next, I perform an impact analysis to the project cost, timeline and resources. Finally, I evaluate whether the scope change is introducing new gaps to the technical or functional designs or development and testing."

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

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.

A bored team member is simply not challenged enough. They are being satiated (doing a task for too long of a period of time). In this case, switch tasks for a short period of time or pair them up with another team member to shorten the boring task. See if it's possible to give them more challenging work if they complete the boring task first.

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.

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:

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.

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:

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.

At any point in time there are multiple tasks and issues to tackle for a project manager. To be successful, the project manager has to choose his battles wisely. Also, resources available for the project are always limited, and need to be utilized in a wise manner. That is prioritization in action. Time is a valuable resource for the project because once lost it cannot be recovered easily. As a result, Time Management is one of the key skills for a project manager. The Project Manager is responsible for creating efficient ways to execute tasks.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

When an interviewer asks this question, what they really want to know is if you're an effective leader. They are trying to find out if you have the skills and competencies required to put a team together, manage the team, and see a project through to completion. What type of team members will you recruit? Can you work with people that are different than yourself? Can you motivate and inspire everyone from support staff to senior managers? The answer you provide to this question should demonstrate that you understand it takes many people with different skills sets and abilities to complete a project. Show the interviewer you know that an effective project manager doesn't have to be good at everything; they just have to be able to put together and manage a team of professionals with diverse skill sets and competencies.

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.

The second question is a tough one to handle for candidates and it reveals their honesty and compels them to talk about an instance when they failed. It's also important to see how the candidate handles failure and learns from it.

I sincerely hope that the list of important competencies and related questions will help hiring managers hire the right candidates. I am quite confident that it will also help aspiring candidates prepare well for interviews for the role of Project Manager.

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.

On the projects I've worked on in the past, most of my time has been spent on the phone communicating with team leaders and suppliers. However, I know that many of the projects your company tackles require a more hands-on management approach. Based on what I know of the types of projects I'd be managing for your company, I see myself spending much more time in the field meeting with clients and making sure projects are being completed to client specifications.