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Press the tab key to jump to interactive markers and hotspots. 360 degree image interaction free exploration mode guided tour mode next previous label marker pause audio pause video play audio play video progress progress tooltip %total% item %total% items video video volume Toggle zoom to fit Notes Autoscroll Notes Show timestamps Resume autoscroll Select track Transcripts Zoom to fit Continue situational and behavioral questions for project management interviews the interviewer can infer from your responses to situational and behavioral questions how you would act in a certain circumstance when performing project management obligations. this then reveals whether you as a project manager have the necessary maturity and experience for the position you are looking for. project managers may encounter unforeseen circumstances as projects progress. their ability to perform their responsibilities depends on how they respond to those circumstances. because if you don't know how and when to apply tools, techniques, and procedures in the actual world, they are all meaningless to you. the star framework for interview responses the majority of these interview questions begin, "tell us about a period when..." or "describe a moment when..." always utilize the star framework to structure your responses to these kinds of queries. check out the illustration above if you are unfamiliar with it. preparing your interview stories 1 recall real experiences remember an example or tale from your real-world experience for each question 2 structure with star be prepared to write a star-method narrative for each situation 3 have a clear plan it's much preferable to have a clear strategy than to ramble on for too long and exhaust the interviewer utilizing your narrative abilities is the focus of this part. remember an example or tale from your real-world experience for each question, and be prepared to write a star-method narrative. it's much preferable to have a clear strategy than to ramble on for too long and exhaust the interviewer (this happens frequently) or to scratch your head and say, "sheesh, i really can't think of a circumstance like that!" tell us about a time when you used your creativity to address a problem common interview question one of the most frequent behavioral interview questions asks candidates to demonstrate their originality, ingenuity, or ability to think beyond the box. everyone has creative moments during my many years working in the corporate sector, i have noticed that the majority of people have displayed creative thinking at some point in their lives (sometimes without even being aware of it). one of the most frequent behavioral interview questions asks candidates to demonstrate their originality, ingenuity, or ability to think beyond the box. any of the terminology described above may be used by your interviewer, but they all essentially indicate the same thing. in general, when discussing creativity, we have a tendency to categorize people in terms of being either creative or not. however, during my many years working in the corporate sector, i have noticed that the majority of people have displayed creative thinking at some point in their lives (sometimes without even being aware of it). understanding creativity in problem solving technical creativity it's not always necessary to be creative in order to write brilliant code or come up with a fix for a technical problem that has eluded even the brightest minds in your company. yes, engaging in this would undoubtedly count as creative. simple solutions there are occasions when coming up with relatively straightforward answers to issues that most people haven't considered are excellent examples of creative thinking. at some point in our life, the most of us—if not everyone—would have probably used imagination to solve a problem at work. but because we frequently overlook this as being "creative," we can forget about it when asked about it in an interview. example response: using creativity to solve a problem here is an example of a response from a project manager named mark who described how he had applied creativity to solve a problem at work. for the team that handled the company's european and american customers, the it software company i worked for had just implemented shift-based scheduling. in order to synchronize work hours with customers located in europe and the americas, this meant that the 25 or so software support engineers—of which i was the lead at the time—would now work at a different time than the rest of the organization. the team was given the option of ordering dinner from a nearby restaurant, with the cost of which the corporation would subsequently pay at actuals, as the office cafeteria was unavailable during late hours. the food ordering challenge manual process every day, someone had to phone a nearby restaurant that offered delivery and place an order for the entire team. volunteer system a food volunteer would order meals for the rest of the team each day by 8 p.m. rotation schedule this volunteer would be selected from among the team on a weekly rotation basis. there were no simple methods for ordering food back then, nor were there any mobile apps for restaurant delivery. every day, someone had to phone a nearby restaurant that offered delivery and place an order for the entire team. consequently, it was determined that in order to be fair to everyone, a food volunteer would order meals for the rest of the team each day by 8 p.m. this volunteer would be selected from among the team on a weekly rotation basis. although the arrangement seemed sound in theory, it proved to be difficult and time-consuming in practice. practical challenges with the food system the volunteer had to ask the rest of the team each day what they needed because the amount and type of food that was needed changed every day. some team members were vegetarians, and on certain days of the week, others would only eat vegetarian fare. on occasion, one or two team members would be absent. if none of these considerations were taken into account, there would either be a food scarcity or food waste. there were also days when the volunteer forgot his turn and failed to order food, which resulted in hungry people sitting in dissatisfaction at nine o'clock. the creative solution idea inspiration it dawned to me one frustrating night when a couple of us missed dinner technical solution we could have a technology solution for our everyday problem implementation plan create a simple html-based internal website using existing server resources goal automate the majority of the meal ordering process the group accepted minor setbacks with grace. we could have a technology solution for our everyday problem, though, it dawned to me one frustrating night when a couple of us missed dinner. i suggested that we create a simple html-based internal website using the server resources we already have in order to automate the majority of the meal ordering process. developing the html solution team collaboration the majority of the crew knew html programming website development the html website was made by two team members who volunteered internal hosting website was kept on an internal server since the majority of the crew knew html programming, developing the solution wasn't too challenging. the html website was made by two team members who volunteered and was kept on an internal server. there was only one page on the website dedicated to ordering food. it included a daily poll asking team members what they preferred to eat. in addition to this poll, the website's single page mentioned the volunteer for that particular day as well as a backup volunteer. the automated food ordering system daily food poll website included a daily poll asking team members what they preferred to eat volunteer information the website's single page mentioned the volunteer for that particular day as well as a backup volunteer automated reminders all team members are automatically reminded via email every workday at 7:30 p.m. absence tracking team members who had not logged their food selections by 8 p.m. were regarded as being absent all team members are now automatically reminded via email every workday at 7:30 p.m. to visit the url and enter their food preferences before 8 p.m. team members who had not logged their food selections by then were regarded as being absent. additionally, daily automated emails were sent to the volunteer and the backup volunteer reminding them to place the food order. results of the creative solution 1 hour daily time saved the approach worked perfectly and saved us about an hour per day 0 human errors this technique reduced human mistake 2+ teams benefited our team and another team that joined the late shifts used our approach since the volunteer didn't have to get in touch with certain team members directly, the approach worked perfectly and saved us about an hour per day. additionally, this technique reduced human mistake. our team and another team that joined the late shifts used our approach for many months until the company developed more long-term provisions for those who work in shifts. analyzing the creative solution example not a complex problem in mark's response, the difficult issue that only a genius could resolve wasn't actually resolved. available technical skills it would be logical to assume that several of his team members might have had the necessary expertise to easily construct that solution. unconventional thinking but it was his unconventional thinking that identified the presence of a technical issue that had a comparatively simple technological solution. everyday creativity in problem solving overlooked creativity when discussing creativity, individuals tend to neglect thinking that is creative on a daily basis. simple fixes are frequently undervalued. your own examples even if you don't think of yourself as a "course creative," chances are good that you have shown similar everyday ingenuity in your own career. consider times when you found simple but effective solutions to workplace challenges. when discussing creativity, individuals tend to neglect thinking that is creative on a daily basis. simple fixes are frequently undervalued. even if you don't think of yourself as a "course creative," chances are good that you have shown similar everyday ingenuity in your own career. preparing your creative problem-solving story 1 identify a novel solution consider a work-related difficulty to which you found a novel solution (or even something basic that not everyone would naturally think to do) 2 recall the application think back to how you applied that answer to the issue at hand 3 structure with star place your story into the star framework and record this in a notecourse 4 practice telling practice telling this as part of your interview preparation in order to prepare for this question, consider a work-related difficulty to which you found a novel solution (or even something basic that not everyone would naturally think to do). then, think back to how you applied that answer to the issue at hand. place your story into the star framework and record this in a notecourse. then, as part of your interview preparation, practice telling this. correct this is the correct answer because it directly describes the creative solution implemented by the team to address the food ordering challenges. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this answer is incorrect because it does not involve the use of technology or creativity to address the problem. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this answer is incorrect because mobile apps were not available at the time the solution was implemented. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this answer is incorrect because it does not reflect the creative or practical solution described in the scenario. continue continue continue continue continue continue using a mobile app to place orders for the team. using a mobile app to place orders for the team. using a mobile app to place orders for the team. using a mobile app to place orders for the team. using a mobile app to place orders for the team. using a mobile app to place orders for the team. switching to a fixed menu to simplify the ordering process. switching to a fixed menu to simplify the ordering process. switching to a fixed menu to simplify the ordering process. switching to a fixed menu to simplify the ordering process. switching to a fixed menu to simplify the ordering process. switching to a fixed menu to simplify the ordering process. developing an internal html-based website to automate the meal ordering process. developing an internal html-based website to automate the meal ordering process. developing an internal html-based website to automate the meal ordering process. developing an internal html-based website to automate the meal ordering process. developing an internal html-based website to automate the meal ordering process. developing an internal html-based website to automate the meal ordering process. what was the creative solution proposed to address the food ordering challenges faced by the team? hiring a dedicated staff member to handle food orders for the team. hiring a dedicated staff member to handle food orders for the team. hiring a dedicated staff member to handle food orders for the team. hiring a dedicated staff member to handle food orders for the team. hiring a dedicated staff member to handle food orders for the team. hiring a dedicated staff member to handle food orders for the team. tell us about a time when you failed learning from failure what we learned is more important than the failure itself common interview question one of the behavioral inquiries you are most likely to encounter universal experience everyone makes mistakes, and failure is a part of life the question about a period when you failed is one of the behavioral inquiries you are most likely to encounter. you might rephrase this interview question as, "tell us about the largest mistake you made in your career." everyone makes mistakes, and failure is a part of life for everyone. but what we learnt from that experience is far more significant than the fact that we failed. preparing your response about failure describe the circumstance describe the circumstance where you stumbled accept responsibility don't make excuses for your mistakes; instead, accept responsibility share lessons learned describe what you took away from the event now, it goes without saying that you must be tactful enough to draw attention to a failure that wasn't too serious. therefore, you might want to reconsider disclosing that if you unintentionally burned down your company's million-dollar warehouse example response: learning from failure here is an example of a project manager's response to a question concerning a failure in the workplace: one of my major mistakes was using poor judgment when selecting candidates for team roles. i was given the task of hiring a business analyst (ba) to join our team for some forthcoming projects in one of the previous organizations i worked for. despite the fact that he raised a few red flags in the interview that i chose to ignore because of his superior subject knowledge and my urgency to hire quickly, i chose a candidate who demonstrated the required technical skills. consequences of the hiring mistake behavioral issues he rapidly lost his temper and refused to work with the team communication problems he frequently got into heated arguments with both team members and clients business impact led to a number of escalations that caused our company time, money, and reputational damage final outcome less than a year after arriving, that worker was eventually asked to quit the company however, soon after we hired the new employee, we began to experience problems. he rapidly lost his temper and refused to work with the team. he also frequently got into heated arguments with both team members and clients, which led to a number of escalations that caused our company time, money, and reputational damage. less than a year after arriving, that worker was eventually asked to quit the company. taking responsibility for the mistake recognition i realized i had let my organization down ignored signs i consciously disregarded the indications flawed reasoning selected the candidate based purely on technical proficiency mistaken priority in my mistaken opinion, it was the most crucial requirement with all other factors being secondary when i decided not to pay attention to the warning signs i identified during the initial interview, i realized i had let my organization down. i consciously disregarded the indications and selected the candidate based purely on his technical proficiency because, in my mistaken opinion, it was the most crucial requirement for that position, with all other factors being secondary. lessons learned from the hiring failure changed approach because of that one experience, i now handle interviews differently. since then, i have made sure that every candidate i choose demonstrates not only the requisite technical or subject skills, but also the correct attitude required for working cooperatively in a team. positive results all four of the applicants i've hired since then have proven to be fantastic workers who have excelled in their positions within the company. this demonstrates how learning from past mistakes can lead to better outcomes in the future. choosing the right failure example one-off incidents whenever you discuss failure, try to pick an instance that can be perceived as a one-off inexperience-based choose examples that presumably sprang from inexperience show growth this demonstrates why you are unlikely to repeat the error after learning from the mistake as a last point, whenever you discuss failure, try to pick an instance that can be perceived as a one-off and presumably sprang from inexperience. this demonstrates why you are unlikely to repeat the error after learning from the mistake. incorrect this answer inaccurately implies that the goal is to avoid discussing failure, which is not the case. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this answer incorrectly suggests that focusing on lessons learned is a way to avoid mentioning failures altogether. continue continue continue continue continue continue correct this answer highlights the key reason why focusing on lessons learned is important, as it shows maturity and adaptability. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this answer wrongly assumes that the purpose of focusing on lessons learned is to divert attention from mistakes. continue continue continue continue continue continue it demonstrates personal growth and the ability to learn from experiences. it demonstrates personal growth and the ability to learn from experiences. it demonstrates personal growth and the ability to learn from experiences. it demonstrates personal growth and the ability to learn from experiences. it demonstrates personal growth and the ability to learn from experiences. it demonstrates personal growth and the ability to learn from experiences. it allows you to highlight only your successes during the interview. it allows you to highlight only your successes during the interview. it allows you to highlight only your successes during the interview. it allows you to highlight only your successes during the interview. it allows you to highlight only your successes during the interview. it allows you to highlight only your successes during the interview. it helps to avoid discussing any negative experiences in detail. it helps to avoid discussing any negative experiences in detail. it helps to avoid discussing any negative experiences in detail. it helps to avoid discussing any negative experiences in detail. it helps to avoid discussing any negative experiences in detail. it helps to avoid discussing any negative experiences in detail. why is it more important to focus on what was learned from a failure rather than the failure itself during an interview? it ensures the interviewer does not focus on your mistakes. it ensures the interviewer does not focus on your mistakes. it ensures the interviewer does not focus on your mistakes. it ensures the interviewer does not focus on your mistakes. it ensures the interviewer does not focus on your mistakes. it ensures the interviewer does not focus on your mistakes. managing difficult or uncooperative stakeholders rejection patterns "i don't concur with it, so no." avoidance tactics "i'm not available at that time, i'm sorry." resistant engagement stakeholders who are challenging or uncooperative have engagement levels that are "resistant." "i don't concur with it, so no." "i'm not available at that time, i'm sorry." there are times when a stakeholder seems to reject everything. earlier in this course, we addressed a stakeholder management interview question and talked about the various degrees of stakeholder participation. if you didn't already guess, stakeholders who are challenging or uncooperative have engagement levels that are "resistant." understanding stakeholder resistance building trust demonstrate value and be transparent previous bad experiences stakeholders may be hesitant due to past issues unmet demands resistance when needs aren't being addressed the reasons why a project stakeholder develops resistance can be several. typically, it occurs when a stakeholder thinks their demands aren't being met by the project or when they think the initiative isn't optimal for them. sometimes stakeholders can be hesitant because of a bad previous experience they had with the project team. gaining the trust of such stakeholders will require demonstrating the value they will receive from the project, meeting their project demands appropriately, and being transparent. once you have earned their trust, you can influence their degree of participation to become neutral or at the absolute least, helpful. example response: managing a difficult stakeholder here is an example response from a project manager named eddie about how he dealt with a disobedient stakeholder: in the project i was in charge of, our telecom customer's campaign and loyalty management system had to be moved into a brand-new system that would automate many manual tasks. the team leader of the team that was responsible for maintaining the old system was meant to assist my team with gathering some user data for the existing system as part of the project. this person, however, refused to participate, saying they had other urgent issues to attend to and that they didn't have any documents we could utilize. he also frequently declined team meetings and talks. addressing the stakeholder's concerns instead of sending an email or calling the team leader, i chose to speak with him in private to better understand the underlying cause of his resistance. "to be completely honest, i don't even understand why we should repair something that isn't damaged. and just so you know eddie, my team isn't very excited about this project because some of us will definitely lose our jobs due of all the automation that is coming." the team leader and his staff apparently felt scared about losing their jobs, which is what caused the pushback in the first place. addressing job security concerns automation reality while many of the current functionalities of the old system would be automated new features there were a number of new features and modules being introduced staffing needs the business would require the same number of personnel, if not more growth potential to work on the extra features and modules in order to fully realize the potential of the new system turning resistance into support new perspective the team lead had the chance to show new features to his team threat eliminated no longer felt threatened by the project team expertise realized his group was best equipped to assist renewed enthusiasm regained enthusiasm in the project the team lead regained enthusiasm in the project once he had the chance to subsequently show some of the new features to his team and no longer felt threatened. he came to the conclusion that his group was best equipped to assist his organization in realizing the benefits of the new system. successful stakeholder management outcome resistance to support we were able to convert a reluctant stakeholder into a supporting one demonstrating value by demonstrating to him how the project will benefit him and his team transparency being more transparent and addressing his concerns therefore, we were able to convert a reluctant stakeholder into a supporting one by demonstrating to him how the project will benefit him and his team, as well as by being more transparent and addressing his concerns. incorrect while funding issues may affect project execution, they are not directly tied to stakeholder resistance. continue continue continue continue continue continue correct stakeholders often resist projects due to their needs not being addressed or because of negative past experiences. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect support from others is unlikely to cause resistance; it may actually reduce it. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect while technical knowledge may impact understanding, it is not a primary reason for resistance. continue continue continue continue continue continue overwhelming support from other stakeholders. overwhelming support from other stakeholders. overwhelming support from other stakeholders. overwhelming support from other stakeholders. overwhelming support from other stakeholders. overwhelming support from other stakeholders. unmet demands or previous bad experiences. unmet demands or previous bad experiences. unmet demands or previous bad experiences. unmet demands or previous bad experiences. unmet demands or previous bad experiences. unmet demands or previous bad experiences. a lack of project funding. a lack of project funding. a lack of project funding. a lack of project funding. a lack of project funding. a lack of project funding. what are common reasons why stakeholders may resist a project? lack of technical knowledge about the project. lack of technical knowledge about the project. lack of technical knowledge about the project. lack of technical knowledge about the project. lack of technical knowledge about the project. lack of technical knowledge about the project. dealing with unrealistic customer expectations "yes, i have looked over your thorough strategy. but whatever happens, we have to finish this project by may. please find a solution. project managers may unavoidably encounter one or two difficult clients throughout their employment who have completely irrational expectations for a project. companies will therefore press candidates for proof of how they handle similar circumstances in the real world. i advise using the understand-realign-commit strategy when composing your response: the understand-realign-commit strategy understand determine "why" the customer first had those irrational expectations realign take appropriate steps to rectify it before expectations are reset commit make a commitment to see that the customer's expectations are met there are a number of reasons "why" a client could have exaggerated expectations for a project. it can be as a result of the supplier's lack of openness or because the customer's unspoken requirement isn't being met. therefore, it is vital for the project manager to determine "why" the customer first had those irrational expectations. after the "why" has been discovered, the appropriate steps must be done to rectify it before expectations are reset. the project manager and his team should then make a commitment to see that the customer's expectations are met in order to satisfy them. example: managing unrealistic timeline expectations here is an illustration of how john, a software project manager, dealt with irrational client expectations: the customer would simply not accept the project schedule during the planning stage of one of the telecom projects i was overseeing, and no amount of convincing him otherwise would work. according to our projection, the project would be finished at the end of march of the next year, nine months after it began. however, the client required that the job be finished by december 15 of the same year. there was a high likelihood of failure even if we used all of our resources to complete the project by the deadline because there wasn't enough time to complete the required quality testing for the full program and deliver within the timeframe the customer required. understanding the client's real need private meeting i planned a private meeting with the client. in that discussion, he acknowledged that one of the primary highlights of the presentation his team had to give to the ceo of their company in december was going to be a demonstration of the product our project would produce. root cause identified the client simply wouldn't accept no as an option because of this. after determining the cause of the customer's unreasonable delivery deadline request, i collaborated with the team to come up with a compromise that would satisfy all parties. creating a phased delivery solution stage 1: basic product when stage 1 is finished, the product will be delivered in its most basic form without any bells and whistles stage 2: feature additions stage 2 will gradually add new features stage 3: complete product stage 3 will complete the feature set for the final product the practical approach was to divide the job into three sections, something we had never done before for similar deliveries. when stage 1 is finished, the product will be delivered in its most basic form without any bells and whistles, whereas stages 2 and 3 will gradually add new features. the entire project timetable would be extended by an additional three weeks as a result of the new plan's additional testing activities. presenting the compromise solution client communication i contacted the customer and informed him that the delivery of the entire project could not be completed by december but if he and his team approved to a 3-stage delivery, the first stage of the fundamental product could be completed by that date meeting the real need even though the final product wouldn't be available until late march, the customer would still be able to show his ceo a live, functional version of the product by the deadline of december this addressed the client's underlying requirement for the ceo presentation client acceptance and successful delivery the customer approved the three-stage delivery after maintaining his commitment to the unreasonable december deadline and confirming that it satisfied his demands, but he made it clear that any delays to stage 1 in december would not be acceptable. to the delight of the customer, our team then went ahead and made an enormous effort to finish the anticipated stage-1 delivery in december. in turn, he was successful in presenting the year-end demonstration to the ceo of the business. analyzing the successful approach star framework john outlined the scenario, task, action, and result in his response using the star framework understanding root cause he came across a customer with unrealistic expectations and was able to understand the real need effective solution adjusted expectations with a workable solution, committed to delivery, and successfully delivered john describes in the comment above how he came across a customer with unrealistic expectations and was able to adjust them with a workable solution, commit, and deliver. he also outlined the scenario, task, action, and result in his response using the star framework. preparing multiple stakeholder examples related interview questions since this interview question relates to challenging stakeholders, you might have a real-life example about a difficult stakeholder who also happens to be a client with high expectations. customers are always stakeholders in a project, but there are also other stakeholders that won't be customers. preparation strategy if you expect to be asked both of these questions during an interview, it would be a good idea to practice a few different scenarios. having multiple examples ready allows you to showcase different aspects of your stakeholder management skills. incorrect this answer introduces irrelevant but plausible steps that do not align with the understand-realign-commit strategy. continue continue continue continue continue continue correct this is the correct sequence of steps in the understand-realign-commit strategy. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this answer combines correct and incorrect elements, making it seem believable but incorrect. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this answer introduces common practices in project management but does not align with the specific strategy. continue continue continue continue continue continue analyze the project scope, negotiate with the client, and finalize the contract. analyze the project scope, negotiate with the client, and finalize the contract. analyze the project scope, negotiate with the client, and finalize the contract. analyze the project scope, negotiate with the client, and finalize the contract. analyze the project scope, negotiate with the client, and finalize the contract. analyze the project scope, negotiate with the client, and finalize the contract. determine the 'why,' take steps to rectify the issue, and commit to meeting adjusted expectations. determine the 'why,' take steps to rectify the issue, and commit to meeting adjusted expectations. determine the 'why,' take steps to rectify the issue, and commit to meeting adjusted expectations. determine the 'why,' take steps to rectify the issue, and commit to meeting adjusted expectations. determine the 'why,' take steps to rectify the issue, and commit to meeting adjusted expectations. determine the 'why,' take steps to rectify the issue, and commit to meeting adjusted expectations. identify the client's budget, propose a new timeline, and deliver the project in phases. identify the client's budget, propose a new timeline, and deliver the project in phases. identify the client's budget, propose a new timeline, and deliver the project in phases. identify the client's budget, propose a new timeline, and deliver the project in phases. identify the client's budget, propose a new timeline, and deliver the project in phases. identify the client's budget, propose a new timeline, and deliver the project in phases. what are the three steps of the understand-realign-commit strategy for handling unrealistic customer expectations? set realistic expectations, communicate regularly, and deliver on time. set realistic expectations, communicate regularly, and deliver on time. set realistic expectations, communicate regularly, and deliver on time. set realistic expectations, communicate regularly, and deliver on time. set realistic expectations, communicate regularly, and deliver on time. set realistic expectations, communicate regularly, and deliver on time. handling projects that go off track common interview question sometimes during an interview, a question about how you restarted a project that had gotten off course or what you did when something went wrong might be asked. various phrasings the question can be phrased in a variety of ways, but the answer is always the same: how do you handle a situation when nothing goes according to plan? guidelines for answering the off-track project question choose a success story pick a project where things initially went awry but you were able to turn things around explain root causes explain what led to the situation's emergence from the root cause highlight teamwork demonstrate how your cooperation with the project team helped to refocus the project use the following guidelines as a starting point for your response: 1.pick a project where things initially went awry but you were able to turn things around. 2.explain what led to the situation's emergence from the root cause. 3.demonstrate how your cooperation with the project team helped to refocus the project. example: restarting a delayed project in the example response given below, jenn describes how she was able to restart a project that had been put on hold due to an unforeseen problem. the hardware needed to set up a testing environment so that functional and integration testing could be carried out on the client's property was farmed out to us as part of a software project i was leading. however, unforeseen events caused a few-week delay in the environment setup and hardware purchase. due to this, the project team was unable to begin the testing on time, which caused the project to run behind schedule. analyzing the project schedule schedule analysis when weighing my alternatives for restarting the project, i looked at the project schedule i saw that functional testing for the various modules and features—many of which seemed to be independent of one another—had been planned sequentially with a finish-to-start dependency opportunity identified this indicated that, if there were no inherent dangers, i could move the project along more quickly by examining the dependencies closely, i could identify opportunities to accelerate the schedule collaborating with team leaders team consultation i presented this data to the managers of development and testing concept discussion we spoke about my concept for accelerating the schedule team verification they verified it with each other's teams risk assessment discovered only one specific module's testing could necessitate rewrite if another module revealed flaws i presented this data to the managers of development and testing and we spoke about my concept. they verified it with each other's teams and discovered that only one particular module's testing could necessitate rewrite if the testing of a different module revealed flaws. this meant that testing could be carried out individually and without any inherent hazards for the remaining modules. implementing fast-tracking to recover schedule fast-tracking with the team's assistance, i accelerated every testing activity with the exception of the one that posed a danger of rework parallel testing many of the modules would now be tested concurrently rather than sequentially schedule recovery we were able to cut the project timetable by a few weeks, making up for the time we lost with the team's assistance, i accelerated every testing activity with the exception of the one that posed a danger of rework. many of the modules would now be tested concurrently rather than sequentially, as was the original plan, as a result of this modification. we were able to cut the project timetable by a few weeks after the fast-tracking activity was completed, making up for the time we lost because of the delay in hardware purchase and setup. project management techniques for schedule recovery fast-tracking in the aforementioned example, jenn describes how fast-tracking helped her get a project back on track. fast-tracking involves performing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence. crashing another common technique is crashing, which involves adding resources to critical path activities to reduce duration. if you have ever employed crashing or fast-tracking to get a project back on track after it got off track, think about phrasing your response to this question with a comparable narrative. incorrect this describes crashing, not fast-tracking, which is a different project management technique. continue continue continue continue continue continue correct fast-tracking involves overlapping tasks that are typically performed sequentially to save time. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this describes scope reduction, not fast-tracking. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this describes resource reallocation, not fast-tracking. continue continue continue continue continue continue revising the project scope to eliminate non-essential tasks. revising the project scope to eliminate non-essential tasks. revising the project scope to eliminate non-essential tasks. revising the project scope to eliminate non-essential tasks. revising the project scope to eliminate non-essential tasks. revising the project scope to eliminate non-essential tasks. performing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence. performing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence. performing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence. performing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence. performing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence. performing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence. adding more resources to critical path activities to reduce duration. adding more resources to critical path activities to reduce duration. adding more resources to critical path activities to reduce duration. adding more resources to critical path activities to reduce duration. adding more resources to critical path activities to reduce duration. adding more resources to critical path activities to reduce duration. what does fast-tracking involve in project management? delaying non-critical tasks to focus on critical path activities. delaying non-critical tasks to focus on critical path activities. delaying non-critical tasks to focus on critical path activities. delaying non-critical tasks to focus on critical path activities. delaying non-critical tasks to focus on critical path activities. delaying non-critical tasks to focus on critical path activities. correcting significant errors in your work acknowledge the error be open and honest with relevant stakeholders take corrective action deal with the error (quality control) implement preventive measures determine how future flaws might be prevented (quality assurance) you can be asked this question during your project management job interview if you realize you made mistakes in your work. you must address these three crucial points in your response. it's wise to address each of these in your interview response: 1.the first step is to acknowledge the error and be open and honest about it with the relevant stakeholders (even if doing so attracts criticism from management or annoyance from a client), as transparency is essential for fostering confidence. 2. the following step is to take corrective action to deal with the error (akin to quality control). 3.the third and last step is to take preventive action to determine how future possible flaws might be prevented, such as assessing the procedure (akin to quality assurance). example: correcting a project schedule error here is an example of a project manager's answer to what she did after making a mistake on a project she oversaw: i created a project schedule using microsoft project plan (mpp) during the planning phase of one of my first projects and provided it to our customer for approval. the project timeline was baselined and distributed to all stakeholders after we secured client buy-in. discovering the schedule error error discovery a few days later, when i went back to the mpp document, i discovered that i had mismapped certain task dependencies, which was a critical error. schedule impact only three weeks after the baseline date would the project have ended if the mapping had been done correctly. serious consequence this meant that i had unintentionally created a project that could not be finished by the closure date in the baselined timeline. acknowledging the error to management reporting to manager when i realized my error, i went to my manager—the program director—and apologized receiving criticism the scenario made my manager unhappy, and i received criticism for not being careful enough proposing solution he was somewhat relieved when i promised to fix the project schedule error process plan let the customer know, and secure their approval once more for the timetable adjustment through the change control process addressing the error with the client client communication i respectfully acknowledged my error and explained that the project schedule has now been rectified during the conference call that followed with the customer. i also mentioned that i double-checked the mpp with a seasoned peer to make sure there weren't any more mistakes. client response the customer objected to the adjustment in the project timeframe, but after being assured that there wouldn't be any more alterations, she eventually accepted it and the new baseline. transparency helped rebuild trust despite the initial disappointment. implementing preventive measures process improvement i persuaded the program director that a peer review mechanism would be useful peer review system any freshly developed project schedule would be examined by at least one peer quality assurance review before being presented to the client and other stakeholders organizational adoption my suggestion was accepted favorably and formally incorporated into procedures key elements of error correction response you can see from the response up top how a project manager took responsibility for her work after realizing her error before taking the required corrective action. she also went a step further and implemented a preventive measure via a process modification to ensure that similar errors wouldn't be made again in the future by others. incorrect analyzing the root cause is part of preventive measures, which occur after acknowledging and addressing the error. continue continue continue continue continue continue correct acknowledging the error and being transparent with stakeholders fosters confidence and is the essential first step in addressing significant errors. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect avoiding transparency undermines trust and confidence, which are critical in project management. informing stakeholders is a necessary part of the process. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect while preventive measures are important, they are not the first step in addressing an error. preventive actions come after acknowledging and correcting the error. continue continue continue continue continue continue focus on correcting the error without informing stakeholders to avoid criticism. focus on correcting the error without informing stakeholders to avoid criticism. focus on correcting the error without informing stakeholders to avoid criticism. focus on correcting the error without informing stakeholders to avoid criticism. focus on correcting the error without informing stakeholders to avoid criticism. focus on correcting the error without informing stakeholders to avoid criticism. acknowledge the error and be open and honest with relevant stakeholders. acknowledge the error and be open and honest with relevant stakeholders. acknowledge the error and be open and honest with relevant stakeholders. acknowledge the error and be open and honest with relevant stakeholders. acknowledge the error and be open and honest with relevant stakeholders. acknowledge the error and be open and honest with relevant stakeholders. analyze the root cause of the error before taking any action. analyze the root cause of the error before taking any action. analyze the root cause of the error before taking any action. analyze the root cause of the error before taking any action. analyze the root cause of the error before taking any action. analyze the root cause of the error before taking any action. what is the first step to effectively address and correct significant errors in project management? immediately implement preventive measures to avoid future errors. immediately implement preventive measures to avoid future errors. immediately implement preventive measures to avoid future errors. immediately implement preventive measures to avoid future errors. immediately implement preventive measures to avoid future errors. immediately implement preventive measures to avoid future errors. learning challenging skills today's project managers are expected to be multi-skilled, therefore you can be asked to pick up additional talents that have nothing to do with project management. so don't be shocked if a question is asked on a difficult talent you may have had to learn! in order to get ready for this inquiry: 1.consider a skill that you have to learn and why. 2.explain why it was difficult. this is crucial because unless you give your interviewer a precise indication of how difficult a skill is; they might not be aware of how difficult it is. 3.describe how your efforts allowed you to learn that talent. 4.show how acquiring that expertise helped both you and your company. you can create your narrative by exactly aligning all four components to the star structure. variations of the challenging skill question hardest task the interviewer might inquire about the hardest task you've had to do difficult project questions about the most difficult project you've worked on similar approach for these, you can adopt a similar strategy to the challenging skill question star framework always structure your response using the situation, task, action, result format note: you could run into different variations of this question frequently. for instance, the interviewer might inquire about the hardest task you've had to do or the most difficult project you've worked on. for these, you can adopt a similar strategy. example: learning payroll software quickly 1 new job context my previous employer hired me to oversee the project delivery of their premium payroll software to their clients 2 quick assignment just 10 days after i started, i was given a project to work on 3 workshop requirement asked to participate with the company's business analyst in a business requirements workshop at the customer's property the learning challenge active participation required i was expected to actively participate in the workshop's discussions of requirements as the project manager. however, i was given the responsibility of becoming more knowledgeable about the payroll software before the training because i lacked the background needed to engage in meaningful customer interactions. difficult circumstances it was particularly difficult because i only had a week to learn about a product that usually takes two to three weeks to learn. in addition, i had to simultaneously complete other project responsibilities and become familiar with the procedures of my new employer. rising to the challenge crash course i originally planned for a member of our technical team to give me a four-day crash course in the product additional resources i also requested assistance from the it department to install a sample version of the software with a database on my laptop after-hours learning this allowed me to spend a few hours every day exploring the different modules and acquiring a feel for the product after work i nevertheless rose to the occasion. i originally planned for a member of our technical team to give me a four-day crash course in the product. in order to speed up my learning, i also requested assistance from the it department to install a sample version of the software with a database on my laptop. this allowed me to spend a few hours every day exploring the different modules and acquiring a feel for the product after work. intensive learning effort i worked an average of 10 to 12 hours a day for a very rigorous week before i had enough working knowledge of the application to comprehend the functions of the many modules and components and how they linked to one another. successful workshop participation active engagement i was able to relate to the needs of the customer meaningful participation actively participate in discussions thanks to my newly acquired knowledge customer impression the customer was clearly surprised by my strong understanding professional image despite being a new project manager, i demonstrated product knowledge finally, when the workshop started, i was able to relate to the needs of the customer and actively participate in discussions thanks to my newly acquired knowledge. the customer said after the workshop that they were clearly surprised that i had shown a strong understanding of their product requirements despite the fact that i was a new project manager. star framework in the learning challenge example as you can see from the response up top, garry began by outlining the talent she needed to develop. she then provided an explanation for why learning it was so difficult (she was given only a week for what typically takes two to three weeks). later, she described the steps she took to master the skill in just one week. she concluded by demonstrating how she used the expertise for both her and her employer's advantage. correct the star framework helps individuals organize their responses in a clear and logical manner, making it easier to communicate their experiences effectively. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect the star framework is not intended to create timelines but to structure responses to questions about experiences. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect the star framework focuses on structuring responses, not on identifying performance metrics. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect while technical skills may be discussed, the star framework is not specifically designed for evaluating them. continue continue continue continue continue continue to identify key performance indicators for evaluating success. to identify key performance indicators for evaluating success. to identify key performance indicators for evaluating success. to identify key performance indicators for evaluating success. to identify key performance indicators for evaluating success. to identify key performance indicators for evaluating success. to create a timeline of events for project management tasks. to create a timeline of events for project management tasks. to create a timeline of events for project management tasks. to create a timeline of events for project management tasks. to create a timeline of events for project management tasks. to create a timeline of events for project management tasks. to provide a structured and logical format for explaining challenging experiences. to provide a structured and logical format for explaining challenging experiences. to provide a structured and logical format for explaining challenging experiences. to provide a structured and logical format for explaining challenging experiences. to provide a structured and logical format for explaining challenging experiences. to provide a structured and logical format for explaining challenging experiences. which of the following best describes the purpose of the star framework when responding to challenging skill questions? to evaluate the technical skills required for a specific job role. to evaluate the technical skills required for a specific job role. to evaluate the technical skills required for a specific job role. to evaluate the technical skills required for a specific job role. to evaluate the technical skills required for a specific job role. to evaluate the technical skills required for a specific job role. tell us about a time when you came across multiple solutions to a problem and how you determined which one to choose? this presentation covers essential project management interview questions and provides detailed guidance on how to effectively respond to them. from technical questions about solution selection to handling remote teams and personal project experiences, this comprehensive guide will help you prepare for your next project management interview. solution selection matrix here is an example of a project manager's response to this query, in which he describes how he used the tool to choose which solution to pursue: our early study revealed three workable methods we could construct a solution when one of our customers made a change request for a feature adjustment in one of their existing software systems. but because everyone on the team had very individualized preferences, it was challenging to decide. at this point, i made the decision to apply a solution selection matrix to identify the most ideal option. key components criteria listing weight assignment scoring system weighted calculations final comparison selection criteria goal achievement potential how well the solution accomplishes the intended objective customer impact the extent of positive effect on customer experience implementation cost the financial investment required to execute the solution stakeholder buy-in the level of support from key stakeholders implementation time the duration required to fully implement the solution the potential for the solution to accomplish the goal, the extent of positive customer effect, the cost to execute the solution, the level of stakeholder buy-in, and the time to implement were the five key factors used in the solution selection matrix that i selected. additionally, each criterion had a varying weight depending on how important it was. scoring and selection process evaluate each solution the five criteria were then evaluated for each of the three suggested solutions, with 1 representing the lowest score and 5 the highest. apply weighted calculations the ranking for each criterion was then multiplied by the allocated weight for each prospective solution. calculate overall scores each solution was then given an overall score based on the sum of the results of the ranking and the weighted criteria against each of the five criteria. select best solution these results made it obvious which solution outperformed the other two. the solution that received the highest overall score was ultimately selected as the best option. incorrect while team collaboration is important in project management, it is not one of the five key factors used in a solution selection matrix. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect budget allocation is related to financial planning but is not explicitly one of the five key factors in the solution selection matrix. continue continue continue continue continue continue correct goal achievement potential is one of the five key factors used in a solution selection matrix to evaluate potential solutions. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect risk mitigation strategy is a critical aspect of project management but is not one of the five key factors in the solution selection matrix. continue continue continue continue continue continue goal achievement potential goal achievement potential goal achievement potential goal achievement potential goal achievement potential goal achievement potential budget allocation budget allocation budget allocation budget allocation budget allocation budget allocation team collaboration team collaboration team collaboration team collaboration team collaboration team collaboration which of the following is a key factor used in a solution selection matrix? risk mitigation strategy risk mitigation strategy risk mitigation strategy risk mitigation strategy risk mitigation strategy risk mitigation strategy tell us about the key problems you faced when working with remote/virtual teams and how you addressed them. working from home became standard for many firms after the covid-19 epidemic hit in 2020, which helped remote working models become very popular. any position you take on in a new firm will probably demand you to deal with remote team members, including those who might be in different regions as well, given the uncertainties of the current times, at least for the foreseeable future. as a result, you should prepare your response in case a situational question about how you handle the difficulties of working in this model arises. communication challenges non-verbal communication loss 1. communication difficulties - according to several research, between 55% and 75% of communication is non-verbal. therefore, it is less productive to conduct business interactions primarily over audio conference calls when team members are not present or cannot see each other's faces. interview opportunity have you encountered this issue inside your team? if so, how you handled it could make for a wonderful interview topic. scheduling across time zones identify the challenge 2. scheduling meetings and talks - when working with remote teams, it can be challenging to gather everyone at the same time due to time zone variations, particularly when they are on different sides of the world and have time zone disparities of more than 9 hours. reflect on experience have you experienced this worry? if so, it would be a great story to tell how you came to an agreement on how to schedule meetings while avoiding disputes. prepare your response consider how you've successfully managed time zone differences in past roles. system maintenance challenges system outage planning balancing maintenance needs across global teams time zone conflicts off-hours for one team overlap with busy times for another release scheduling coordinating releases without disrupting productivity 3. planning system outages - scheduled application maintenance and release planning are typically done after business hours. however, while working with different geographical areas, off-hours for one team may overlap with busy times for another. if you have encountered this issue, a good answer to this question would be to describe how you managed to carry out releases and planned maintenance tasks without affecting the output of either team. team building activities 4. scheduling team activities - company-organized team activities are excellent for bringing teams together and fostering stronger bonds. but how is this possible if your team members are dispersed across the country? you might be able to convince your employer to let you fly your team members to a key location. you may simply adapt and have virtual activities, such as programs that employ live video sessions, if that is too expensive. addressing remote team challenges identify the challenge recognize specific remote work obstacles develop solutions create innovative approaches to overcome barriers implement and adapt put solutions into practice and refine as needed if you have experienced this problem, you can always create a story about how you overcame it and managed to carry out team activities with team members who were not physically there. you can use one or two of the aforementioned challenges to develop your star tale (or with something else, as long as you can show how you addressed it effectively). incorrect non-verbal communication is important in all forms of interaction, including remote settings, to ensure clarity and understanding. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect audio calls lack visual elements, such as facial expressions, which are crucial for understanding emotions and context. continue continue continue continue continue continue correct non-verbal cues play a significant role in conveying emotions and context, which are often lost in remote communication. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect while written communication is common in remote teams, it does not eliminate the need for non-verbal cues, which are still important for effective communication. continue continue continue continue continue continue non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language, are essential for understanding context and emotions during communication. non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language, are essential for understanding context and emotions during communication. non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language, are essential for understanding context and emotions during communication. non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language, are essential for understanding context and emotions during communication. non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language, are essential for understanding context and emotions during communication. non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language, are essential for understanding context and emotions during communication. audio calls are sufficient for conveying all necessary information in remote teams. audio calls are sufficient for conveying all necessary information in remote teams. audio calls are sufficient for conveying all necessary information in remote teams. audio calls are sufficient for conveying all necessary information in remote teams. audio calls are sufficient for conveying all necessary information in remote teams. audio calls are sufficient for conveying all necessary information in remote teams. non-verbal communication is only important for in-person meetings, not remote interactions. non-verbal communication is only important for in-person meetings, not remote interactions. non-verbal communication is only important for in-person meetings, not remote interactions. non-verbal communication is only important for in-person meetings, not remote interactions. non-verbal communication is only important for in-person meetings, not remote interactions. non-verbal communication is only important for in-person meetings, not remote interactions. what is a key reason why non-verbal communication loss reduces productivity in remote teams? remote teams rely solely on written communication, which eliminates the need for non-verbal cues. remote teams rely solely on written communication, which eliminates the need for non-verbal cues. remote teams rely solely on written communication, which eliminates the need for non-verbal cues. remote teams rely solely on written communication, which eliminates the need for non-verbal cues. remote teams rely solely on written communication, which eliminates the need for non-verbal cues. remote teams rely solely on written communication, which eliminates the need for non-verbal cues. miscellaneous interview questions you might encounter one or two questions about project management in interviews for some particularly competitive or creative organizations, but these are not your "average" interview questions. these inquiries could seem very informal, yet they have a way of catching you off guard. without some planning, even a seasoned project manager could struggle to provide a compelling response to these queries. we discuss two of these queries in this part, along with solutions. describe a project that you managed in real life outside of work. to manage a project, you don't have to be a project manager. we all oversee many initiatives in various facets of our lives, even if we don't always consider them to be "projects." what really is project management, when viewed holistically? defining a project project definition relating to the definition of a project, let's revisit (something we discussed much earlier in the course). a project is basically a brief endeavor carried out to produce a distinctive service or outcome. according to this definition, you would have completed a lot of personal tasks without necessarily considering them to be "projects." key characteristics temporary endeavor defined beginning and end creates unique service or product has constraints (time, budget, scope) examples of personal projects you may think of planning a friend's wedding as a project. other initiatives include authoring and publishing a course or developing a personal website. each of these projects has a set beginning and finish and is only temporary. each of these results in the production of a special service or output. time, money, and scope restrictions for projects also apply. so you unintentionally manage a project whenever you oversee any such personal endeavor. approaching the interview question identify a personal project select a meaningful personal endeavor you've completed apply pm terminology translate your experience into project management concepts structure your response organize your answer to highlight pm principles demonstrate competence show your natural project management abilities don't be confused if this question is posed to you during an interview. consider a personal endeavor you've undertaken, compare it to traditional project management terminology, and describe how you handled it. example response: birthday party planning let's examine jared's response to the following query: my nephew's sixth birthday party planning was one of the most exciting real-life undertakings i oversaw. similar to a typical business project, the goal of this one was to effectively host a memorable birthday celebration with the participation of 21 kids and 12 adults. project stakeholders and initiation my nephew, his parents, myself, and the parents of the 12 children who would attend the party were all participants in it. it was scheduled to happen two weeks after it was started. my brother and his wife, who are also the parents of my nephew, are the project's sponsors. the initiative began when i met with my sponsors and informed them that i would be in charge of planning the party. my brother then went on to outline the specifics of the party, including who should be invited and what should be served. project scope and planning house decoration setting up themed decorations for the party venue birthday cake purchasing the special cake for the celebration party games organizing and running entertainment activities food and drinks preparing and distributing refreshments return gifts purchasing and distributing gifts for young guests the planning process involved developing a cost estimate and a comprehensive project scope. the scope of the project included decorating my nephew's house for the party, buying the birthday cake, organizing and running the kids' party games, and preparing and distributing the food and drinks that would be provided to all partygoers. the purchase and distribution of the return presents that would be given to the party's young guests were also included in the scope. budget estimation and constraints bottom-up estimation a bottom-up estimation technique was employed to estimate the necessary budget, and the price of obtaining all the required food, drink, gifts, etc. was individually estimated and then rolled up. this approach involved: itemizing all necessary purchases researching costs for each item adding individual estimates together including contingency for unexpected expenses project constraints the project's only significant limitation was the lack of scheduling flexibility because the celebration had to be on the precise evening of my nephew's birthday. a few other project hazards were also noted, such the potential for a low turnout if it rained on the party day. key constraints included: fixed date requirement budget limitations venue restrictions weather dependencies project milestones and implementation purchasing milestone the important project milestones included purchasing the customized birthday cake in advance from a well-known bakery and buying gifts for the children who will be there (since this had to be done before the party day). implementation phase in the implementation phase, the activities were organized, the birthday cake was cut on the party day in front of the delighted kids, the house was decorated, and the gift-purchasing was finished. final milestone the conclusion of the celebration and the departure of the guests marked the final achievement. monitoring, controlling, and closure — monitoring & controlling i checked on the visitors during the monitoring and controlling phase to make sure they were all fed well and that all food and beverage top-ups arrived on time. — project closure the project was completed after the last visitor had left for the day. — lessons learned after the party was over, my brother and his wife and i sat down to discuss what went well and what we should do differently the next time, which is analogous to recording the lessons learned from a typical project. effective use of pm terminology stakeholder identification clearly defining all parties involved in the project scope definition outlining all deliverables and boundaries estimation techniques using formal methods to determine budget risk management identifying potential issues and planning responses project lifecycle following the standard phases of project management did you see how this personal project was described in the response above using the various project terminology? jared's effective use of these keywords reveals a thorough comprehension of the various components of project management. aim to do the same when you prepare your response. correct this is the correct definition of a project in project management. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this is incorrect because it narrows the scope of a project to cost reduction, which is not a defining characteristic. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this describes ongoing operations, not a project, as it lacks a defined beginning and end. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect this describes an ongoing initiative, not a project, as it lacks temporariness and a defined end. continue continue continue continue continue continue a continuous process aimed at improving existing services or products without specific time constraints. a continuous process aimed at improving existing services or products without specific time constraints. a continuous process aimed at improving existing services or products without specific time constraints. a continuous process aimed at improving existing services or products without specific time constraints. a continuous process aimed at improving existing services or products without specific time constraints. a continuous process aimed at improving existing services or products without specific time constraints. a short-term activity focused solely on reducing costs within an organization. a short-term activity focused solely on reducing costs within an organization. a short-term activity focused solely on reducing costs within an organization. a short-term activity focused solely on reducing costs within an organization. a short-term activity focused solely on reducing costs within an organization. a short-term activity focused solely on reducing costs within an organization. a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end, aimed at creating a unique service or product, and constrained by time, budget, and scope. a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end, aimed at creating a unique service or product, and constrained by time, budget, and scope. a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end, aimed at creating a unique service or product, and constrained by time, budget, and scope. a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end, aimed at creating a unique service or product, and constrained by time, budget, and scope. a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end, aimed at creating a unique service or product, and constrained by time, budget, and scope. a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end, aimed at creating a unique service or product, and constrained by time, budget, and scope. which of the following best defines a project in the context of project management? an initiative that continues indefinitely to achieve organizational goals. an initiative that continues indefinitely to achieve organizational goals. an initiative that continues indefinitely to achieve organizational goals. an initiative that continues indefinitely to achieve organizational goals. an initiative that continues indefinitely to achieve organizational goals. an initiative that continues indefinitely to achieve organizational goals. name a favorite movie or television series you watched, or a course you read, in which project management is applied. can you describe it in project management terminology? given that you can approach both of these questions using the same strategy, they are fairly comparable to one another. consider a storyline from a film, television show, or course where there was a clear goal or conclusion that needed to be achieved in a particular amount of time and required a certain number of people to collaborate. you can compare the many components of your choice's selection with a typical project once you've narrowed your selection. examples from popular media real-life project management is frequently shown in films and television shows. a good example would be ocean's 11 (or any of its sequels). another excellent example of project execution in more recent times is the hugely popular money heist tv series. think of the shawshank redemption, one of the best-known films about a prison break; dufresne's escape is comparable to a job well done. speaking about jailbreaks, michael scofield's plotting and carrying out his brother's escape from prison during the first season of the hit tv series prison break is another excellent example. selecting your example 1 choose familiar content select media you know well enough to discuss in detail 2 identify clear project find a storyline with defined goals and timeline 3 map to pm concepts connect story elements to project management principles there are numerous instances of this kind that are ideal examples of project execution. simply choose one that speaks to you, then practice connecting that movie, tv show, or course to project execution. structuring your response 1 project goal 1. what was meant by the goal? 2 project scope 2. what was the project's scope? 3 stakeholders 3. who were the participants? 4 risk assessment 4. what kind of dangers were present? 5 constraints 5. what were the different restrictions? 6 timeline 6. when did the project start? 7 budget 7. what was the price tag? 8 project lifecycle 8. how did the starting, planning, carrying out, monitoring and controlling, and closing stages go? use the following questions to help you structure your narrative around how your case exemplifies project management once you have one. try to rehearse your narrative a few times after you have chosen your example and constructed it using these instructions. incorrect this is not a goal in the movie and introduces an unrelated concept. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect while recruiting a team is an important step in the movie, it is not the ultimate project goal but rather part of the planning phase. continue continue continue continue continue continue correct this is the central objective of the storyline in ocean's 11, aligning with the concept of a project goal in project management. continue continue continue continue continue continue incorrect avoiding detection is a risk management strategy, not the primary project goal. continue continue continue continue continue continue to successfully rob three las vegas casinos in one night. to successfully rob three las vegas casinos in one night. to successfully rob three las vegas casinos in one night. to successfully rob three las vegas casinos in one night. to successfully rob three las vegas casinos in one night. to successfully rob three las vegas casinos in one night. to recruit a team of skilled individuals. to recruit a team of skilled individuals. to recruit a team of skilled individuals. to recruit a team of skilled individuals. to recruit a team of skilled individuals. to recruit a team of skilled individuals. to ensure the casinos lose their licenses. to ensure the casinos lose their licenses. to ensure the casinos lose their licenses. to ensure the casinos lose their licenses. to ensure the casinos lose their licenses. to ensure the casinos lose their licenses. in the movie ocean's 11, what would be considered the primary project goal using project management terminology? to avoid getting caught by casino security. to avoid getting caught by casino security. to avoid getting caught by casino security. to avoid getting caught by casino security. to avoid getting caught by casino security. to avoid getting caught by casino security. interview preparation summary summary interviews can occasionally be a terrifying experience. before a large interview, candidates frequently experience self-doubt and worry about their ability to effectively address the questions. even if candidates are a perfect fit for the position and have the necessary experience and skills, the mental strain of interviews alone might cause them to perform poorly at the interview table. building interview confidence knowledge preparation master common pm interview questions practice responses rehearse answers to build confidence personal experience draw on your unique project stories you should feel confident in your ability to answer the majority of the often asked questions in project management interviews after reading this course. given the breadth of project management, you might still have certain queries that aren't answered in this course, though. handling unexpected questions 1 do your best if you do encounter an unexpected question, do your best to answer it before moving on. you can be honest in saying that you don't know the answer to an unexpected question, too. nobody is counting on you to provide flawless responses to each and every interview question. 2 employers' expectations after all, employers aren't seeking the ideal applicant. the ideal applicant for the project management position is what they are looking for. you will be placing yourself in your interview by demonstrating the appropriate mix of project management knowledge and the proof of your ability to apply it effectively in your job. final thoughts valuable advice practical tips for interview preparation knowledge review refresher on key pm concepts confidence building tools to approach interviews with assurance future success foundation for career advancement i hope i was able to give you a lot of useful advice on how to be ready for your upcoming project management interview throughout this course. additionally, i hope this course gave you a chance to review some of the key project management ideas that are typically covered in these interviews. i appreciate the opportunity to assist you with this course, and i wish you luck in your upcoming project management i nterview.