Tell me about a time when you made a decision that you knew your superior would oppose.

How to Answer
Answer Example

By asking this question, the interviewer is gauging your level of ownership as a project manager. When responding to ownership questions like this, focus on proving that you can take initiative and can make difficult decisions. In addition, you will also want to show that you can be fully accountable in case your ideas fail. Cite concrete examples of ownership relevant to previous projects, and how your decisions impacted the project's success.

"Once I was working on a project with a very lean team. At a certain point, I needed an extra pair of hands to deliver a significant task. I soon found that the task would be a recurring one and my team was already struggling with their workload that I just could not afford to lose their morale. The standard procedure was to hire an intern but the task was far too complex for someone without the necessary experience. So, I filed an employee requisition form with HR. As expected, my manager stopped the hiring process for an employee when she found out and hired an intern. As a result, the intern had to be trained and their work had to be monitored carefully. All this time spent on holding the intern's hand led to the project being delayed by two months."

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How to Answer: Tell me about a time when you made a decision that you knew your superior would oppose.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Amazon job interview.

2. Tell me about a time when you made a decision that you knew your superior would oppose.

How to Answer

By asking this question, the interviewer is gauging your level of ownership as a project manager. When responding to ownership questions like this, focus on proving that you can take initiative and can make difficult decisions. In addition, you will also want to show that you can be fully accountable in case your ideas fail. Cite concrete examples of ownership relevant to previous projects, and how your decisions impacted the project's success.

Answer Example

"Once I was working on a project with a very lean team. At a certain point, I needed an extra pair of hands to deliver a significant task. I soon found that the task would be a recurring one and my team was already struggling with their workload that I just could not afford to lose their morale. The standard procedure was to hire an intern but the task was far too complex for someone without the necessary experience. So, I filed an employee requisition form with HR. As expected, my manager stopped the hiring process for an employee when she found out and hired an intern. As a result, the intern had to be trained and their work had to be monitored carefully. All this time spent on holding the intern's hand led to the project being delayed by two months."

Next Question