Master 30 American Express Project Manager interview questions covering leadership, stakeholder management, and financial services delivery.
Question 26 of 30
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
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Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.
The company wants to hire a Project Manager who is responsible and dependable and who shows up to work when scheduled. The interviewer asks this question to evaluate your work attendance in the past year. If you called off work many times in the past year, they might hesitate to offer you the position unless your reasons were excusable.

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.
Focus on giving the exact number of days you missed work and why. If the interviewer deems your absence an excused and unavoidable reason to miss work, it will likely not be an issue. If you have many unexcused absences, they may disqualify you as a viable candidate.

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.
Avoid saying you cannot remember how often you missed work or answer untruthfully. The interviewer will contact your former employer for a reference and ask them the same question. It is best to be honest and explain any absences from work in the past year, allowing the interviewer to decide if your reasons were unavoidable or not.

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.
"I was absent from work one day last year because of a minor vehicle accident. I was rear-ended on my way to work and went to the emergency room for evaluation. I called my supervisor from the hospital, and she said to take off as much time as needed. I was fine and able to return to work the next day."

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Written by Krista Wenz
30 Questions & Answers • American Express

By Krista

By Krista