26 Marketing Project Manager Interview Questions & Answers
Below is a list of our Marketing Project Manager interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view 12 answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.
Behavioral
1. What is your communication style? Cite an example of how it helped move a project along.
How to Answer
The project manager is the glue that holds the project together. For most marketing agencies and marketing departments, the project managers must keep the team members informed and accountable throughout the process. At the same time, PMs also need to communicate progress with clients. Show the interviewer that you can adapt the way you communicate with clients and team members based on the needs of the project. Moreover, you will also want to emphasize that you are able to communicate effectively with a variety of temperaments and paces. In your answer, provide an example or examples in which you used effective communication to resolve an issue or manage risk.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"I like to over-communicate to ensure that nothing gets lost in the fold. For example, after sending post-meeting action items through email, I will assign tasks through the project tracker with clear notes. Then, I will continue to reach out to the task owners for real-time updates. Once, I had a team member whose deliverable was due in a day but was unresponsive. I sent a note through the project tracker and followed up through email, but still couldn't get a hold of them. I decided to call their personal phone and found out they lost their internet connection for the day and wouldn't be able to make the deadline. I made the call to re-assign to another team member immediately. Ultimately, I don't mind sounding like a parrot if that means tasks are completed on time and to standards."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Behavioral
2. What do you like and dislike about working with creatives?
How to Answer
As a project manager in the marketing space, managing or working with creative team members such as content writers and graphic designers is a certainty. In your response, demonstrate that you are capable of relating with personalities that are less likely to follow the norm. Creatives can be unpredictable and temperamental, so assure the interviewer that you can be the one to think reasonably and drive the team toward a common goal. In addition, you will also want to emphasize that you can foster a collaborative environment with creatives because they need a lot of room to develop ideas.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"I like working with creatives because I enjoy the process of ideation. Creatives also drive me to become more resourceful and imaginative in solving problems. I think that they bring color to the working environment. However, it's also true that working with creatives is like herding cats, constantly. So, before I assign project tasks, I always make sure I run turnaround times by them and negotiate as needed. Sometimes it's a challenge to get them to think in realistic terms, but I'm happy to take the wheel and get their commitments. I ensure them that we all have the same goal, to deliver at the highest standards, at a reasonable time."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Behavioral
3. What is your experience in handling multiple projects simultaneously? How many is too many?
How to Answer
With this question, the interviewer is assessing two things: how much experience you have in managing a portfolio of projects, and how well you can gauge your own bandwidth when it comes to the volume of work. Because projects can vary in terms of timeline and scale, base your answer on how much you think you can do within a day or week. Another element you may want to touch on is your ability to say no to projects when you know the quality of your work could be compromised.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"Managing multiple projects at once is an everyday expectation for me. I don't think there's a hard-and-fast number to say 'too many' but projects often vary in terms of how much resources they take up versus their impact revenue. For example, I could be assigned a project that's scheduled to run for six months and requires just a two-person team. That would probably take me less than an hour a day to manage, even less. However, say I'm managing a high-value project that's due in two months. That could mean more than double in terms of resources, whether that's labor hours, quality monitoring, or similar aspects. I would need to dedicate a lot of hours in a day to that type of project. If I foresee any issues with allocating enough time to manage my projects, I'll be sure to delegate what I can and refuse new projects if absolutely necessary."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Behavioral
4. What do you hope to achieve in the next five years?
How to Answer
The interviewer wants to learn that you are not only dedicated to a career path in project management but that you also look forward to contributing to the company's success. Depending on the company's organizational structure, talk about the different specialties or concentrations that may become available to you. Be honest but emphasize that you plan to continue building your project management skills. Along with growing your project management career, also show that you see yourself growing with the company.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"I have a strong feeling that this company would grow more in the coming years. With growth comes more projects to manage, and that means that the workforce will also need to scale. I envision myself moving up the project management ranks, possibly as a program manager or marketing operations manager, with a few project managers under me. People management and talent development are two disciplines that really interest me. I'm hoping that the company can present some opportunities for me to further develop my current skills, and learn new ones."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Behavioral
5. Describe a time when you received difficult feedback as a project manager.
How to Answer
As a project manager, it will be impossible to drive a project to its success without earning your team's confidence. When positioning your answer, expound on the actions you took after receiving the feedback. Avoid going into too much detail about what the mistake was or from whom the feedback came. Think about how you were able to grow from the experience, and how you held yourself and your team to the highest of standards.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"I've been told by colleagues that I can appear to be overly bureaucratic during project meetings. For instance, I'd strictly follow the agenda down to the number of minutes spent on each item. Unfortunately, this doesn't give everyone the chance to bounce ideas off of each other. Worse, they would leave the meeting feeling unheard. After receiving the feedback, I realized that my job wasn't to enforce deadlines; it was to facilitate a smooth workflow for everyone and ultimately get the best results out of every task. I learned to be more flexible in meetings. Instead of being too focused on quantity, I focused on the quality of information we all left the meeting with. Because I mostly work with creative thinkers, I also learned to give them collaborative space, even if that meant I'd have to spend some one-on-one time with them to help draw out some ideas and solidify deliverables."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
6. What is your experience interacting with and presenting to C-Level executives or senior leaders?
How to Answer
Marketing project managers are expected to have top-shelf communication skills, versatile enough to cater to a variety of audiences. With this question, the interviewer wants to learn that you are comfortable representing your team or your agency's interests when speaking with senior leadership stakeholders, or clients of the highest positions. A successful answer shows the interviewer that you can hold your own when speaking to such people, and that you are able to do your job and not be intimidated.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"Over the last few years, I've really leveled up in terms of communication and facilitation skills. I've had the opportunity to interact with owners and decision-makers from small businesses and enterprise-level organizations. The key to effectively relate to them is to understand their needs and address them. For example, when speaking with presidents or CEOs of large corporations, I find that they always look at the bottom line for their business. So I always present metrics, or anything that's very data-driven. When talking to them, I usually have a high-level approach and am more concise because they don't like to hear about the nitty-gritty. For small business entrepreneurs, I find that they respond well when I talk more openly. They want value for money and need assurance that you are working with them as a partner and are looking out for their business."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
7. How do you determine your success in managing client relationships?
How to Answer
Marketing managers could work for an agency or be in-house resources. This question is particularly aimed at external client relationship management. The interviewer will want to hear about performance indicators associated with client relationship management, such as client satisfaction score and client retention rate. Talk about hard metrics if you can, the details around them, and how well you performed.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"When I worked for Agency X, we were evaluated monthly using a comprehensive KPI scorecard. The client relationship section included: a net promoter score and client retention rate. To me, the net promoter score was more meaningful, because it was well under my control and wasn't directly influenced by external factors like the client's budget. The score was taken from monthly surveys to clients. Surveys covered items such as responsiveness, professionalism, effective communication, and issue resolution. Ultimately, the key measure that I am most proud of is when my clients choose to renew their annual contracts with our agency, and/or if they don't ask to be re-assigned to a different project manager while I'm handling their contract. That tells me that I'm doing a great job."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
8. What project management methodology do you think works best for marketing campaigns? Talk about your reasons for choosing this methodology.
How to Answer
Marketing is a nuanced practice, and what works for one or project will not necessarily be the same fit for another, even for similar clients or within the same industry. The interviewer is not looking for a specific methodology. Instead, they are wanting to learn what factors you would consider when deciding which methodology to follow. A successful answer will discuss a few of them, along with the different types of campaigns you think each one fits best.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"There are quite a few methodologies that I've followed for marketing campaigns and I don't think one size fits all. If I'm handling an inbound digital marketing campaign with incremental targets, then I'm likely going to use a general Agile approach. That's because I'm going to be providing information such as site visitor numbers or engagement rates or back into the team and allow us some time to adjust our strategy moving forward. This way, we can improve our chances of success as we move along.
Branding projects work best with the waterfall method because the goals are concrete and the process is usually a template with a few adjustments here and there, depending on the client's needs or budget. I also like to use Scrum methodology when managing one brand's social media ad campaigns simultaneously. With Scrum, I'm able to assign individual sprint owners and delegate to them."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
9. Which tools do you prefer to use to track progress on your projects?
How to Answer
While the interviewer is asking about your familiarity with project management software, they're really assessing your proficiency in utilizing such tools to ensure project success. Talk about particular PM tool functions that really stand out to you, and for which processes you think they fit best. In general, all project management tools have the same core functions, so user proficiency is almost always transferable from one software to the other. What matters to the interviewer is that you understand how best to use your tools.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"When I started my project management career, we used MS Excel spreadsheets to track projects and we would attach them to project-related emails. So, you can only imagine my appreciation for software that's actually made for project management. I've used quite a few over the years, for example, Smartsheet, Click-Up, and Asana.
For marketing campaigns, I think Asana really works well because the portfolio feature gives me a bird's eye view of all of the campaigns I'm managing, plus I'm able to see my campaign metrics through a dashboard. It also has the capability to add files into comment threads, which helps centralize the feedback process for creatives. In addition, it's really intuitive and versatile. For example, if I'm managing an agile process, I can use the Kanban view. At the same time, if I'm managing a longer-term waterfall project, I can look at it as a Gantt chart."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
10. Can you give an example of a successful project kickoff meeting?
How to Answer
The success of a project hinges a lot on how it begins, and the project manager is responsible for facilitating successful meetings throughout the project lifecycle. The interviewer will want to hear that you can prepare a solid agenda. Depending on the industry and project goals, kickoffs generally cover an introduction, a high-level discussion of project logistics, and measures of success such as target metrics. Further, you should consider adding key takeaways as the final part of the meeting. For extra points, you may want to describe a positive tone and atmosphere when facilitating the meeting.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"One of my most successful kickoffs was for a website development project. The agenda had three parts: team member introductions, project discussion, and action items. First, I introduced the clients and team members to each other to establish rapport, and to keep everyone aware of each other's responsibilities. The second part was the longest: we had a high-level discussion about the project scope timeline and specific goals for the website. We also talked about possible risks. Towards the end, I also managed expectations around project meetings, and how project milestones will be tracked. Lastly, I listed action items with their corresponding owners and turnaround times. I made sure to keep the discussion at a high level and saved the deep-diving for later."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
11. Describe a time when you needed to escalate an issue. What were your reasons and what was the outcome?
How to Answer
No matter how competent you are as a project manager, you will encounter issues that hamper the progress of your project, and these issues are beyond your control. A successful answer will assure the interviewer that the issue you escalated is time-sensitive, and definitely outside of risk management and change control procedures. The interviewer will also what to learn that you are clear on the outcomes you expect from the escalation and that you can get the project back on track once the issue is solved.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"I avoid escalations as much as possible, but I have encountered problems that were impossible for me to solve. One year, I had a high-value project for the holidays. We only had five business days to turn marketing collateral around -- a minute-long promotional video. Our video editor submitted the first version, but the brief was clearly not followed; it was just way off. It took an entire workday to get this version, so I asked the editor if the edits could be made by the end of the next day. Keep in mind, we still needed time for the client to review the video and for us to work on their edit notes. I reviewed the brief thoroughly with the editor.
The next day, the video editor turned in the second version and it was still not up to par. At this point, I made the call to escalate because we were two workdays out from the deadline and the client had not seen anything. Thankfully, my senior project manager was able to tap a more experienced video editor who was freelancing by then. We forwarded the brief and they were able to make the necessary changes and spruced up the video. The client had minor feedback and we made the deadline by a hair."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
12. What is your formula for successful project meetings?
How to Answer
Generally speaking, the process to facilitate successful project meetings go beyond the actual meeting time. As the project manager, you are expected to plan meetings, facilitate them, and follow up on outcomes. Talk about how you might go about these three phases and why you think your meeting formula works.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"When it comes to project meetings, I start with a well-defined and realistic agenda. I usually prepare my agenda well ahead of time so that attendees have enough time to absorb the information before they join the meeting. I'll most likely prepare this as a shareable document. During the meeting, I'll be the lead voice. I'll start with quick rapport-building to warm everyone up. Then, we'll go over updates from the last meeting. For example, if there were action items, I will want to give everyone the status for those action items. Depending on the company's standard procedures, I'll be taking notes directly on the shareable document, a meeting deck, or on the PM tool. Next, we'll discuss the most immediate decision points we have on the docket. I'll leave room for everyone to speak while I drive the conversation so that we don't go off tangent. In the end, we'll wrap up with the next steps, respective owners, and due dates. Immediately after the call, I'll be sure to share the discussion items, next steps, owners and due dates."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
13. Provide an example of a time you encountered scope creep one and how you handled it.
How to Answer
Scope creep can be a real problem for project managers. It occurs when the project's objectives shift as it progresses, which can lead to the project going over its budget and/or timeline. In your response, assure the interviewer that you are capable of recognizing scope creep as it surfaces. Talk to them about how you would prevent it from occurring and what you would do if it did happen.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"Scope creep can be a real problem that results in unhappy clients or stakeholders, a blown budget, a compromised timeline, or a combination of these. In my experience, it tends to occur when there is a lot of feedback that the project manager doesn't correctly manage. Feedback is necessary for every project, but as a project manager, I have to realize when feedback breeds additional requests. If it gets to this point, I would go back to our contractual obligations. If the request exceeds the budget we agreed upon, then I will let the client know they will be charged extra. In addition, I would also inform them that we may have to extend the due date.
The way to combat scope creep is to define as much of the budget and milestones at the beginning of the project. As a project manager, it's my goal to manage everyone's expectations as well as I could. As we move forward, I should keep track of the smaller tasks and goals as they are achieved so we don't veer off course. In the instances when scope creep does occur, I move quickly to establish and communicate new expectations."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
14. What kind of experience do you have managing budgets?
How to Answer
Depending on cost structure, project managers have a certain level of control toward cost management. Whether working with set hours as in a marketing retainer or working within a defined project-based budget, it's imperative that project managers know how to plan and monitor costs. Give the interviewer a solid example of times when you've successfully managed budgets. Discuss the tools you use to keep track of project costs and best practices to avoid going over the budget.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"When I first joined XYZ Agency, project managers weren't part of the contract scoping process for clients. I would get assigned to a client project with a set of deliverables. One time, we had a project-based branding contract that started to go sideways because our brand strategist was on his way out. The client demanded to get a new brand strategist and start over. This would put us over budget, but we were legally on the hook to complete this project.
After that experience, I created budget templates for our most common service offerings. I worked with our business development team so that we were all on the same page in terms of the resources that are expected for every type of service. This meant that clients would see a realistic estimate of the labor hours that went into each project, including the number of revisions their contract entitled them to, and the level of quality we expect to deliver."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
15. What are some risks and issues you've dealt with in the past during projects?
How to Answer
Project risks commonly involve resources, time, scope, communication, and cost. They tend to refer to a condition or event that may impact the project in the future, whereas an issue is an existing problem that is currently affecting the project. The interviewer wants to know that you're familiar with risks and issues because as a project manager, you need to be able to prevent, mitigate, and manage any risks or issues that arise during a project.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"In my experience, making sure the project's purpose, need, and scope is well-defined prevents significant problems down the road. In terms of risks that I've encountered during past projects, they would include contractor delays or contractors not meeting quality standards. I've learned techniques to combat these risks such as getting a B-team together or incorporating quality standards into service level agreements with contractors. In terms of issues, I recently had to quickly adapt when a key member of my team was unexpectedly hospitalized. Luckily, I had identified backup employees and was able to tap some of them to fill in while this person was incapacitated so the project timeline wasn't impacted."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
16. Do you prefer to handle things yourself or to delegate to others?
How to Answer
This is the interviewer's way of finding out if you are a micromanager or not. Oftentimes in the marketing world, resources are limited, so you may need to roll up your sleeves from time to time. Most likely, the interviewer is looking for someone who is comfortable delegating tasks to others for the most part. You want to show that despite your willingness to do a little bit of the nitty-gritty, you are still the leader and your focus is to rally the team and achieve goals.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"Honestly, I have no problem filling in for tasks, especially when working with very small teams. However, I know what my role is, and that is to be the captain of the team. For example, if we have a significant deliverable and we're behind in the timeline because we only have so many people in the team, I'm happy to lend a hand if my bandwidth allows it. There are many ways to avoid this through risk management, but there are a lot of factors we can't predict. Team members or other resources could be missing or unavailable. Before I volunteer myself, though, I'll look for other ways to solve an issue first."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Competency
17. You're bombarded with heated emails between your client and one of your colleagues. It looks like the client is expecting a deliverable that's outside of the contract. How would you proceed?
How to Answer
If the PM role involves client relationship management, conflicts between the client and your internal team will happen sooner or later. The interviewer wants to know whether you can stick to facts while resolving the conflict, and not be overcome by emotion. Show that you have the skill to uphold your company's interest without losing the client's confidence.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"My first step would be to reach out to my colleague and let them know I will be handling the matter moving forward. As the project manager, I think it's important that my internal team runs information by me first, before addressing the client directly. Next, I would get back to the client right away to let them know that I'm reviewing the project scope and to expect my call before the day ends. When I speak with them, I will not assume that the client knowingly went beyond the scope. Instead, I'll explain clearly what is within the scope and why my colleague reacted the way they did. Then, depending on the contract, I can give the client some options on how to move forward. For example, we may be able to give them what they want for as long as they pay for the billable hours."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Leadership
18. Your team is starting to lose confidence. How do you show them that you have their back?
How to Answer
With this question, the interviewer is assessing your leadership and motivational skills. As with any other issue that arises in a project, your root-cause analysis skills will come in handy. An effective answer will demonstrate how well you can gather necessary information from the team. In your answer, demonstrate that you are capable of motivating your team by providing specific examples of actions that will boost their morale.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"My first step would be to do a huddle with everyone in the team. In this huddle, I'll give individuals time to air out their challenges and concerns. I'll listen and empathize with them. When it comes to actual challenges I'll assure them I will get them what they need to complete their tasks. I'll also ask them for feedback about my performance as a leader and act on that feedback. With every task completed, I'll post appreciation through the group chat to boost their morale. I'll also hold individual catch-ups regularly, even if it's just for ten minutes at a time so that we can put out small fires before they get worse."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Leadership
19. Tell me about your favorite manager (anyone you directly reported to). What qualities did they have that really stood out to you?
How to Answer
By asking this question, the interviewer is looking at how your leadership style is influenced by others. This question also determines your attitude towards leaders, as well as the type of personalities you work well with. When positioning your response, keep in mind the type of working environment marketing agencies have and address the expectations outlined in the job description. The interviewer will want to learn how you can be a highly independent leader who is adept at delegating tasks.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"My favorite manager was my previous operations manager. She was both thoughtful and firm. She made sure that all the project managers who reported to her were trained properly before they were assigned to clients. I liked that she gave me a lot of autonomy in how I managed my project teams. She also encouraged me to explore different solutions to issues that we encountered but held me up to deadlines. I saw how well she could delegate tasks and that really inspired me to unlearn my tendencies to micromanage."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Leadership
20. Describe a time when you worked cross functionally on a project. What did you differently to manage it well?
How to Answer
Having access to a diverse set of experiences, skills, and backgrounds means your projects are infused with more resources, creativity, and elevated problem-solving. A successful answer illustrates not only your exposure to cross-functional teamwork but also your ability to be in the driver's seat of it. Talk about how differently you might communicate across teams versus communicating with one lean team. In addition, the interviewer will also want to learn how you might leverage everyone's strengths and limitations to ensure project success.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"When I worked for ABC Consultants, we collaborated across departments all the time. I monitored tasks between teams and reported project progress bi-weekly to the Vice Presidents of Marketing, Customer Experience, and Business Development. To foster collaboration, I facilitated working sessions with the individual teams, and sometimes between two or three different teams. If I needed the expertise of someone in particular, I booked time with them separately to avoid wasting other stakeholders' time. Whenever necessary, we also pulled in key personnel from other teams like Quality Assurance and Web Development. To keep stakeholders up to speed, I made sure to send relevant notifications whenever tasks were completed or if there was anything blocking the completion of tasks. However, when it came to the VPs, I kept it rather concise and results-oriented."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Leadership
21. How would your previous stakeholders and team members describe you as a leader?
How to Answer
This is a general leadership question, but the interviewer is looking for you to address specific aspects in your answer. Marketing is a dynamic industry that requires a lot of flexibility from project managers. Assure the interviewer that you can make decisions quickly in a high-pressure, constantly-changing work environment. Another element that you'll want to touch on is your ability to negotiate with colleagues and clients to keep projects on track.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"If you were to ask my colleagues about my leadership style, they'd say that I'm an empathetic facilitator. I try to always be sensitive to everyone's needs from the creative team to the technical team, and especially to clients. They would say that I do my best to get them all the resources they need to get their jobs done. I always ask everyone if there's any information or detail they need from me before I leave them to do their work. I'm also the glue that keeps everyone together and keeps the morale up. They'd also say that I'm the person they'd go to first whenever a fire starts and trust me to put it out."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Scenario
22. You need the client to make a decision on marketing strategy. However, there are two decision-makers and they can't seem to agree. How do you proceed?
How to Answer
When there's more than one captain on the ship, it's almost a guarantee that it will sink. When crafting your response, think about how you might establish your agency's authority in marketing. After all, the client did hire you for your expertise. A successful answer will address how you might guide the decision-makers towards the most reasonable, goal-focused, and data-driven decision.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"I encountered a similar scenario when I worked at XYZ Agency. I was working with both the CEO and the COO on a website improvement project. During the mockup phase, we were on a call to review the photos to be featured on each of the service pages. The COO was really unhappy with the stock photos that the CEOs pre-approved. He thought they were generic-looking and weren't representative of their brand. They asked for time to review on their own further and get back to me as soon as they had a decision.
I thought everything through after we got off the call, and sent them a follow-up email. My concern was that if they sat on this decision longer, it meant the launch date would be delayed, and it was not the first hiccup the client caused during this project. Also, the COO was proposing to schedule a photoshoot for half of the pages, and that would not only be a further delay but additional cost for them. So I proposed to go ahead with the stock photos and launch as we intended. My team was working at a fixed project rate, and delays like this cost us a lot of labor hours. In the meantime, we scheduled the photoshoot and charged the client separately for it. Fortunately, they hired us on a retainer basis after that project, so we were able to swap the photos out ourselves."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Scenario Based Project Manager
23. Two project team members are not seeing eye to eye on a decision point. How will you handle the conflict to keep the project on track?
How to Answer
As a project manager, you are expected to keep the team on goal and on time. As with any activity that involves teamwork, differing opinions could prevent the project to move forward. When positioning your answer, clearly express that you can mediate between team members when conflict arises before it can impact the project's success. Cite an example of a time when you had to act as peacemaker between team members. Include ways in which you were able to respond calmly and objectively.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"In a previous role, I managed the development of an inbound marketing campaign. The creative director and web developer had a disagreement about the landing page design. I met with them separately to understand their points of view. The creative director wanted to ensure that the visuals were top quality. On the other hand, the web designer found the content to be superfluous and the overall design to be confusing from a user interface perspective. In the end, was able to find a middle ground between aesthetics and function. I did this by tying everything back to the target metrics we set with the our project sponsors at the beginning of the build."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Scenario Based Project Manager
24. A project manager has left a client's project in your hands abruptly. How do you handle this transition?
How to Answer
Taking over a project that's already off the ground is a unique challenge especially if you don't get a chance to get a download from the previous project manager. If you have experienced this, highlight the main problems you had to solve and the time it took to get comfortable. If you have never experienced this, you will want to list concrete steps in getting the most up-to-date information, and team members you plan to reach out to. A successful answer will focus on moving the project along.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"I have never experienced a transition in the middle of a project. If I did get the opportunity to take over something that's already live, my first step would be to connect with the sales team, or whoever was responsible for winning the client and scoping the contract. I would need to understand the exact scope, billables, and the client's goals. Next, I would review the project tracker and other documentation to understand the targets, deadlines, and manage the team moving forward. Lastly, I will meet with the team for introductions and clearly assert myself as the project manager. My initial goal would be to become the project's main point of contact."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Scenario Based Project Manager
25. You're given a chance to pick a failed project and do it over. Walk me through your plan for success.
How to Answer
There is a multitude of reasons a project fails. In this question, the interviewer wants to learn that you can conduct a post-mortem analysis of a project. Additionally, you will also want to express that you don't take failure personally. Rather, you're willing to learn from failure and improve on your project management skills.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"I would pick a previous project that failed because of vague objectives. At the onset, leadership told us that this was going to be an exploration project. We had a lot of ideation meetings and came out with half-baked decisions. I would assign team members tasks, but once I put deliverables up for review, leadership kept asking for more revisions. We finally realized that leadership didn't really know what they wanted for the outcome and so it got shoved after a few months. In retrospect, I should have put my foot down at the beginning and asked for key performance indicators. Because of that experience, I never move ahead with a project until goals are defined and everyone understands exactly how we are going to achieve those goals."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Scenario Based Project Manager
26. A project manager has left a client's project in your hands abruptly. How do you handle this transition?
How to Answer
Taking over a project that's already off the ground is a unique challenge especially if you don't get a chance to get a download from the previous project manager. If you have experienced this, highlight the main problems you had to solve and the time it took to get comfortable. If you have never experienced this, you will want to list concrete steps in getting the most up-to-date information, and team members you plan to reach out to. A successful answer will focus on moving the project along and inspiring confidence in the client.
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021
Answer Example
"When I applied at my previous employer, I knew that I would be managing a campaign already in progress. By then, the PM had already been gone for weeks. My first step was to connect with the sales manager who scoped and closed the contract with the client. I needed to understand the contract, billables, and the client's goals. Next, I reviewed the project tracker, any meeting notes, and other documentation to understand the targets, deadlines, and manage the team. Lastly, I met with the team for introductions and clearly asserted myself as the project manager. In about two weeks, I was pretty confident about being the main point of contact."
Written by M Cheryl Harkins on July 26th, 2021