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Project Manager Mock Interview

Question 12 of 50 for our Project Manager Mock Interview

Project Manager was updated by on May 9th, 2023. Learn more here.

Question 12 of 50

Give me an example of a time when you successfully handled intense pressure.

"There's no doubt that there's a lot of stress and pressure in the life of a project manager. I personally reframe the stress and look at it positively; I like variety in my work life and many times enjoy the challenges that arise. I see them as puzzles for me to figure out as quickly and efficiently as possible. Within my last role, we were two weeks out from the deadline with a few critical issues still needing to be resolved when one of my key team members got very sick and had to be hospitalized. I knew that I had to fix this fast so the project would stay on track. I re-assigned that person's high-priority tasks to other team members I trusted and hired some freelancer workers I had used in the past to handle his lower-priority tasks. I kept tabs on everything, and in the end, we pulled it off and the project was completed successfully."

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How to Answer: Give me an example of a time when you successfully handled intense pressure.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Project Manager job interview.

  • 12. Give me an example of a time when you successfully handled intense pressure.

      Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

      Project managers need to have the ability to juggle urgent deadlines, various personalities, sometimes unreasonable expectations, and more during complex projects. All of these moving parts can create a lot of stress, and the interviewer wants assurance that you can effectively manage high-pressure situations.

      Written by Karrie Day on April 23rd, 2023

      How to Answer

      For questions like these, the STAR (situation, task, action result) method works well. Provide the background details necessary to set the stage, describe what was asked of you or what needed to be done, describe the specific actions you took, and then provide the details of the results of your actions.

      Describe a time when you faced pressure from a number of angles. For example, you might discuss a project that had a strict deadline, a limited budget, and a difficult customer or team. Also, the value of your answer will increase if you are able to describe a scenario in alignment with the industry, the types of clients, or the types of projects you will likely manage if hired for the open role.

      Written by Karrie Day on April 23rd, 2023

      1st Answer Example

      "There's no doubt that there's a lot of stress and pressure in the life of a project manager. I personally reframe the stress and look at it positively; I like variety in my work life and many times enjoy the challenges that arise. I see them as puzzles for me to figure out as quickly and efficiently as possible. Within my last role, we were two weeks out from the deadline with a few critical issues still needing to be resolved when one of my key team members got very sick and had to be hospitalized. I knew that I had to fix this fast so the project would stay on track. I re-assigned that person's high-priority tasks to other team members I trusted and hired some freelancer workers I had used in the past to handle his lower-priority tasks. I kept tabs on everything, and in the end, we pulled it off and the project was completed successfully."

      Written by Marcie Wilmot on January 5th, 2021

      2nd Answer Example

      "I recently had a situation in my current role where I presented timelines for a new project to my team and was told the team did not have the correct capability and capacity to carry out all required items. This was stressful and I had to sit down with the team and reshuffle existing tasks within the team to accommodate the new tasks. We were under pressure to get this new project and existing projects done. We had a 3-month timeline for this new project, and we spent a lot of late nights and weekends getting this new project done. We were able to get it done successfully."

      Written by Jessica H. on May 9th, 2023

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "Project managers are different in a lot of ways. One of the core character traits that good project managers have is the ability to focus under pressure. Recently, due to regulatory changes our project had an urgent change request that gave the team less than 1 month to complete. This would mean that we had to understand the change, determine the action items and work packages required to implement the change, and schedule testing all with precious time slipping away. Immediate action is to create a plan once you have identified all the pertinent details, and then stress and communicate the importance to your team. Hopefully, your team is in the Performing stage as my team was at this point in the project and they delivered upon the challenge that was thrown at them."

      Amanda's Feedback

      Great job! You've shared a recent situation in which you faced intense pressure and were still able to guide your team effectively to deliver the necessary change on time.

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    About the Author

    Karrie Day

    I began my professional career as an IT Business Systems Analyst. I enjoyed the role, but I knew early on that I wanted to explore project management after moving through the analyst ranks. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to partner with several talented project managers while I was working to grow my own skill set. I learned a lot from them about how to approach strategic planning, communication, conflict resolution, and how to motivate various personality types to perform their best under pressure. I learned even more from their failures.

    It was clear that project management was as much an art as a science, and I eventually got my shot at taking everything I had observed over the years and blending it into my own style for steering projects and programs successfully. While project management was not my ultimate career goal, I greatly value my time managing projects. I have utilized the skills I worked to refine in project management in every position I have held since. For example, I use the communication, strategic thinking, and tactical planning skills I regularly leaned on as a project manager each time I work with one of my coaching clients.

    Whether working as a project manager is a career goal of yours, or you fell into it through circumstance, you’re in good company. Over 16 million professionals claim the title of project manager, and project management isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the number of project managers is expected to grow by 7% over the next 8 years according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. According to the Project Management Institute, the global outlook is even more impressive boasting up to 33% growth through 2027. Regardless of the specific location, there will likely b a strong demand for project management skill sets in the years to come.

    As a coach and writer for MockQuestions, I want to help you successfully navigate your upcoming interview for a project manager position. While some project manager skills are specific to the industry, location, and types of projects involved, many skills and behavioral traits are universally applicable to project management roles. This article will help any project manager prepare for a successful interview, and I encourage you to check out all of our sets dedicated to project management listed below.

    Learn more about Karrie Day