There are three main topics to cover every time you answer this question as well as several optional topics you can include to boost your response depending on the interviewer and the time allowed. At a minimum, you should discuss:

- Your education
- The companies you worked for and the roles you held
- Your experience and skills relevant to the project manager role and/or company you're interviewing for

If time permits, it can be helpful to include:

- Why you're excited about the open position
- Travel you've done relevant to any international communities you may work with
- Projects, customers, technologies, or vendors you have experience with that are relevant to the open position
- Certifications applicable to project management
- How you know the person who recommended you (if applicable)
- Your short-term career goals

Keep in mind that this question typically comes at the beginning of your interview. It is your first impression and it is important to let your personality shine while demonstrating your presentation skills. You may find it helpful to practice your response to this question a few times before your interview if you are typically nervous at the start of an interview. Nailing this question will help boost your confidence and set the stage for a successful interview.

I grew up in South Carolina and graduated from Clemson with a management degree. My first job out of college was working with a property management company in Virginia that owned over 200 properties. I facilitated contract negotiations, move-in, move-out, and turnover activities. I also managed repair projects and handled tenant emergencies. I worked there for five years and learned how to manage client expectations, resolve conflicts, partner effectively with vendors, and prioritize a heavy workload.

I now manage projects for a residential construction firm. I work with designers, estimators, the leads of our various construction crews. I also partner with project managers and general contractors from the various vendors we use depending on the type of project. I have been in this role for two years, and I enjoy my work. I have focused on the development of my project planning, budgeting, and leadership skills.

I am very excited about the project manager position with the XYZ team at ABC company. I feel I am ready to expand, and working in a commercial construction setting will allow me to leverage my current skills on a larger scale.

I grew up in India and moved to the US when I was 14. I graduated from Cal Tech with a degree in computer science. I have worked as an engineer at XYZ eCommerce startup company for six years. Our company has roughly 50 employees and I regularly take on tasks outside of the role of a traditional engineer. For example, I have performed duties typically assigned to analysts, product owners, and project managers at larger companies.

I am currently a senior engineer and I lead the teams I work with. I am responsible for budgeting, planning, task delegation, and technical strategy. I enjoy the project management and leadership aspects of my role the most. I would like to one day work as a senior IT leader, and I feel that moving into a more traditional project management position here at XYZ company will offer me an opportunity to hone my management and leadership skills in alignment with my long-term goals.

Jim Smith recommended me for this position and speaks very highly of your company and you as a manager. I am excited about the prospect of working with larger cross-functional teams and on projects with a greater level of impact. I would also like to pursue my PMP certification and I have heard that is an opportunity offered to senior project managers.

I have a degree in marketing and worked for my family's event-planning business in high school and for the last seven years. I currently oversee all of our large-scale events such as weddings and corporate events with over two hundred attendees. I lead teams of three to five depending on the size of the event. We provide end-to-end services and handle everything from budget planning, vendor selection, and day-of-service coordination.

I am excited to interview here today because I would like to work for a marketing agency. I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of my education and I want to work directly with creative teams. I feel my event planning project management experience is applicable in many ways. For example, I regularly facilitate the creation, approval, and distribution of event marketing materials such as invitations, and email campaigns on behalf of my clients. I also have experience working directly with the marketing departments of my corporate clients. I would love the opportunity to apply what I have learned while working for an official marketing firm.