Interview Questions

Interview Question: Why have you had so many jobs? – Answer Examples

April 19, 2023 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

There are probably an infinite number of questions that the interviewer could ask you on the day. Some questions are incredibly common appearing in almost every interview you will have, while other questions you might hear once and never again regardless of how many jobs you apply for.

Fundamentally though all interview questions are really trying to find out one of 3 things:

1 – Can you do the job? (Do you have the skills/experience needed?)
2 – Will you do the job? (Do you have the drive/motivation to get the job done?)
3 – Will you fit in? (Does your personality match the workplace culture? Are you likeable?)

That’s it. Those are the 3 things that the interviewer is trying to ascertain. Every question that is asked of you will fundamentally be trying to resolve one (or more) of these 3 things.

When an interviewer asks, “Why have you had so many jobs?”, they are seeking to understand one or more of the three fundamental aspects mentioned above. This question can relate to all three areas in different ways:

Can you do the job? – By asking about your job history, the interviewer wants to know if your frequent job changes have provided you with the necessary skills and experience to excel in the position you’re applying for. They might be concerned that you haven’t spent enough time in any single role to develop the depth of expertise required.
Will you do the job? – The interviewer may be trying to gauge your motivation and commitment. Frequent job changes could signal a lack of dedication or focus, making the interviewer question whether you will stay in the role long enough to make a meaningful impact.
Will you fit in? – The question can also help the interviewer assess how well you would fit into the company’s culture. If your job changes resulted from conflicts or difficulties adapting to new environments, this could raise concerns about your ability to work effectively with the team and integrate into the workplace.

By addressing these three aspects in your response, you can demonstrate your suitability for the role, your motivation to perform, and your ability to adapt to new environments and teams.

How Best To Answer ‘Why have you had so many jobs?’

The B-STAR method (Belief – Situation, Task, Action, Result) system is primarily used to answer behavioral interview questions that ask you to describe a specific situation or experience from your past. While the STAR system might not directly apply to the question “Why have you had so many jobs?”, you can still adapt some elements of the STAR method to provide a more structured and clear response. Here’s how you can incorporate parts of the STAR system:

Acknowledge the concern: Start by recognizing that the interviewer might be worried about your frequent job changes, and assure them that you understand their concern.
Provide context: Give a brief explanation for each job change, focusing on valid reasons such as seeking new challenges, pursuing career growth, company restructuring, or personal circumstances. Be honest, but avoid dwelling on any negative aspects or placing blame on former employers.
Highlight the positives: Emphasize the benefits of having diverse experiences, such as acquiring a wide range of skills, adapting quickly to new environments, and learning from different industries or roles. Mention specific accomplishments or skills gained in each role that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
Demonstrate commitment: Explain how your past experiences have led you to this opportunity and why you believe this role aligns with your long-term career goals. Convey your enthusiasm for the position and your willingness to contribute to the company’s success.
Show cultural fit: Briefly touch on how your personality and values align with the company culture. Mention any research you’ve done on the organization and why you believe you would be a great fit for the team.
Reassure the interviewer: End your response by reassuring the interviewer of your commitment to the role and your intention to stay with the company for a longer period. Share any specific plans you have for professional growth within the organization.

Remember to stay concise and focus on presenting a positive narrative that addresses the interviewer’s concerns while showcasing your unique strengths and fit for the role.

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Do not avoid the question.

Do not downplay the situation.

Do not overhype the situation.

Do not reject the premise of the question.

Do not give a one-sentence answer.

Why Have You Had So Many Jobs? – Example answers

Job Hopper Example

“I understand the concern about having multiple jobs, and I appreciate the opportunity to provide some context. My job changes have been driven by several factors. One reason is my desire to gain diverse experiences and learn new skills. For example, at TechCorp, I had the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology in the software development industry, while at HealthSolutions, I transitioned to the healthcare sector, where I applied my skills to create innovative solutions for patient management systems.

Another reason is my drive for continuous improvement and professional growth. When I felt I had reached a point of stagnation at GreenBank, I pursued a role at BlueConsulting, where I took on more challenging projects and responsibilities, such as leading a team of analysts to streamline operations and reduce costs.

Lastly, some job changes were due to circumstances outside of my control, such as when AlphaMedia underwent a major restructuring and my position was eliminated, or when I had to relocate due to family reasons, which led me to leave BetaIndustries.

Despite these factors, I have consistently focused on making meaningful contributions and achieving success in each role. For instance, at TechCorp, I played a key role in developing a software module that improved efficiency by 20%, and at HealthSolutions, my team and I implemented a new patient management system that increased patient satisfaction scores by 15%.

I am now looking for an opportunity that aligns with my long-term career goals, where I can leverage my diverse experience and skills to make a lasting impact. I am confident that this role and your organization, XYZ Company, offer the kind of stability and growth opportunities I am seeking, and I am committed to contributing positively to the team and the company’s success.”

Contractor Example

“As a contractor, having multiple jobs is a natural aspect of my career path. I have actively pursued various projects that offer opportunities to collaborate with diverse companies and industries, enabling me to apply my skills in a range of settings. This approach has allowed me to continually gain new experiences and expand my skill set.

For example, I worked on a project with TechGlobal, where I led a team to optimize their e-commerce platform, increasing sales by 25%. In another assignment with GreenEnergy, I helped design a new process for monitoring energy consumption, which resulted in a 10% reduction in energy usage for their clients.

Being a contractor often entails taking on short-term or project-based assignments and transitioning to new opportunities upon project completion. This flexible work arrangement not only enables me to explore various challenges and make a positive impact across different organizations but also helps me maintain a healthy work-life balance.

As I pursue new projects, my primary focus is on opportunities that offer both challenges and avenues for professional growth and development. I am confident that my diverse experience and adaptability make me a valuable asset to any team, and I look forward to contributing positively to the success of each project I undertake.”

Interview Question: Tell Me About Yourself – Answer Tips

April 19, 2023 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

Fundamentally though all interview questions are really trying to find out one of 3 things:

That’s it. Those are the 3 things that the interviewer is trying to ascertain. Every question that is asked of you will fundamentally be trying to resolve one (or more) of these 3 things.

This open-ended question in particular (Tell me about yourself) allows you to provide a brief overview of your background, experiences, and accomplishments that are relevant to the position. By sharing details of your education, past job experiences, and specific skills, you address the first aspect of the interviewer’s concerns – your ability to perform the job.

In addition, discussing your passion for the industry, your motivation for applying to the role, and your career goals can help demonstrate your commitment and drive to succeed in the position. This touches on the second aspect, revealing your willingness to do the job.

Lastly, when describing your personality traits, work style, or values, you have the opportunity to emphasize how they align with the company culture and the team you would be working with. This addresses the third aspect, showcasing your potential to fit in well within the organization.

So in all, this question actually hits all 3!

How Best To Answer ‘Tell Me About Yourself’

While the B-STAR method (Belief – Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a useful technique for answering behavioral interview questions, it may not be the best fit for the “tell me about yourself” question. This question typically calls for a more general overview of your background, skills, and experiences. However, you can still take inspiration from the B-STAR method to structure your response effectively. Here’s a suggested approach:

Brief Introduction: Start by providing a concise summary of who you are professionally. Mention your current role, years of experience, and any areas of expertise.
Education and Skills: Highlight your relevant educational background and the key skills that make you a strong candidate for the role. Focus on those that directly relate to the job requirements.
Work Experience: Briefly describe your professional journey, focusing on roles and accomplishments that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. You can use the STAR method to explain one or two significant achievements in a concise manner. Be specific about the situations you faced, the tasks you were responsible for, the actions you took, and the results you achieved.
Motivation and Fit: Explain your interest in the role and the company, as well as how your values align with the organization’s culture. This demonstrates your enthusiasm and potential for cultural fit.
Conclusion: Wrap up by briefly mentioning your career goals and how this opportunity aligns with them. This shows that you’re motivated to succeed in the position and have a clear vision for your future.

By following this approach, you can provide a well-structured and comprehensive response to the “tell me about yourself” question that addresses your background, skills, experiences, motivation, and fit for the role.

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Do not avoid the question.

Do not downplay your achievements/experience.

Do not overhype your achievements/expereince

Do not give a one-sentence answer.

Tell me about yourself – Example answers

When crafting an answer to “Tell me about yourself,” it’s important to keep your response concise, relevant, and tailored to the job you’re applying for. An effective answer typically includes a brief overview of your professional background, your key skills or expertise, and a few personal attributes that make you a good fit for the role. Here’s a couple examples:

Digital Marketing Example

“I’m a digital marketing professional with over six years of experience in developing and implementing online marketing strategies for various industries, including e-commerce, healthcare, and technology. I have a proven track record in increasing website traffic, optimizing conversion rates, and managing social media campaigns. I graduated from XYZ University with a degree in Marketing and earned a certification in Google Analytics.

In my most recent role at ABC Company, I led a team of five and helped increase organic search traffic by 30% within six months, which contributed to a significant increase in overall revenue. I’m passionate about staying up-to-date with industry trends and enjoy experimenting with new marketing tactics to drive results. I believe my analytical skills, creativity, and strong communication abilities make me a great fit for this digital marketing manager position at your company.

Outside of work, I enjoy volunteering at a local animal shelter and attending marketing conferences to expand my professional network and learn from industry experts.”

Quantity Surveyor Example

“I’m a quantity surveyor with over 13 years of experience in the industry, and I’ve had the pleasure of working with four different employers since graduating from university at 21. My expertise spans various types of projects, and I’m particularly proud of my certification to work on nuclear sites.

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work on a wide range of projects, from residential developments to large-scale infrastructure projects. This has allowed me to develop a strong skill set in cost estimation, contract management, and risk analysis. My experiences have also taught me the importance of collaboration and effective communication with various stakeholders, such as architects, contractors, and clients.

I’m excited about this opportunity because your company has a strong reputation for delivering complex, large-scale projects. I believe my experience and skills align well with the role, and I’m eager to contribute to your team. Moreover, I’ve always admired your company’s commitment to safety and innovation, which aligns with my own values as a professional. In the long term, I aim to further develop my expertise in the field and take on leadership roles in challenging projects like the ones your company handles.”

Remember to adapt the example to your own background and experiences, and make sure it aligns with the job requirements and company culture.

Interview Question: How did you hear about this position? – Answer Tips

April 18, 2023 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

Fundamentally though all interview questions are really trying to find out one of 3 things:

That’s it. Those are the 3 things that the interviewer is trying to ascertain. Every question that is asked of you will fundamentally be trying to resolve one (or more) of these 3 things.

When interviewers ask “How did you hear about this position?”, they want to understand the candidate’s (your) resourcefulness, connection to the company, level of interest, job search strategy, and whether they are conducting a targeted job search. The response provides insights into the candidate’s motivation and potential fit within the organization (i.e. Number 2 & Number 3 above)

How Best To Answer “How did you hear about this position”?

The B-STAR method (Belief, Situation, Task, Action, Result) is usually what we recommend when structuring your answers, however that method is typically more applicable to behavioral interview questions, which ask candidates to share examples of past experiences to demonstrate their skills and competencies. However, you can still apply some elements of the STAR method to structure your response for the question, “How did you hear about this position?”

Here is some advice for answering this question:

Be honest: Share the true source where you found the job posting, whether it was a job board, company website, referral from a friend or colleague, social media, or another channel.
Show enthusiasm: Express your excitement for the opportunity and how you became interested in the role or company upon discovering the position.
Highlight your research: Briefly mention any additional research you did on the company and position after learning about the opening. This demonstrates your genuine interest and initiative.
Make a connection: If possible, tie your response to something relevant, such as your passion for the industry, the company’s values, or the specific responsibilities of the role.

While not a direct application of the STAR method, incorporating these elements will help you provide a clear, concise, and engaging response to the question.

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Do not avoid the question.

Do not reject the premise of the question.

Do not give a one-sentence answer.

How did you hear about this position? – Example answers

LinkedIn Example

I first learned about this position through LinkedIn, where I follow your company’s page to stay updated on the latest news and job opportunities. I’ve always been impressed with your company’s reputation for innovation and its commitment to fostering a positive work culture. When I saw the job posting for this managerial role, I was immediately excited about the opportunity to contribute my skills and experience to your team. I decided to research the position further by visiting your company’s website and reading more about the role and your ongoing projects. This only reinforced my belief that this would be an excellent fit for my career goals and aligns with my passion for the software industry

Personal Connection Example

I heard about this position through a former colleague of mine, John Smith, who currently holds a senior role at your company. We worked together at XYZ Corporation and maintained a strong professional relationship after he joined your firm. Over time, John has shared many positive experiences about your company’s work culture, innovation, and growth opportunities. He thought that my skills and experience would be a great fit for this managerial role and encouraged me to apply.

Based on John’s recommendation and my own research about your company, I became increasingly interested in this position. I believe that your company’s values and focus on cutting-edge software solutions align with my passion for the industry and my desire to lead a team in a dynamic, forward-thinking environment.

Interview Help: Have you ever needed to change someone’s mind? – Answer Tips

April 5, 2023 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of:

Civil Service Question Bank

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question:

In business not everyone is going to be on the same page all the time. Often times competing objectives will come into play, be it office politics or because different areas have different targets.

The interviewer in this question is looking to see how you handle a situation whereby a stakeholder (colleague, supplier, manager etc.) is looking to do one course of action but you want to do another. The interviewer wants to know how you will handle these situations and if you have been in similar experiences before.

The best approach to answering this question:

Even if the interviewer doesn’t ask for a specific example make sure you include one. Talking about actual experiences is always better than talking about what you would do theoretically.

Choose an example where you were unequivocally in the right unless you are prepared for a barrage of follow-up questions about ‘what if you were wrong?’. If you had data to back up your call mention it.

Show that you were empathetic to the other person’s position, mention how you took steps to understand where it was they were coming from – how else would you know your way was best if you didn’t look at theirs!?

Talk about how you presented your idea: it is best to come at these things in a non-combative way. You don’t want to mention how you blindsided someone on a call with senior leadership forcing them to either agree or get into a debate. No, the best way of talking people round is one-on-one. Talk about how you approached the person at a time that was best for them, maybe over coffee, and you showed them your idea and answered any concerns they had.

Finally you want to end with a positive result. ‘We landed the big client, the CEO bought all us a Porsche each to celebrate and I was hailed as a hero from then on’. So maybe not that far but explain to the interviewer how your idea and your successful persuasion of others to get on board resulted in a benefit to your organisation.

How NOT to answer this question:

“I was at a job interview once and this guy was asking me stupid questions. I had to convince him to give me a job”

Yeah obviously don’t say this! But seriously here is a real example of what seems like a good answer but is in fact not.

“We had two options for a supplier; supplier A who we had used before and supplier B who we had not used but who were cheaper. As my target was to reduce costs for our department I said we should go with supplier B. Other people wanted to stick with supplier A as we knew what quality we would receive from them. I knew this was not the correct approach and I knew that other people in my department would argue and make us stick with supplier A. So I approached the director by myself ahead of the meeting where we would decide and showed them the cost-savings we would get from supplier B and how we could use those savings in other areas of the department.

In the end the director went with supplier B at my suggestion and the delivery went off without a hitch and the company saved money”

On first glance this looks like a decent answer. The director was persuaded to the cause and the outcome was that there were decent cost-savings for the business.

So why am I saying not to answer the question like this:

1 – ‘I knew this was the correct approach’. The answer does not state how they knew this was the correct approach.

2 – The other colleagues in the department appear to have a valid concern that the new supplier’s quality is untested. What if they are correct and supplier B is not up to scratch? The answer does nothing to show that the interviewee examined any other viewpoint

3 – The interviewee went behind the rest of the department and straight to the director. This shows that the interviewee is a poor team player.

‘Have You Ever Needed To Change Someone’s Mind?’ – Example Answer:

Yes, I have definitely encountered situations where I needed to change someone’s mind. One instance that stands out in my memory was during a group project in college. We were assigned to work on a marketing campaign for a hypothetical product, and my teammate had a strong belief in a particular strategy that I disagreed with.

To change their mind, I decided to approach the situation with a calm and respectful attitude. First, I took the time to listen attentively to their perspective, ensuring that I understood their reasoning and concerns. This helped me identify the underlying motivations behind their stance.

Next, I gathered relevant information and conducted thorough research to support my alternative viewpoint. I presented my findings to my teammate, using clear and concise arguments backed by evidence and examples from successful marketing campaigns. I made sure to address their concerns directly and explain how my proposed strategy could address those concerns effectively.

Furthermore, I encouraged an open and constructive discussion, allowing my teammate to express their thoughts and feelings freely. I acknowledged the value of their perspective and highlighted the potential benefits of embracing a different approach. I also shared my own enthusiasm and belief in the proposed strategy, emphasizing how it aligned with our project goals and objectives.

Throughout the conversation, I remained patient, empathetic, and receptive to their feedback. I tried to find common ground and areas of agreement, highlighting the shared interests and desired outcomes of our project. By maintaining a positive and collaborative atmosphere, I aimed to create a sense of teamwork and mutual understanding.

Ultimately, my efforts paid off, as my teammate started to reconsider their initial position. They began to see the merits of the alternative strategy and recognized its potential to deliver better results for our marketing campaign. We ended up adopting the new approach, and it turned out to be a successful decision, exceeding our initial expectations.

This experience taught me the importance of effective communication, active listening, and the power of presenting a well-reasoned argument supported by evidence. It also highlighted the significance of empathy and respect when engaging in discussions to change someone’s mind.

See over 100 example answer to all of the most common interview questions…

Interview Question: Tell me about a time you exceeded expectations – Answer Examples

March 20, 2023 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

Fundamentally though all interview questions are really trying to find out one of 3 things:

That’s it. Those are the 3 things that the interviewer is trying to ascertain. Every question that is asked of you will fundamentally be trying to resolve one (or more) of these 3 things.

With this question the interviewer is looking to see if you ‘can do the job’ (No. 1) and if you ‘will do the job’ (No. 2). Put simply in order to exceed expectations you need to be able to meet expectations, indicating that you can in fact do the job as advertised.

The interviewer is seeing if you are the type of person when given a task who will put the bare minimum effort in to complete the requirements or if you will go ‘above and beyond’ and really strive to deliver excellence in everything you do.

How Best To Answer ‘Tell me about a time you exceeded expectations’

As this is a ‘Tell me about a time‘ question you are going to need to provide an example. The best way of doing this is to follow the B-STAR technique for answering interview questions.

Answers using this method follow the below structure:

B – Belief – What are your thoughts and feelings with regard to the subject matter? – You should open your answer by telling the interviewer why you feel it is important to exceed expectations.

S – Situation – What was going on? Briefly explain the scenario that was taking place. – Try not to spend too much time describing the situation. The bulk of your answer needs to be about you and what you did so keep the situation simple to understand and even simpler to describe. A good example to use is a first project with a new client, you can talk about how you felt the first impression was important in maintaining a fruitful relationship and you wanted to really impress.

T – Task – What was your role in the action? Most of the time it is best that you are taking an active rather than passive role in the encounter.

A – Activity (or action) – What did you do? Detail the steps you took and why you took them. – This should take up the bulk of your time answering the question.

R – Result – How did everything end up? Try to use figures if possible (e.g. we cut costs by $3m, customer satisfaction scores increased 25%, failures reduced to zero, ice cream parties increased ten-fold etc.). As you are exceeding expectations try to touch upon what was originally expected and then compare that with what you did.

Remember though that the B-STAR technique is descriptive not prescriptive. You do not need to follow this flow strictly, go with what is best for your answers and that will allow you to put your point across and show your experience the best.

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Do not avoid the question.

Do not describe a failure (unless specifically asked).

Do not downplay the situation.

Do not overhype the situation.

Do not say you have no experience with the subject matter.

Do not reject the premise of the question.

Do not have a passive role in the situation.

Do not give a one-sentence answer.

Do not overly describe the scenario and miss the action

Tell me about a time you exceeded expectations – Example answers

Exceeding Expectations – Project Manager Example Answer 1

I feel it is important to exceed expectations whenever possible in our line of work as I believe it is one of the more fundamental ways that people and organisations grow, if everyone just conformed to expectations then eventually we would stagnate. Personally I like to exceed expectations so that my colleagues and managers become aware of my capabilities and learn that they can rely on me for extra or higher priority items.

A time I exceeded expectations was when I was working on a complex and time-sensitive project for a client. The project involved coordinating with multiple teams and stakeholders, and required a high level of attention to detail and quick problem-solving skills.

I took ownership of the project and went above and beyond my normal responsibilities to ensure its successful completion. I proactively identified potential challenges and developed contingency plans, communicated regularly with the client to keep them updated on progress and addressed any concerns they had in a timely manner, and worked closely with my colleagues to ensure that all tasks were completed on time and to a high standard.

As a result of my efforts, the project was completed ahead of schedule and received high praise from the client. They were impressed with the level of service and attention to detail that I provided and were thrilled with the results of the project. This recognition from the client not only exceeded their expectations but also helped to strengthen our relationship and build trust.

This experience taught me the importance of taking ownership of projects and the benefits of going above and beyond in order to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results. It also demonstrated the value of proactively addressing potential challenges, effectively communicating with clients, and collaborating with others to achieve a common goal.

Exceeding Expectations – Teacher Example Answer 2

I always strive for excellence in everything I do, so when I see an opportunity to exceed a student, colleague or manager’s expectations I jump at the chance to impress. I believe this is important in our line of work as exceeding expectations means delivering better outcomes for our students which is the reason I became a teacher in the first place.

A time I exceeded expectations as a teacher was when I was tasked with creating a curriculum for a new elective course. The course was designed to be hands-on and interactive, and was aimed at engaging students who had previously struggled with traditional classroom learning.

I took the challenge to heart and went above and beyond what was expected of me. I spent countless hours researching best practices for hands-on learning, developing engaging and interactive lesson plans, and creating a variety of hands-on activities that would bring the material to life for students. I also reached out to experts in the field and collaborated with other teachers to bring in guest speakers and arrange field trips.

The result was a highly successful course that exceeded the expectations of both the students and the school administration. The students were engaged and excited about learning, and the feedback from both students and parents was overwhelmingly positive. Many students who had struggled in traditional classrooms excelled in this new format, and the course became a model for hands-on learning across the school district.

This experience taught me the importance of taking a creative and innovative approach to teaching, and the benefits of going above and beyond to engage students and create a positive learning experience. It also demonstrated the value of collaboration, research, and continuous learning in order to exceed expectations and achieve success.

Interview Question: Why did you leave your last job? – Answer Examples

March 18, 2023 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

Fundamentally though all interview questions are really trying to find out one of 3 things:

That’s it. Those are the 3 things that the interviewer is trying to ascertain. Every question that is asked of you will fundamentally be trying to resolve one (or more) of these 3 things.

This question is loosely touching all three things. The interviewer wants to make sure that you didn’t leave your last role because you were unable to do the job (No. 1 above), they also want to ensure you were not fired, or let go, because you would not do the job (No. 2 above) and finally if you left due to conflicts with your colleagues/management the interviewer wants to know if this issue is likely to re-occur if you were to be hired within their organisation (No. 3 above).

How Best To Answer ‘Why Did You Leave Your Last Job’

While not strictly a ‘trick question’ this question is fraught with danger in that it is very easy to say something that will immediately disqualify yourself (e.g ‘I was fired’).

The key to answering this question is to have a straightforward answer that requires minimal, if any, follow-up and allows the interviewer to move onto other questions where you can highlight your skills/experience.

Some scenarios that are easily explained are:

You moved to be nearer to family and your previous employer was unable to accommodate
You were only hired on a short term contract for a specific project (which you successfully helped to deliver!)
Your previous company is no longer running (through no fault of yours of course!)

If you are feeling confident and you have built a good rapport with the interviewers then a great approach to this question is to talk about how your previous firm were unable to meet your aspirations and were unable to offer you the career development that you are looking for. Be careful when taking this approach as you run the risk of unintentionally besmirching your previous employer – which is never a good impression to leave your interviewer with.

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Interview Questions

Do not avoid the question.

Do not describe a failure (unless specifically asked).

Do not downplay the situation.

Do not overhype the situation.

Do not say you have no experience with the subject matter.

Do not reject the premise of the question.

Do not have a passive role in the situation.

Do not give a one-sentence answer.

Do not overly describe the scenario and miss the action

Why Did You Leave Your Last Job – Example answers

Example Answer 1

I left my last job for several reasons. One of the main reasons was the desire to pursue new opportunities and challenges that were not available in my previous role. I felt that I had reached a point of stagnation in my career growth and wanted to take on more responsibility and work on more complex projects. Another factor was the company culture, which no longer aligned with my personal values and goals**. Despite these challenges, I am grateful for the experiences and skills I gained in my previous role, and I am eager to apply them in a new environment where I can continue to grow and make a positive impact.

**Expect a follow up question about what your personal values are and how they did not align with the company

Example Answer 2

The company culture in my previous role was not supportive of diversity and inclusiveness, and did not prioritize employee well-being. There was a lack of open communication and feedback, and management was not transparent in their decision-making processes. Additionally, there was a high level of stress and burnout among employees, and little effort was made to address these issues. As someone who values a positive work environment and a culture that prioritizes employee satisfaction, I found it increasingly difficult to be motivated and engaged in my role. I believe that a positive company culture is essential for employee satisfaction and success, and I was not able to achieve this in my previous role. This led me to seek out a new opportunity where I could be part of a more supportive and inclusive work environment.

Example Answer 3

As a contractor, I recently completed a project for my previous employer and we both agreed that it was time for me to move on. The project was a success and met all the objectives that were outlined in the initial scope of work. I worked closely with the team and was able to provide valuable input that contributed to the overall success of the project.

Since the project was completed, there was no immediate need for my services and it made sense for me to seek new opportunities. I enjoyed working with the team and I am grateful for the experience and knowledge that I gained during the project.

I am excited to take on new challenges and apply my skills and experience to new projects. I am confident that I will be able to make a positive impact in my new role, just as I did in my previous position.

Interview Question: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? – Answer Examples

March 17, 2023 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank
Project Manager Question & Answer Sheet

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

Fundamentally though all interview questions are really trying to find out one of 3 things:

That’s it. Those are the 3 things that the interviewer is trying to ascertain. Every question that is asked of you will fundamentally be trying to resolve one (or more) of these 3 things.

The question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years” hits both 2 & 3.

2 – The employer is looking to see if you are someone who will do the job. If your 5 year plan is to be a rally car driver (as a very cool example) and you are applying for a long-term full-time office position then the interviewer will be weary about taking you on. Similarly it may be that the role will be rapidly expanding and the person who takes up the mantle will be expected to take on more responsibility and ‘climb the ladder’ quickly. If you are someone that is just looking to tread the water and remain in the same position long term then this is something that is best figured out at the interview stage.

3 – Will you fit in? Similar to what was said above, the interviewer will be looking to see if your 5 year goals match the firm’s 5 year goals. It is a good idea therefore when you are researching your prospective employer that you look for any public statements the firm has made regarding their future plans. As an example you might read that the firm is looking to expand into other countries, you could use this question as an opportunity to say that in 5 years time you hope to be working overseas or to have established more global connections in your industry.

How Best To Answer ‘Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years’ Questions

The usual recommendation for how to fully and succinctly answer interview questions is to follow the B-STAR technique. This answering method allows the interviewee to be able to state both their thoughts/feelings on the subject but also back it up with a real world example showing the candidates experience in the matter.

For this question we are going to change it up a little bit. Instead of B-STAR we only need B-A. (There is no S-T because there’s no example to share, and we can’t give R because there’s no results to speak of as the 5 years haven’t happened yet!)

B – Belief – What are your thoughts and feelings with regard to the subject matter? – Answer the question truthfully, don’t just tell the interviewer what you think they want to hear. You don’t want to take up a position where their five year plan is completely misaligned with what your goals are. So ask yourself where do you want to be in 5 years time? If you don’t know where you want to be then it is worth taking some time to think about it prior to your interview.

A – Activity (or action) – What did you do? Detail the steps you took and why you took them – For this question instead of ‘detail the steps you took’ you should ‘detail the steps you will take’. If your 5 year goal is to be a qualified accountant (as an example) you could detail how you plan to study toward the exams during night classes.

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Do not avoid the question.

Do not describe a failure (unless specifically asked).

Do not downplay the situation.

Do not overhype the situation.

Do not say you have no experience with the subject matter.

Do not reject the premise of the question.

Do not have a passive role in the situation.

Do not give a one-sentence answer.

Do not overly describe the scenario and miss the action

‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ – Example answers

Example 1 – Junior PM

As a junior project manager, I see myself in five years as a seasoned project manager with a proven track record of successfully leading teams and delivering projects on time and within budget. I aim to have honed my skills in project management methodologies, risk assessment, and stakeholder management. Additionally, I would like to have developed expertise in a specific industry and have contributed to its growth and development. In the long term, I hope to use my experience and knowledge to mentor and guide other aspiring project managers.

Example 2 – Trainee solicitor

As a trainee solicitor, I see myself in five years having completed my training contract and qualified as a solicitor. I aim to have gained broad experience in several practice areas, and to have developed expertise in a specific area of law. I also hope to have established a strong reputation as a competent and reliable solicitor, able to provide practical and effective legal advice to clients. In the long term, I aim to continue learning and growing as a legal professional, taking on new challenges and opportunities to serve my clients and advance my career.

Example 3 – Generic Answer

As someone entering a new field, I see myself in five years having gained a strong foundation in the industry and a reputation as a dedicated and skilled professional. I hope to have taken on increasing responsibilities and challenging projects, developing a broad range of skills and expertise. I also aim to have established a network of colleagues and industry contacts, and to have made a meaningful contribution to the field. Ultimately, I hope to be known as a knowledgeable and reliable professional, ready to take on new opportunities and continuously grow and develop.

Interview Question: What are your three biggest strengths? – Answer Tips

November 7, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

Question forms part of

Civil Service Question Bank

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

Fundamentally though all interview questions are really trying to find out one of 3 things:

That’s it. Those are the 3 things that the interviewer is trying to ascertain. Every question that is asked of you will fundamentally be trying to resolve one (or more) of these 3 things.

This is a relatively straight forward question. And it is obvious that the interviewer is trying to find out No. 1 above – “Can you do the job?”

There’s no real hidden agenda at play. The interviewer simply wants to know where you believe your strengths lie.

The interviewer will be coming into the interview knowing exactly what their team/organisation need. What experience or skill set is missing from their current employee base. They are looking to see if your strengths will marry up well with what they are looking for.

The interviewer will have your CV so they will know exactly what you’ve done, but they want to know in your own words what areas of the job you excel in.

The best approach to answering this question

This is an interview so there is no point being modest. The best answers will briefly discuss how you believe that you have a quite varied skill set and a possess a great many strengths that are applicable to the role before drilling down into 3 that you believe to be your best.

This is not a story based question (like a ‘Tell me about a time‘ question) where the interviewer is expecting you to walk them through one of your experiences (where the B-STAR technique is the correct approach)

No for this question the ideal approach is to list all 3 strengths and then in turn go into further detail about why you feel that you possess each strength and how you are able to use that strength in your current role (the best answers will also relate this strength to the role that is being discussed).

How NOT to answer this question

Do not avoid the question. – This question is about your strengths. Ensure that is the question you answer. I have seen people take this question all sorts of ways; ranging from candidates just rehashing their experience without mentioning what it was they were good at, to someone who actually talked about what areas she thought she was weakest in. Keep it straight forward. The interviewer asked for strengths, give them some strengths.

Do not be overly modest. – It’s an interview, you are allowed, – nay – required, to sell yourself. Blow your own horn and share with the interviewer what your skills are. Being modest here will just mean that you do not get the job.

Do not give a one-sentence answer. – Just listing off 3 strengths will not get you far with this question. You need to explain to the interviewer why you feel this is one of your strengths, linking back to your previous experience and trying to tie that in to how you would use this strength in your future role.

BIGGEST STRENGTHS – Example answer

“As you can see from my CV I have a great deal of experience in a wide range of roles. This experience has afforded me the opportunity to considerably grow my skill set over the years to the point that now I believe I possess a great many strengths that can be applied to excelling in this role.

You asked for my 3 biggest. I think my 3 biggest strengths are my problem solving abilities, my communication skills and my industry knowledge.

The first of these strengths I wish to discuss is my industry knowledge. I have been working in this area for my full career, working all across the spectrum in various roles. I believe this puts me firmly in the Expert category when it comes to our sector, I will bring this knowledge into every project I work.

My 2nd biggest strength is my communication skills. After 3 years of sales experience I have no problem building rapport and in creating instant connections with stakeholders of any level. I have created long lasting relationships with customers, suppliers and all levels of management. If I were to join X company not only would I seek to make a great first impression to all my new stakeholders I would also seek to tap into my existing network for the betterment of the organisation.

The last strength I wish to discuss may sound a bit cliche but I do think it is my strongest area. I am able to quickly and efficiently solve problems as they land on my desk. In my last role this came in handy during COVID when we were working remotely with a reduced workforce, everything needed to be completed quickly but without sacrificing quality. I can use these skills to aid in projects that have tight turnaround times or that require ‘thinking on your feet’.“

31 Project Planner Interview Questions (And Sample Answers)

October 17, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

What is a Project Planner?

A Project Planner is the member of the project team who is responsible for maintaining the schedule of events or the timeline (i.e. the plan). This is often completed using a scheduling application of some kind such as Microsoft Project or Primavera P6. The planner ensures that the timeline is always up-to-date and that any deviations are reported immediately.

Project Planner salary

A project planner is a member of the project team, and often is the most junior member. As such the role should be seen as more of a stepping stone into a Project Coordinator or Project Manager role (and later Program and Portfolio management). Due to the junior nature of the role you should not expect to earn as much as the other members of the project team.

The average project planner in the UK earns £30,000. While in the US the average project planner can expect to earn $50,000.

This article is geared toward landing that Project Planner (PP) job. The trickiest part of any job application is the interview stage. This is where a lot of applicants fail to truly sell themself.

That is why in this post we are going to look at how you can nail the interview and land the job. Firstly we will look at some tips for the Project Planner interview, then we will discuss the BEST (and WORST) ways to answer Project Planner questions. And finally we will look at some of the most common Project Planner questions and see some example answers.

Ready? Let’s get to it…

Project Planner Interview Tips

Learn all areas of project delivery – The role of a Project Planner is going to differ within each organisation. The responsibilities will range from being responsible for scheduling tasks all the way to taking ownership of the project plan. I have even seen Project Planners take on all of the responsibilities of a Project Manager – albeit on smaller projects than the PM would undertake. With that in mind you should be prepared to answer questions across the whole project cycle.

Lean heavily on your experience – Follow the B-STAR process (discussed further below) and refer back to your previous role regularly. Show the interviewer that you are very well acquainted with projects and can apply good project management techniques in your work.

Name drop the processes, systems and tools you have used – If you are telling a story about a sprint or a project you worked on name drop the software you used (MS Projects, JIRA, etc.). If you are explaining how you did stakeholder management discuss how you utilised a RACI Matrix. Basically pepper your answers with Project Management vernacular. Make sure it comes across naturally though. don’t just shoehorn in any phrase just because.

Tailor your answers to the organisation – Learn all you can about the organisation that is interviewing you. You particularly want to know:

What are their current, past and future projects?
What is the level of their PMO, what processes/methodologies do they use, what are they looking to use going forward?
What software and tools do they use day-to-day?

When answering your questions try to showcase your experience that you have in the above areas. For example if you learn that they are looking to move into an Agile delivery then you talk about how you have experience with Agile and in planning with Agile project teams.

How Best To Answer Project Planner Interview Questions

Unless the question you are asked is a straight ‘up or down / yes or no’ style question then you are going to need to learn to describe, expand and elaborate on your answers. The best way of doing this is to follow the B-STAR technique for answering interview questions.

Answers using this method follow the below structure:

B – Belief – What are your thoughts and feelings with regard to the subject matter? – As a Project Planner you should have your own work-style and processes that you tailor to each situation.

S – Situation – What was going on? Briefly explain the scenario that was taking place. – Try not to spend too much time describing the situation. The bulk of your answer needs to be about you and what you did so keep the situation simple to understand and even simpler to describe.

T – Task – What was your role in the action? Most of the time it is best that you are taking an active rather than passive role in the encounter – You are going for a Project Planner role (presumably) so the situation you describe should have you coordinating some activity to do with the project plan.

A – Activity (or action) – What did you do? Detail the steps you took and why you took them. – This should take up the bulk of your time answering the question.

R – Result – How did everything end up? Try to use figures if possible (e.g. we cut costs by $3m, customer satisfaction scores increased 25%, failures reduced to zero, ice cream parties increased ten-fold etc.).

Project Planner Interview Question & Answers

What are you good at?

“As you can see from my CV I am an experienced project coordinator and I do believe I am very good at my role. I am a very good planner, I am quick to adapt to changing business environments but I believe my best attribute is my communication skills.

Being a project coordinator is all about being able to communicate effectively and to all different types of stakeholders – something I learned recently when we released a new software upgrade and I was communicating with front-line customer service colleagues all the way up to the CEO of the whole group! – It is this experience and others that have moulded me in to the skilled communicator I am today“

Check out our full post on how to answer this question

What are your weaknesses?

“I have never worked with <insert tool or software> before and I see that it plays an integral role in your organisation. I have worked with <insert other tool> before and from what I hear it lacks a number of features present in <tool>. I look forward to the opportunity to use this new tool as I hear great things about it, I have also found a crash course online that I would look to take to get up to speed as quickly as possible…should I be offered the job”

Check out our full post on how to answer this question (and see more example answers)

When you are given a new project what do you do first?

The first thing I do when given a new project is to seek out the project sponsor and ensure that we are both on the same page. I prefer to do this face-to-face but will settle for a call or video conference if that is all that is available. I feel that at the start of a project it is crucial to make sure that nothing is lost in translation and that all expectations are clear.

In my current organisation the sponsor for most of my projects is the Chief Technology Officer. Just recently I was given a new project that would deploy a major upgrade to one of our core systems. I made sure that I caught a coffee meeting with the CTO so that we could discuss the project.

I enquired as to what the expectations were from both the business and from him personally. I find asking this is key as my CTO has higher expectations than the wider business so while the business was expecting delivery by the end of the year my CTO was expecting it much earlier.

Similarly with regard to quality and budget, the business had minimum quality requirements and a budget restraint. My CTO however had higher quality requirements and made me aware that the budget could be expanded if I needed it – something that was not in the project presentation provided by the business!

Finally I confirmed with the CTO which project members were available and made a mental note to which colleagues I had worked with before and which were new to me (for the new ones I tried to pry information from the CTO as to their skills and work style)

As far as first steps goes I feel like getting the project sponsor, in this case the CTO, to have a frank and open discussion as to the aims and expectations is the best thing to do. After my conversation with the CTO I was in a really good space to start my planning, with the next step being to bring the project members into the loop.

In the end we managed to deliver the upgrade within the timelines and meeting the quality expectations set by the CTO – something that might not have been given the proper attention had I not taken that first step.“

Check out our full post on how to answer this question

What Project Management methodology do you believe is better?

“My preference is for Agile. I find that it is the most adaptive methodology meaning that we can pivot on a dime and be able to deliver quickly and often. Something that I don’t believe is possible when working with a Waterfall or even a Hybrid model.

That is not to say though that I believe Agile is better. I think all of the methodologies have their place in an organisation. I have worked Waterfall before and believe that it is better adapted for complex projects with a single one time delivery, like the time I helped coordinate the opening of a new call centre wing. That was better suited to Waterfall as there were defined stages and a handover to the business.

Contrast that with the time my firm performed a software deployment (to the same call centre in fact). This was better suited to an Agile-based deployment as we initially delivered a MVP of the software and then deployed multiple releases that introduced new features as we went. Agile was the better choice in this instance as it allowed us to deliver a working product much earlier than we would have done had we used Waterfall.”

Check out our full post on how to answer this question

How do you assess and monitor risk within a project?

“Managing risk is one of the most important tasks that I undertake as a project manager. It is crucial to success that risks are appropriately identified, assessed and monitored throughout the project lifecycle.

In order to achieve this one of the first project artefacts that I create when forming a new project is the RAID log. Within this log I record all potential risks to the project (as identified by the project team and stakeholders).

Within the log risks are assessed as to the likelihood and severity and an appropriate plan is put in place, usually looking to reduce or eliminate the risk or to mitigate the impacts should the risk crystallise.

Within the log I include a date for review. When this date comes around the item is re-examined to determine if all the underlying logic still holds true.

I have found that the on-going monitoring of the risks is the most difficult to get people engaged with. It is easy to explain the need for the initial session but slightly more persuading is needed to get people involved in continually updating the risks.“

Check out our full post on how to answer this question

Suppose the project has gone off the rails. What steps would you take to get it back on track?

“The first step I would take is to confirm if the project is still viable in its current state. I would do this by re-confirming the business justification and seeing if the same assumptions still hold true now. Assuming the project is still viable I would investigate the issues with the team and prioritise remediation or mitigation of each item, re-scoping or re-defining the project plan as need be. Once the new plan was ready I would re-issue to the project stakeholders for review and approval. Later on I would lead an investigation as to why these issues were not catalogued in the RAID log already, but that investigation would be held once the project was back on track.

I actually have some recent experience with a wayward project. COVID-19 had caused a number of our internal projects to stall out. I was brought onto a project when the previous PM had left the business. The aim of the project was to offshore one of our business processes. The project had stalled after our offshore office had been closed due to a lockdown.

The first thing I did was to re-confirm the business justification. In doing so I found that the project was no longer viable. The main aim of the project was to offshore a particular process (and therefore save on the labour costs), however the process itself was to be discontinued in around 18 months time anyway in favour of a new automated process. Given this, and the delays realised by COVID, the assumed cost savings were no longer accurate and the revised cost savings were negligible. I presented my findings to the Change Committee and requested I be allowed to take the necessary steps to close the project.

Check out our full post on how to answer this question

Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult stakeholder

“Difficult stakeholders are unavoidable when you have been in the industry for any amount of time. It is just one of those things that you need to be aware of, not everyone is going to be on the same page or have the same goals as you and you will need to handle these people appropriately in order to deliver on your goals.

Whenever I find someone being difficult or not giving me the level of support I require in my projects I tend to do 2 things. Firstly I make sure that I fully understand the issue and therefore my colleague’s concerns and secondly I approach my colleague to discuss potential remedies to get things back on track.For example, recently I was working on a project that would automate a key data gathering task within the process. This task was performed by 2 teams within the organisation and the lead SME of the teams was assigned to my project

After some time I found that the SME was not participating in project meetings and any actions they would pick up would go incomplete or be delivered very late. I spoke to the rest of my team individually as well as some contacts I had in the wider department. I learned that there was a rumour going through the two teams that once the project was delivered that the organisation was going to fire the 2 teams as they would no longer be needed with the new automation process going live.

This was not true however. Our actual plan once we delivered the project was to train these colleagues on a different process where more resources were required. I approached my senior manager to discuss a change to our communication strategy so that a notice could be sent to all impacted parties.

Once the communication was confirmed I approached the SME to explain the situation and remind them that the project still required their 100% focus. Thereafter the SME was much more involved in meetings and all actions were delivered on time. The project ending up a success and the teams were successfully trained on the new project with no colleagues being let go.“

Check out our full post on how to answer this question

How Do You Manage Frequent Changes Made to a Project?

“If this was one of my projects then there would be a clearly defined change request process that should be followed for all requests. This will have been discussed with all stakeholders and approved by all. Given this I would speak to the stakeholder in question and guide them through the Change Request process so that their request could be reviewed and actioned if necessary.

I gently reminded my colleague that all change requests needed to be raised to the CR portal and would be triaged by a member of the project team, as his change was above the agreed small change limit it would need to be approved by the Change Board. The colleague was content with this and progressed his item through the proper channels were the request was approved for deployment in second release.

Of course this all assumes that the project was being deployed using waterfall methodologies, if we were following a more agile approach the change request would have been prioritised and added to the sprint plan where appropriate.“

Check out our full post on how to answer this question

Tell us about a time when you had to manage a difficult or unhappy client. What was the result?

“I believe that good customer service is key to the long term success of any business, keep customers happy and they will come back. That is why whenever a customer expresses displeasure in our service I immediately jump at the chance to make things right.

There was one occasion back when I was working at [redacted] flooring company. We had recently taken up a contract with a national chain to re-fit the flooring in all of their stores nationwide – so it was a really big customer for us. During one of the project update calls one of the store managers expressed concern regarding one of the floor fitters we had on site. The number of hours he was supposed to be on site did not tally with actual hours he was on site and the manager had concerns this would impact the quality of the work completed.

My primary responsibility for this project was to recruit and direct the sub-contractors in each of the areas that our customer had stores, so the responsibility for sorting this fell directly to me.

I immediately took action and confirmed that the manager was correct that the fitter was in fact shaving hours. I then enlisted the help of one of our most experienced and longest servicing fitters. We both travelled to the store in question to inspect the quality of the floor that was being worked on. While a serviceable job had been made on the floor it was not to the high standard that was expected from our organisation.

The floor fitter was let go and we brought in an experienced outfit to re-do the floor to the correct standards. In order to still make our deadlines we paid extra for this new outfit to work evenings and nights – extra costs were taken out of our end not the customers.

In the end the customer was extremely pleased with how we handled the issue and how quickly we acted to correct the problem. Once we finished the refitting of all the stores the firm actually picked up a bigger contract from the customer’s parent company.“

Check out our full post on how to answer this question

How do you feel about deadlines?

“Obviously having a future date that something is due looming over you can be daunting, especially when it is a hard deadline. It is quite easy for people to get overwhelmed and get stressed. But I feel differently. I hold a begrudging respect for deadlines. I appreciate their importance as they force you to provide more structure to your work and can act as a motivator. Without deadlines I feel like a lot of work would just not get done.

To give you an example, last year I was brought in as Project Manager on an infrastructure upgrade project. This project had been ongoing for 3 years with no end in sight. There was no urgency within the team to get their work completed as there was no deadline to meet. Instead the team would prioritise other pieces of work over this project.

Eventually this pushed on long enough that a hard deadline did appear. This infrastructure upgrade became a dependency for another project of mine and it needed to be completed before I could go-live with my project.

Immediately on taking ownership of the project I created a project plan using the new deadline to create a work breakdown structure. Then I spoke with all project team members and stakeholders to advise them of the new deadline and the new plan that everyone was to adhere to.

In the end the infrastructure upgrade was deployed successfully. As a result I was able to deploy my other project on time also. So to circle back to the question I truly believe that deadlines are important as otherwise I do not believe a lot of work would get completed.“

Check out our full post on how to answer this question

What was your most successful project?
How do you prioritize tasks in a project?
Tell us about a time something went wrong in a project you were managing.
Can you tell us about the last project you worked on?
What’s your experience with budget management?
How would you describe a project plan?
How would you create an environment of collaboration on your team?
What tools do you use to plan a project?
Describe your experience in this industry
One of your team members is asking for more time to complete a task. How would you handle this situation?
Work from home has become the new normal in the post-COVID-19-world. How well are you prepared to manage a remote team?
What is your strategy to deal with internal conflicts among the team members?
How do you manage multiple tasks and projects at once?
What are the most important qualities for a project planner to have?
What would you do if you noticed a discrepancy in the budget for a project?
When was a time you had to adapt your original project plan?
Describe your process for creating a project charter.
Which project management methodology do you prefer?
What do you think is the most important thing project planners can do to ensure the success of a project?
How often do you update your project plan?

Do you have any questions for us?
10 Questions To Ask At The End Of An Interview (And 6 That You Shouldn’t!)

36 PMO Analyst Interview Questions (And Sample Answers)

October 5, 2022 by Mike Jacobsen

What is a PMO Analyst?

A Project Management Office (PMO) Analyst is usually responsible for the maintenance of project, programme and portfolio processes and procedures. It is usually the analyst that creates and updates the Project Management templates that are used by all of the PMs across the organisation. The analyst will also provide support to the project teams in following project management best practices.

PMO Analyst is a great ‘stepping stone’ position. It allows the person to move into any number of related fields both within management and within the project space.

In the UK the average PMO Analyst can expect to take home between £45000 and £50000. This can vary depending on how developed the PMO office is, analysts that are brought on as contractors to establish a new PMO office can be paid day rates of £500.

In the US the average salary for a PMO Analyst is higher, in the States they can expect to pick up anywhere in the region of $95000. Again this rate will vary based on the industry and how developed the PMO is.

A PMO analyst role is therefore a highly sought after position and most job adverts will have tens of qualified applicants that you will be competing with.

In this post we are going to look at how you can stand apart from these applicants when it comes to the interview process. First we will look at some PMO specific interview tips, then we will look at how you should (and how you should NOT) answer PMO analyst questions. And finally we will look at some of the most popular interview questions you may face when interviewing for a PMO analyst position.

Ready? Let’s get started…

Contents

1 PMO Analyst Interview Tips
2 How Best To Answer PMO Analyst Interview Questions
3 What You Should Not Do When Answering PMO Analyst Questions
4 PMO Analyst Interview Question & Answers

PMO Analyst Interview Tips

Lean heavily on your experience. This applies even if you have never held a position within a PMO before. A PMO Analyst is responsible for numerous things but primarily ensuring that projects are ran using project management best practices. You don’t need to have held a PMO Analyst title previously to have participated in similar activities. Perhaps you have worked in a role before where you ran projects using best practices? Or maybe you have instituted changes to processes to make projects run more smoothly? When answering questions lean heavily into these experiences.

Know your audience. You should always research the organisation you are interviewing for. But what people don’t think to do is also research the interviewer and the hiring manager (if these are different persons). You want to impress the person making the hiring decision so you should research them specifically trying to understand what makes them tick and what they are looking for in a new employee.

Pepper your answers with technical terms. PMOs have a number of technical terms, processes, systems, tools etc. For example when answering a question you can talk about how your team uses MS Project for creating project plans. Or you might talk about how you used JIRA instead. These little things show the interviewer that you are well versed in the area and are not just full of fluff.

Read our new guide. Packed with over 100 sample answers and tailored advice, it’s your ultimate tool for interview success, regardless of your experience level.

How Best To Answer PMO Analyst Interview Questions

Answers using this method follow the below structure:

B – Belief – What are your thoughts and feelings with regard to the subject matter? – As a PMO Analyst you should have your own set of processes and methodologies that you tailor to each situation.

S – Situation – What was going on? Briefly explain the scenario that was taking place – Try not to spend too much time describing the situation. The bulk of your answer needs to be about you and what you did so keep the situation simple to understand and even simpler to describe.

T – Task – What was your role in the action? Most of the time it is best that you are taking an active rather than passive role in the encounter – You are going for a PMO Analyst role (presumably if you are reading this) so the situation you describe should have you involved with project management.

A – Activity (or action) – What did you do? Detail the steps you took and why you took them. – This should take up the bulk of your time answering the question.

R – Result – How did everything end up? Try to use figures if possible (e.g. Over 100 templates created, Project failures reduced 50% etc.).

What You Should Not Do When Answering PMO Analyst Questions

Do not avoid the question.

Do not describe a failure (unless specifically asked).

Do not downplay the situation.

Do not overhype the situation.

Do not say you have no experience with the subject matter.

Do not reject the premise of the question.

Do not have a passive role in the situation.

Do not give a one-sentence answer.

Do not overly describe the scenario and miss the action.

PMO Analyst Interview Question & Answers

How Did You Prepare For This Interview?

“I believe that it’s incredibly difficult to overcome a bad first impression. Because of this I always strive to never make one. That’s why for important meetings, or interviews like this, I make a clear plan of what I want to get from the meeting and outline the steps I need to take to achieve that goal.

So when I received the call about scheduling this interview the first thing I did was research your offices. As you are based in an area of town I am not familiar with I drove by here after work one evening just to make sure I knew the way. I also checked Google Maps to see what the traffic would be like at this time. Nothing worse than being late sitting in traffic after all.

I actually have a contact who works in your finance department, Claire, we were colleagues in the place I am currently working. I reached out to her to see if there was anything she could tell me about the interview process. We had spoken before about the company as a whole and how she talks about the company is one of the reasons I applied.

Following our chat I went through all of my work achievements and made sure they fully encompassed everything I have accomplished in my career.

I’m glad I took the time to prepare as I did because there was a lot of traffic so it was good I knew to expect that. Also talking with Claire helped jog my memory on a project we both worked on a few years back delivering a piece of financial software that I believe your company is in the process of deploying.”

Get more example answers in our full PMO Analyst Interview Success Guide

Tell me about a new skill or qualification you have learned over the last 6 months?

“In my current role I use Microsoft Projects extensively for scheduling tasks when working with certain clients. A few months ago I learned that one of our newer clients used Primavera as their preferred PM tool.

Even though the new firm were content that we continue to use Microsoft Projects I thought it would be best to upskill myself on Primavera so that I at least could understand what the client was used to versus what we would be providing.

I started by following some courses on LinkedIn and eventually I asked my employer if they would support me in attaining the certification – which they did.

I passed the qualification on the first go and was able to successfully amend our MS Project reports so that they more closely resembled what the client was used to”

Get more example answers in our full PMO Analyst Interview Success Guide

Tell Me About A Time You Helped A Co-Worker Learn A New Skill

“I love working in a team. I truly believe that when a team is functioning correctly that it is greater than the sum of its parts. More work just seems to get done than would be if we were working independently. That’s why whenever I see a team member struggling I always reach out and try to help for the good of the team. I also adore the feeling when someone learns something as a result of my help. In a different walk of life I might have been a teacher!

There was one occasion when our company was adopting a more Agile approach to our projects. Moving away from waterfall and into a sprint based delivery approach.

I noticed rather early on that one of my colleagues, Jayne, was not grasping the fundamental idea behind the change and was still trying to operate in a waterfall approach.

I approached my manager to ask if we could support some additional training for the team on Agile so that we could all understand the philosophies. He agreed and we all began taking LinkedIn courses in the afternoons.

I reached out to Jayne during these sessions so that we could share notes and discuss what we had learned. I even offered that we should work together on a project so that we could bounce the ideas we had learned off each other.

That was all it took really. After we delivered a couple sprints in our project Jayne was a full Agile convert. She has actually moved out of the team now and has taken a SCRUM master position in a different department.”

Get more example answers in our full PMO Analyst Interview Success Guide

How do you ensure that you have considered all stakeholder needs when undertaking a new initiative?

“I think getting input from stakeholders is crucial when undertaking any new initiatives. As a project manager I am often asked to lead projects in areas that I have no experience, and even if I am leading a project where I know the subject matter well it is always good to get a diverse range of thoughts on the project and its deliverables. After all ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’.

That’s why whenever I start a new project I complete a full stakeholder analysis. This begins with a deep dive session to identify everyone that will be impacted by the project, both during delivery and with the end result.

The next step is to produce a key stakeholder list. For example in a recent project I managed we had deduced that the finance department would be stakeholders, but it would have been irresponsible to include every member of the department in our communications so we consulted with the Finance Chief and assigned one key stakeholder for the department (and one backup). We did the same or similar for all the stakeholders previously identified. If we came to a stakeholder group that we couldn’t feasibly include then we assigned an advocate. In the same project our PMO analyst would act as a representative for the customer (as she actually was a customer!).

Once I have finalised this list of key stakeholders I formalise everything by creating a RACI matrix and a communication strategy. This way we have all of the stakeholders listed, their responsibilities toward the project and how/when they will be contacted with updates. This is approved by each stakeholder.

Overall when these steps have been followed correctly I have never had a complaint from a stakeholder to say that they felt their needs were not being met.

Get more example answers in our full PMO Analyst Interview Success Guide

What new skills do you hope to learn over the next 6 months?

“I am always looking to learn new things. I believe that once we stop learning we stop growing, both as individuals and as a business. Sooner or later someone will come along and overtake us. That’s why I always keep my ear to ground, as it were, and make sure I am always up to date with all the latest advancements in my area.

Within the change and project space I can see the shift to Agile methodologies growing even further and reaching into industries and firms that would previous move at glacial speed using Waterfall projects. My previous role at a Top 4 Bank showed me that even in a traditionally cautious moving firm they were slowly adopting to more agile mindsets, that is where I was working when I studied for, and attained, my PRINCE2 Agile qualification.

For me in the next 6 months I wish to expand my knowledge further from this qualification and undertake learning for the Certified Scrum Product Owner qualification. While I have been a Product Owner in my previous role I believe formal training will allow me to further develop my understanding of the role.

I think by learning more about the Product Owner position I will be able to further enhance this organisation’s release strategy and hopefully open up further progression opportunities for myself within the firm when the time comes (assuming I get the role of course!).

After Product Owner I think I will want to get further acquainted with Programme and Portfolio management skills, but let’s just take it 6 months at a time for now.“

Get more example answers in our full PMO Analyst Interview Success Guide

Describe a situation when you were responsible for other team members learning a new skill?

“I’m a big believer in learning new things. I’m the person on the team who is always first in line whenever new training sessions are available for the team. I just think that the more you know the better you can produce.

There was one occasion where a training seminar was held for a new software that had been introduced within our department. The core functionality of the software was the same as what we used already so we were told that the seminar was voluntary.

I of course went along. And while a lot of the features were the same – as was expected – there was some new advanced functions that I thought could be great for our team.

I spoke to the training lead after the seminar and he sent me across some documentation and guidance on the new functionality. I studied through all the documents and realised that if our team was trained on this new reporting methodology that we could save quite a bit of time each week.

I positioned this to my manager who was delighted with the idea. And the next week I trained all of my team in this new skill. Some were reluctant at first because there was an element of coding involved – we needed to use SQL queries for the reports, but once they got the hang of it they were amazed at how much could be done.

The results were immediate. Our team was getting work done in twice the time. Time spent manually pulling reports was no longer. Some of the team went even further and started to develop more and more complex reports that would never have been possible without knowing this new skill.“

Get more example answers in our full PMO Analyst Interview Success Guide

What Project Management Methodology do you believe is better?

That is not to say though that I believe Agile is better. I think all of the methodologies have their place in an organisation. I have worked Waterfall before and believe that it is better adapted for complex projects with a single one time delivery, like the time I oversaw the opening of a new call centre wing. That was better suited to Waterfall as there were defined stages and a handover to the business.

Contrast that with the time I managed a software deployment (to the same call centre in fact). This was better suited to an Agile-based deployment as we initially delivered a MVP of the software and then deployed multiple releases that introduced new features as we went. Agile was the better choice in this instance as it allowed us to deliver a working product much earlier than we would have done had we used Waterfall.”

Get more example answers in our full PMO Analyst Interview Success Guide

What would you do if a Stakeholder approached you with a change midway through a project?

“If this was one of the projects run within my current PMO then there would be a clearly defined change request process that should be followed for all requests. This will have been discussed with all stakeholders by the relevant PM and approved by all. Given this I would speak to the stakeholder in question and guide them through the Change Request process so that their request could be reviewed and actioned if necessary.

When these type of requests occur I find it best to gently remind the stakeholder that there was a process agreed at the beginning of the project and to remind them of that process and how changes are reviewed and progressed. I had a similar request recently where a senior stakeholder wanted to increase the scope of the software product we were deploying in a month’s time, the stakeholder reached out to me directly and requested it was added for the first release. I gently reminded my colleague that all change requests needed to be raised to the CR portal and would be triaged by a member of the project team, as his change was above the agreed small change limit it would need to be approved by the Change Board. The colleague was content with this and progressed his item through the proper channels were the request was approved for deployment in second release.

Get more example answers in our full PMO Analyst Interview Success Guide

What are your weaknesses?

Get more example answers in our full PMO Analyst Interview Success Guide

What are you good at?

“As you can see from my CV I am an experienced project manager and I do believe I am very good at my role. I am a very good planner, I am quick to adapt to changing business environments but I believe my best attribute is my communication skills.

Being a project manager is all about being able to communicate effectively and to all different types of stakeholders – something I learned recently when we released a new software upgrade and I was communicating with front-line customer service colleagues all the way up to the CEO of the whole group! – It is this experience and others that have moulded me in to the skilled communicator I am today

Get more example answers in our full PMO Analyst Interview Success Guide

What services should the PMO provide?
See examples answers

As a PMO analyst, what has been the most successful project you’ve managed?
See examples answers

What methods would you use to set up a PMO?
See examples answers

How would you resolve a project halt due to budgetary restrictions?
See examples answers

How would you ensure that project members understand the needs and expectations of a client?
See examples answers

How would you optimize a project to ensure timely completion?
See examples answers

How do you determine the organization’s resource capacity?
See examples answers

How would you manage new project requests in the PMO?
See examples answers

What do you consider the primary objectives of a PMO?
See examples answers

How Do You Share Best Practices Within A Team?
See examples answers

What’s Your Experience With PMO And Different Project Management Tools?
See examples answers

What Do You Do When You Are Met With Resistance From Your Team Members?
See examples answers

What Project Management Software Are You Familiar With?
See examples answers

How does your current job fit into the overall business?
Interview Question: How does your current (or previous) role fit into the organisation’s wider goals? – Answer Tips

Tell Me About A Project That Failed
Interview Question: Tell Me About A Project That Failed – Answer Tips

Tell me about a time when you have identified an opportunity for improvement within your processes?
Interview Question: Tell me about a time when you have identified an opportunity for improvement within your processes? – Answer Tips

Have you ever had to work to an extremely tight deadline? How did you navigate that?
Interview Question: Have you ever had to work to an extremely tight deadline? How did you navigate that? – Answer Tips

How do you handle disagreements within your team?
Interview Question: How do you handle disagreements within your team? – Answer Tips

Tell me about a time when you were late delivering a piece of work?
Interview Question: Being Late / Missing a Deadline – Answer Tips

Tell Me About A Time Someone Challenged Your Decision
Interview Question: Tell Me About A Time Someone Challenged Your Decision – Answer Tips

Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed
Interview Question: Tell me about a time when you have had to make a decision using only limited information? – Answer Tips

Tell me about a time when you have challenged the usual way of doing things
Interview Question: Tell me about a time when you have challenged the usual way of doing things – Answer Tips

Describe a time when you communicated effectively in a difficult situation
Interview Question: Describe a time when you communicated effectively in a difficult situation – Answer Tips

Have You Ever Needed To Change Someone’s Mind?
Interview Help: Have you ever needed to change someone’s mind? – Answer Tips

Tell Me About A Time You Improved A Process
Interview Question: Tell Me About A Time You Improved A Process – Answer Tips

Do you have any questions for us?
10 Questions To Ask At The End Of An Interview (And 6 That You Shouldn’t!)

« Previous Page

Interview Questions

Question forms part of

Other interview questions that are similar

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

How Best To Answer ‘Why have you had so many jobs?’

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Why Have You Had So Many Jobs? – Example answers

Other Interview Question and Answers

Question forms part of

Other interview questions that are similar

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

How Best To Answer ‘Tell Me About Yourself’

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Tell me about yourself – Example answers

Other Interview Question and Answers

Question forms part of

Other interview questions that are similar

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

How Best To Answer “How did you hear about this position”?

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

How did you hear about this position? – Example answers

Other Interview Question and Answers

Question forms part of:

Other interview questions that are similar:

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question:

The best approach to answering this question:

How NOT to answer this question:

‘Have You Ever Needed To Change Someone’s Mind?’ – Example Answer:

Other Interview Question and Answers

Question forms part of

Other interview questions that are similar

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

How Best To Answer ‘Tell me about a time you exceeded expectations’

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

Tell me about a time you exceeded expectations – Example answers

Exceeding Expectations – Project Manager Example Answer 1

Exceeding Expectations – Teacher Example Answer 2

Other Interview Question and Answers

Question forms part of

Other interview questions that are similar

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

How Best To Answer ‘Why Did You Leave Your Last Job’

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Interview Questions

Why Did You Leave Your Last Job – Example answers

Example Answer 1

Example Answer 2

Example Answer 3

Other Interview Question and Answers

Question forms part of

Other interview questions that are similar

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

How Best To Answer ‘Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years’ Questions

What You Should NOT Do When Answering Questions

‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ – Example answers

Example 1 – Junior PM

Example 2 – Trainee solicitor

Example 3 – Generic Answer

Other Interview Question and Answers

Question forms part of

Other interview questions that are similar

What the interviewer is looking for by asking this question

The best approach to answering this question

How NOT to answer this question

BIGGEST STRENGTHS – Example answer

Other Interview Question and Answers

Project Planner Interview Tips

How Best To Answer Project Planner Interview Questions

Project Planner Interview Question & Answers

PMO Analyst Interview Tips

How Best To Answer PMO Analyst Interview Questions

What You Should Not Do When Answering PMO Analyst Questions

PMO Analyst Interview Question & Answers