Below is a list of questions you can use to study for an interview, or use to interview candidates. This is mainly for Engineering Project Managers, but other engineers or managers may find it useful.
Engineers can be pretty dour. Managers are looking for someone who is realistic, but optimistic and involved. Be positive, even if the job is not right for you. There may be another you would be perfect for.
You should be able to succinctly state your technical skills, functional management skills, project management skills and/or team building skills. You may want to verbally rehearse this, so it is tight.
This is a long list, and you will only get some of them. But going over them will be good practice.
There will also be specific skill or experience questions they will ask. You should be able to prepare for those by going over the job posting.
The interviewer is a Customer. Read the Four Languages article to see what this means to you.
What strengths and/or skills have you developed?
What are your favorite tools? What do you have some experience with?
Please highlight your career over the last 5 years. Simply focus on the highlights.
Reasons for leaving and dates.
Why are you interested in this position? (of course, you have studied the company and position posting, right?)
What do you look for in a company?
How do you drive change and engage others to follow?
How you have handled employee problems?
How do you manage others that are hard to work with?
How did you handle having to make a change with a team member?
Tell me about a time when you had to take a disciplinary action against an employee.
Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision and wished you had more time, but had to go on what you had.
Tell me about a time when you had to take an action that was unpopular.
Tell me about something you did, and would never do that way again. You don't have to know what you would do next time, but just something that you wouldn't do it that way again.
How do you overcome project obstacles?
How do you deal with multiple people and setting deadlines?
Describe set up of a new project.
Describe to me a time when you had to give a presentation in front of a large group of people. What was the presentation about?
Describe the last time you perceived that an organizational practice, process or goal needed to be changed in order to better meet customer needs?
Have you ever had to introduce a change into your department that was met with resistance? How did you handle the situation?
Tell me about a time when a peer presented an idea, and you were opposed to the suggestion. How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome?
Give me an example of an important alliance or personal relationship you have developed with an external organization.
Describe to me how you would handle a complaint from an employee under the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Describe the most difficult conflict you have ever had to manage. What was the outcome?
Describe the most challenging situation where you've had to delegate a task.
Describe a time when you had several critical tasks to complete and not enough time to complete them. What did you do?
Tell me about a time you exceeded your departmental budget. Why did this occur? What were the results after the budget was exceeded?
Tell me about a time when it was necessary for you to communicate technical information, clearly to an audience.
Tell me how you have developed your department goals in the past. How did they support of the organization's goals, mission and values?
Tell me about a time you had to motivate a subordinate that was not on track with the company's vision or goals.
Tell me about a policy or communication piece that you have written in the past.
Describe to me how your department has helped to achieve organization goals.
Tell me how you have planned for your department's success in the past. These would be examples of educational guidance, encouraging growth, etc.
Tell me about at time where you made a mistake and had to admit it to either your peers, or your subordinates.
Can you tell me about a time a manager/supervisor refused to follow safety procedures. How it was handled?
I think Muller's website sucks. Do you?