Mastering the Interview: Practice the Tough Questions

  PM Network  

All that time you devoted to networking, combing job listings and crafting your résumé finally paid off: You’ve landed a job interview.

“If they’ve brought you in for an interview, they’re already interested in your background,” points out Kelley White, Dedham, Massachusetts, USA-based onsite program manager for recruiting and human resources at Evergreen Solar Inc., a solar panel manufacturer.

But your work is just beginning. With the official date on the calendar, it’s time to seriously start preparing. “Don’t enter the interview and try to ‘wing it’—even if you are a very experienced project manager,” says James Berkeley, director of Berkeley Burke International, an employee rewards consultancy and executive coaching firm in London, England.

Being able to hit all your career highlights and still come off as charming and natural is an art form that takes some practice.

“Study the company, the technologies, the job description and potential interview questions so every answer is right at the tip of your tongue and you never feel like you’re under the gun for an answer,” says Ms. White, who is also a senior technical recruiter at Advantage Technical Resourcing, an IT and engineering project management consultancy. “If you’re well-prepared, you …

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