If you’re looking to move into a managerial position, project management experience is essential. Employers will want to see that you have the ability to lead a team and see projects through from start to finish. excellent communication, organizational and multitasking skills are also key. If you can demonstrate that you have what it takes to be a successful manager, you’ll be well on your way to landing that promotion.
What is a managerial position?
A manager is someone who plans, organizes, and oversees the work of other people so that a project can be completed successfully within a specified timeframe. A manager typically has a team of employees working under him or her and is responsible for ensuring that tasks are completed on time and within budget. In some cases, a manager may also be responsible for hiring and firing employees, as well as training and development. While the exact duties of a manager vary depending on the organization, the bottom line is that a manager is responsible for ensuring that projects are completed efficiently and effectively.
Managerial position in a company
The essence of a managerial position in a company is to achieve goals along with other people, as well as properly manage the human resources, material resources, and financial resources of a given enterprise.
A managerial position is a role in which an individual is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the work of other employees. The manager may be responsible for supervising a team of workers, setting goals and objectives, and creating schedules and policies. In some cases, a manager may also be responsible for handling customer inquiries or complaints, training new employees, and preparing reports. While the specific duties of a managerial position will vary depending on the type of organization, all managers share the common goal of ensuring that their team or department runs smoothly and efficiently. To be successful in a managerial role, an individual must possess strong leadership skills, excellent communication ability, and keen organizational skills. In addition, they must be able to work well under pressure and maintain a positive attitude even in challenging situations.
What qualifications do I need to be a project manager?
Project management greatly depends on the project manager and the quality of his relationships with the team. These are the most important factors influencing the project management’s success or failure.
Lack of trust in the team’s competence is a disaster for every project. It is obvious that each project manager wants to keep his finger on the pulse and he needs to avoid mistakes. However, a belief that nobody can perform a given task better and faster than the project manager himself results, on the one hand, in responsibility overload and, on the other hand, leads to excessive control of team members. Needless to say, it has a destructive effect on motivation, involvement, and a sense of team responsibility. For this reason, a project manager’s deep faith in being able to achieve the goals of the particular project with the specific team, as expressed, for instance, in the delegation of difficult tasks and providing support in their implementation, is the foundation without which it is impossible to imagine successful cooperation.
What skills should a project manager have?
In any project, there has to be somebody to tackle the key decisions. This person is the project manager. It does not mean that he has to be a lone rider on the battlefield. On the contrary, there is nothing worse than a project manager who makes arbitrary choices, presenting the team with a fait accompli. Of course, making important decisions, such as those related to deadlines, based on one’s own experience is reasonable. And they are usually correct. But, sometimes, it may turn out that getting the work done within the specified time limit is impossible for reasons about which the project manager has little knowledge, such as technical issues. Consulting on problematic issues in a larger group not only allows you to see the problem in a different light but also raises the team’s morale and makes it easier for its members to take responsibility for the decisions made.
Ability to manage human resources
Managerial positions require such skills as the appropriate organization of work of the employees. In the case of managerial positions, mediation abilities are also important. It is worth highlighting in your answers during the interview that an objective approach for every single situation is important. Subordinates’ opinion is important for a good manager, which is also worth mentioning. In the eyes of the potential employer, the ability to control emotions, individual approach to employees, assertiveness, and behaving towards the employees in a way setting a good example is also advantageous.
An interview is usually associated with stress, but proper preparation increases self-confidence, which facilitates answering both substantive and inherently subjective questions. At the same time, you cannot forget to simply remain yourself in each interview for a manager!
Project time management skills
Time in project management is a precious commodity. In any project management step, successful project managers efficiently manage project time and achieve project goals. According to time management principles, the daily schedule should be planned 60 percent of the time, with the remainder reserved for unexpected events. This is why it is key to plan the meetings strategically and, above anything else, to convene them only when it is necessary. In many cases, they can be safely replaced with a telephone conference or tools for group work. In addition, communication software is worth using tools that help us communicate in the fastest and most effective way possible.
What tools can a project manager use?
As regards the most important expectations that the team members have towards the project manager, we cannot leave out the efficient management of communication on the team-customer line. It is extremely important that the project manager not only clarifies comprehensibly all aspects of the project to the client but also encourages him to make trouble-free decisions. An invaluable improvement on the way to the mutual agreement may be letting the client enter the project section. With access to the project management software such as IC Project, the client is not only able to track the work progress, submit remarks, and introduce tasks regularly, but also, which is the most important aspect, feel a part of the team.
Just like even the best project manager will not implement a project himself, no project can be successful without a person in a managerial position who will take up the responsibility for its direction.
How do I prepare for a management interview?
There are many books on how to act during an interview to make a good first impression and what to do to impress a potential employer (e.g. if an interview is for a Japanese company it may be worth it to know what is a Kaizen).
People holding managerial positions should demonstrate knowledge of team management and good human resources management skills. This is confirmed by Carla Northcutt: “The goal of a lot of leaders is to get people to have the best opinion of them; the goal of a great leader is to make people think better of themselves.” Such a belief should accompany managers not only during the recruitment process but also every day at work. Demonstrating such an attitude during the interview has a great chance to gain the favor of the recruiter. You cannot predict 100% what questions will come up during interviews for managerial positions, but it is worth using a few tips which will help you get through this process and will give you the possibility to show your professionalism and greatest merits.
What are interview questions for manager position?
The interviewer wants to check if the candidate is aware of his or her market value. That being so, recruiters often ask questions like the following:
- “What are your strengths?”
- “Why should we employ you?”
- “What can you contribute to our enterprise?”
By answering questions like these, you can demonstrate your knowledge of the industry and the specific nature of the offered position. You should prepare for questions like these earlier primarily because it is worth thinking about what strengths you have. However, instead of listing them, it is best to support them with specific examples.
When applying for the manager position in an advertising agency, you can combine personality traits with the requirements specified in the job offer. Instead of talking about being a person who is approachable and creative and who can find their way out of every situation, it is better to provide an example of your activities in the form of a short story:
“Last year, during a coffee break at a marketing conference, I met the director of a corporation selling car parts. We started to talk about the automotive industry and an over-a-dozen-year-old car model which I wanted to renew and finished by agreeing on details of a marketing campaign, which was implemented several weeks later in the advertising agency in which I was employed”.
One of the basic tasks in the recruitment process is to present yourself. When answering questions, it is worth summarizing information regarding education, recruitment history, and professional experience in 1-2 minutes.
When presenting education or experience, it is worth alluding to the requirements described in the job offer. For example, a person applying for the position of a Financial Manager should present herself/himself as an employee who can supervise financial procedures and assess financial and trade risks, and who can cooperate with entrepreneurs or representatives of various institutions. It is worth supporting your statements with concrete examples of successes and solved problems.
How do I sell myself for a management position?
During the recruitment process, openness, kindness, propriety, and a smile will make a good impression on the interviewer. Standard rules apply to every single interview:
- clothes adequate to the position for which the applicant applies,
- truthfulness and conciseness of utterances
- moderate gesticulation
- open attitude
- good articulation means explicit, clear, accurate, and effortless utterances.
What are the hardest interview questions?
Just like in the work of a manager, executive, or director, negative situations can be turned into positive ones during an interview. One of them can be the answer to a question about the reason for the resignation from the previous job. The response should not contain the details of the situation in the previous workplace; it is better to present the reason for resignation as an interest in further professional development and a willingness to improve qualifications.
Knowledge of the company’s offer during the interview
During interviews, it is worth having at least some basic knowledge about the given company’s project management. The answer to the question regarding the company should leave the impression that the candidate spent time learning about the company’s profile and would like to learn even more. The level of knowledge about the company to which you apply should allow the free and easy conversation about the offer, brand, history, and mission of the company. Preparation betokens good motivation of the candidate and a serious approach to the recruitment process for a managerial position.