What is ITIL?

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a globally recognized collection of best practices for information technology (IT) service management. ITIL is a documented set of processes designed to define how a companys IT functions can operate. It contains a series of statements defining the procedures, controls and resources that should be applied to a variety of IT related processes. To put it simply, ITIL can be thought of ISO 9000 for the IT department. IT infrastructure consists of the equipment, systems, software, and services used in common across an organization, regardless of mission/program/project. IT Infrastructure also serves as the foundation upon which mission/program/projectspecific systems and capabilities are built. There are more methodologies and frameworks out there and the correct one for a given IT infrastructure project will depend on the size, scope and complexity of the project itself. What is the project life cycle of IT infrastructure? 1. Concept Phase: the problem to be solved is identified. 2. Development and Planning Phase: what needs to be done is identified. 3. Implementation and Execution Phase): actual work of the project is carried out. 4. Termination and Close Phase): the product is finalized, evaluated and rejected or accepted.
A typical project life cycle may contain the following four phases, 1. Starting the Project (Concept Phase): the problem to be solved is identified. Deliverables from this phase could be: Feasibility studies that clarify the problem to be solved Order of magnitude forecasts of cost A project charter to grant permission for the project to proceed

2.

Organization and Preparing (Development and Planning Phase): what needs to be done is identified. Deliverables created here include: The scope statement A work breakdown structure (WBS) A schedule baseline A determination of budgetary costs and a developed budget Identification of resources and team members with levels of responsibility A risk assessment A communications management plan The project management plan Control systems and methods for handling change control Carrying out the Work (Implementation and Execution Phase): actual work of the project is carried out. Deliverables include: Execution results for work packages Status reports and performance reporting Procurement of goods and services

3.

Managing, controlling and redirecting (if needed) of scope, quality, schedule and cost Resolution of problems Integration of the product into operations and the transferal of responsibility

4.

Closing the Project (Termination and Close Phase): the product is finalized, evaluated and rejected or accepted. Deliverables include: Formal acceptance

Documented results and lessons learned

Reassignment or release of resources

How would you start a project? Some basic starting points to start of a project are: 1. Create a Charter: A charter is a good way to define the boundaries of the project. The charter should include the background and history, the mission and objectives, the approach to run the project, the key team members and their roles, the communication plan and other key project approaches (issue management, escalation, change management, etc). Spending the time creating the charter will help you to think through these key components and then provide a clear direction for the team and stakeholders. 2. Create the Project Deliverables: Once the charter has laid out the high level scope, next are the project plan, resource plan and budget. The plan should be created by facilitating from the team members the specific deliverables needed to meet the objectives and then the specific activities to create the deliverables. The resource plan and estimate should align to these activities based on who is needed, for how long and what their costs are. To accompany the plans, the project should have an action item log, risk log, issue log (I keep all three in the same place) and a central team site to store project documents. 3. Create a Roadmap: Lastly once the project plan has been created it will show the key capabilities and the dependencies between them. Therefore a roadmap should be easy to develop which is a visual representation of the capabilities and their order. This is very useful in managing expectations of delivery and capabilities. This is just my short list. There are logistical items like team meetings, kickoffs and stakeholder sessions but I would propose those come after these key planning documents. What metrics would you expect to use to determine the success of your project? To determine the success of the project there are two things that you need 1. Make sure you have an agreement with the client on the set of metrics used to declare success. 2. Secondly, make sure the metrics are balanced and broad enough to represent the reality of the project experience. Getting back to the point you need a set of rounded metrics that covered cost, schedule, performance of the solution, and performance of the team to determine the success of your project. For example

Actual costs expended vs. the original budget and actual delivery date vs. the
original schedule.

 Quantitative Qualitative

metrics that describe the solution's performance, including response time and defects. metrics that describe client satisfaction with the solution, including ease of use, look and feel, etc.

Satisfaction

feedback that describes the client's satisfaction with how the project team performed, including how quickly the team responded to problems, how well they communicated, how well they partnered, etc. What are the project management skills you apply to handle changes? Changes are inevitable in projects but an uncontrolled change is the biggest threat for the project. That's why a solid change management process can be a project manager's best friend. Putting this kind of process in place enables you to deliver what the customer has requested, in the timeline required, and within the agreedupon budget. A good project manager can easily recognize change, knows how to react to change, and knows how to recognize new opportunities. First we need to analyze the change and get the approval of the change from all required stake holders, then need to document the change and maintain integral change management process, change management process like how do you accept the change, what is the threshold amount of effort you will consider to call a change in request as change, then manage and control the change, like applying the change to sizing, scheduling, communicating the change, documenting the impact of the change. http://consultingacademy.com/a07.shtm http://pmi-ittelecom.org/pmtopics/the-project-plan-and-managing-scope-creep/

You have a team member who is not meeting his commitments, what do you do? Do you know about escalation management? Yes, and I think that it is useful to get the job done. However one should be able to persuade the people working in the projects or let them have their space for completing their tasks. Are you ok with high levels of stress? There are always ways of managing stress and projects about services are not subject of a lot of stress if you have been involved in previous engagements with higher levels of risks. SO it is every day concern and it is part of the workload. When risk is identified in a project life cycle? Risks can be identified right from the Inception stage. Even when the project charter is put down, it can have identified risks in it.

What do you see as trends in the technology marketplace? Cloud computing, more intelligence/functionality pushed to handheld devices, impact of social media websites on how products are sold through 'friends'. Why are you a project manager? Has to do with my interest, years of experience and professional certification in project management How do you manage issues on a project? For managing issues on the project I use the issue log.
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Tell me about a time when a project went off track and what you did to get it back on track. I brought everyone together, focused on the issues and not the people, gathered the necessary information to put it back on track, and planned for more time communication. What is the most important thing you have learned about Project Management? Communication is very important. How do you handle projects that did not meet expectations? If you are communicating well during the project development, documenting changes to scope, schedule and cost, there should be little surprises in the project outcome. If a project needs to be killed, then kill it or re-scope it. How will you work as a PM in completely different domain where you do not have domain knowledge? Mention the transferable and soft skills.. not easy to convince though What type of baseline estimating do you prefer? Bottom up estimates are the most accurate ones, so if I am given a choice I would create and rely on bottom up estimates to manage expectations of the stakeholders.

How would you handle change management on a project? To handle change management on any project you need support from top down which is most critical. Another thing that you would require is buy in from individuals who would be affected by change so it is important they understand what is in it for them. What if you had to get something done (in an undisclosed foreign country) but could not because someone was not allowing? It depends on the laws and the reach of my authority; there are usually options on some level, people to talk to. What is my authority? (My question was not answered)

What are the biggest mistakes that new project managers make? In my opinion following are the mistakes that new project managers usually make: Not managing project: Your job as a project manager is to lead the people who do the actual work (of course this depends on the size of the project, in small projects you will have a technical role too). Underestimate the importance of communication: You can have as many technical tools as you like - in the end project management is people business! Reinventing the Wheel: Most problems have previously been solved before by other people in your organization. If you are new, you need help. Find someone you can meet with to spend 10 minutes every few days discussing the most critical problems you are facing. Pick the right tools: You need to pick the correct tool for the project you are working on. Not to be blindly led by the methodology that you have just learned/is flavor of the month. Not nailing down the scope: Make sure that you nail down the scope of the Project at the very beginning. Get confirmation from the key stakeholders that their view of the scope is in line with yours. Get early sign off to your Project Management Plan and draft your stakeholder plan (including a RACI) as a first priority. Thereafter stakeholder management (and hence engagement) should be straightforward. Earned Value is an approach to measure project performance. It compares the amount of work that was planned with what was actually accomplished to determine if cost and schedule performance is as planned. EVM simply asks the question if we had planned to spend an amount of money to produce an outcome, did we spend this money at the planned time for the planned outcomes. And if so did this outcome fulfill the planned requirements? That is was the outcome 100% complete on the planned day for the planned amount?

Risk PMBOK Guide Fourth Edition is an uncertain event or condition that, if it

occurs, has an effect on at least one project objective. Objectives can include scope,

schedule, cost, and quality. A risk may have one or more causes and, if it occurs, it may have one or more impacts. A cause may be a requirement, assumption, constraint, or condition that creates the possibility of negative or positive outcomes. Risk response strategies for negative risks (Threats) 1. Avoid Completely irradiate the risk from the system. 2. Transfer This strategy doesnt take away risk from the system but it just transfers the ownership from one organization to another by paying certain cost. E.g. Outsourcing is the classic example of transferring the risk. 3. Mitigate Mitigation (alleviate or become milder) is to be done on probability and impact. Mitigate probability Lower down the chance of occurring the risk. Project manager should try to mitigate the probability of risk if it cant be completely avoided. Mitigate impact Assuming risk still occurs, project manager should look forward to lower the impact of risk on the project. Risk response strategies for positive risks (Opportunities) 1. Exploit Once positive risk is identified, make sure the risk occurs and project and/or organization gains out of it. 2. Share After opportunity is identified, join hands with peers to make most out of it. 3. Enhance Increase the likelihood of risk occurring. Risk response strategies for positive and negative risks (Opportunities) 1. Accept Yes you read it correct! Accept the risk. This is one of the perfectly acceptable risk response strategy. There are few risks which are out of control of project organization and project manager has no other option but to accept them and still continue running the project by finding alternate ways to tackle the issues arising from these risks. Risk Triggers are indications that a risk has occurred or about to occur. We can think of them as events, conditions, early warning signs that trigger the contingency response. Residual Risks are:

Risks that remain after applying risk response strategies have been
implemented.

Risks that are not worth dealing with upfront (probably the cost involved in
dealing with them is less than the cost to address their outcome). We simply accept them. Secondary Risks are the risks that emerge as a result of applying risk response strategies. Contingency Reserves are time and cost reserves that account for "knownunknowns" or simply "knowns". They cover the "Residual Risks" on the project.

Management Reserves are time and cost reserves that account for "unknownunknowns" or simply "unknowns". What if something unforeseen happens, that I cannot think of right now? Usually the management reserves a certain amount (say 5% of the project cost baseline) for such unforeseen events. The Project Manager is NOT authorized to approve the use of management reserves. "Management" approval is required to use such funds. Contingency Plans are plans specifying the action to be taken when the risk event (positive or negative) occurs. These plans are specifically for the Residual Risks. Workaround are "corrective actions" taken to deal with a risk event that has occurred. Unlike contingency plans, these are "unplanned responses" to a risk. Project Cost Baseline= Project Estimate + (Cost) Contingency Reserves Project Cost Budget = Project Cost Baseline + Management Reserves

Project Baseline

Original Plan + All Approved Changes.

Schedule baseline Cost baseline Scope baseline Quality baseline

Change Control is the process of identifying, documenting, approving or rejecting, and controlling changes to the project baselines (including scope baselines, schedule baselines, cost baselines, etc.). In other words, it is used to control changes to all aspects of an approved project plan. An effective Change Control system ensures that:

Proposed changes are reviewed and their impact is analyzed, prior to approving
or rejecting them.

All requests and changes are properly documented to provide a clear audit trail.
Configuration Control is the activity of managing the product (or project's deliverables) and related documents, throughout the lifecycle of the product. An effective Configuration Control system ensures that: The latest approved version of the product and its components are used at all times. No change is made to the product baselines without authorization. A clear audit trail of all proposed, approved or implemented changes exists. Difference between Configuration Control and Change Control 1. Configuration Control addresses the management of the product (or project's deliverables), whereas Change Control addresses the management of the project. 2. Configuration Control manages changes to the product baseline, whereas Change Control manages changes to the project baseline.

3. Configuration Control is applied throughout the lifecycle of the product (concept>design->develop/manufacture->service->dispose), whereas Change Control is applied during the lifecycle of the project subsequent to establishing the project baselines. 5 Basic Forms of Power of a Project Manager

Legitimate (or Formal): The formal authority or power derived from the
position. It is also known as Formal power.

Reward: The power of directly or indirectly rewarding the team member.

Rewards may be in the form of salary, promotion, bonus or better work assignments.

Penalty (or Coercive / Punishment): The power of directly or indirectly

penalizing the team members. Penalty may be in the form of suspension, reprimand, unpleasant assignments etc. It is also known as Coercive power and Punishment power.

Expert: The power derived from special knowledge or expertise. Referent (or Charisma): The power derived from personality traits or
charisma. It is also known as Charisma power. Positional Powers vs. Personal Powers

Positional powers are derived from the position of the project manager.
Legitimate, Reward and Penalty powers are positional powers.

Personal powers are derived from the knowledge, expertise or personality

traits of the project manager. Expert and Referent powers are personal powers. Which is the best form of power for a Project Manager? The best form of power depends upon the situation and the maturity level of the project manager. Generally speaking, personal powers (Expert and Referent) are better than positional powers (Legitimate, Reward and Penalty). Critical Path Method Critical path determines the shortest time to complete the project and it is the longest duration path through a network of tasks. Critical tasks (activities) are tasks (activities) on the critical path. CPM is helpful in: Project Planning and control. Time-cost trade-offs. Cost-benefit analysis. Contingency planning. Reducing risk. Limitations of CPM:

CPM assumes low uncertainty in schedule dates. Does not consider resource dependencies. Less efficient use of buffer time. Less focus on non-critical tasks that can cause risk. Based on only deterministic task duration. Critical Path can change during execution.

Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM): According to PMBOK Critical chain method is a schedule network analysis technique that modifies the project schedule to account for limited resources. It mixes deterministic and probabilistic approaches to schedule network analysis. CCPM takes advantage of the best practices of:

PMBOK: Planning and control processes. TOC (Theory of Constraints): Remove bottleneck to resolve constraints. Lean: Eliminate waste. Six Sigma: Reduce Variations.
CCPM helps to overcome following phenomenon.

Parkinsons Law: Work expands to fill the available time. Student Syndrome: People start to work in full fledge only when deadline is near. Murphy's Law: What can go wrong will go wrong. Bad Multi-Tasking: Bad multitasking can delay start of the successor tasks.
CCPM is based on: Resource constrained situations. Optimum use of Buffer (amount of time added to any task to prevent slippage of schedule)

Project Buffers (PB): Amount of buffer time at the end of the project. Feeding Buffers (FB): Amount of buffer time at the end of a sequence
of tasks.

Resource Buffers (RB): It is an alert that is used to indicate that

resource is needed to perform a task. This alert can be set few days before a resource is actually needed. Comparison of CPM and CCPM: Using CCPM: Project Duration can be reduced by 25-40%. Resources can be utilized effectively. Project is fully focused on both critical and non-critical tasks

How would you resolve a timeline constraint mandated by Senior Management at short notice? Q. How to deal with conflicts among stakeholders?
Ans. The first rule before you start resolving these conflicts is to remember that these conflicts are often bigger than you as a person, and you should accept that. The second rule is to never take sides. You will experience the wrath of any stakeholder you will align yourself against, and it won't be beautiful. Now as a project manager, you must have some negotiation skills (either innate or acquired). So here's what you should do: The first thing to do is to try to understand what the problem is: why there is a conflict in the first place. The second thing to do is to identify the impact of the conflict on the project, if the impact is minimal, then let the stakeholders sort it out together, if the impact is heavy, then move on to the next step. The third thing to do is to find a compromise between the stakeholders, the compromise should satisfy all parties, and you must ensure that no stakeholder feels that another stakeholder "got more" with this compromise. Make sure that your compromise does not affect the interests of other stakeholders. In case you are unable to resolve the conflicts then alert the affected stakeholders of the impact of this conflict on the project. This will urge them into finding a solution themselves.

Q. Strategies for resolving team conflicts

What are some of the efficient strategies for resolving team conflicts (please don't give me a clich answer such as "communicate, communicate, and communicate")? I am currently in a dilemma as there are many team conflicts on my project which is leading to very low productivity and I can't seem to find a way to resolve them. Ans. Often you may find the team tries to draw you into the conflict. My strategy is to first push it back on them to resolve their own issues. If that doesn't work (I find it often does since I appear to be not taking side and getting drawn in) and they return to me for resolution, I patiently listen to both sides and then facilitate developing a plan they can agree on to resolve the problem. Mediation is very similar to negotiation in this respect. Unlike either, I have a vested interest in getting this resolved, so if they can't agree, we will agree to disagree and set some boundaries on what appropriate behaviors will be going forward.

Q. Whose responsibility is it to resolve conflicts between team members?

When there are two team members having a conflict/disagreement with each other, whose responsibility is it to resolve the conflict between the two? Is it always the project manager? Or should the team members

resolve the conflict by themselves without the intervention of a third party?

Ans. The two best people to resolve a disagreement are the people with the disagreement. So if someone approaches me with a disagreement with someone else, I usually ask them to go to the person they disagree with and try to settle it. If they cannot, then I ask them to return to me where I will listen to the sides and suggest an equitable resolution.

Give examples of conflicts a project manager has to deal with?

Project managers often have to deal with conflicts, which strategy implementation throws up. Name five types of conflict that a project manager is likely to have to deal with.
Ans. Not my job - an uncooperative team member doesn't want to perform I can't work with him/her - people that can't get along I'm overloaded - so I'll do nothing until you help me sort this out Gotcha - I sat silently during the project meeting so everyone could hang themselves I don't have to listen to you - you're not my boss, so I don't have to do what you ask, even if you say please and ask nicely ... I'll just ignore you These are all illustrations of conflicts which have a variety of root causes: differences in education, background, and/or gender differences in style (doing things differently than we are used to) differences in leadership style interdependence conflicts (we depend on each other and others) personality clashes

How do you establish & keep good customer relationships throughout the project, so as to minimize conflict?
Maintaining an open dialog and showing flexible and adaptable responses will be the best way to maintain the relationship. Also provide regular status reporting on items that matter most to the client. Finally, it is always best to define up front the "rules of engagement". I always set the expectation that changes will be managed (and proceed to explain HOW they will be managed). Remember, change requests can represent financial opportunity, so I wouldn't necessarily shut them down or consider them evil. When I was a PM for imaging projects, at the implementation meeting after the signing of the contract, I would explain the major options to the client and listen to their requirements. I would often come back with defined changes that were up to 25-50% of the contract value, based on new requirements which were not known at the time the contract was signed. Each change was represented by a change request which documented the change, the cost and schedule for the change, and other pertinent information. I would review these with clients and they liked the opportunity to be involved. Sometimes they would authorize all the changes or they would pick and choose -- some changes were made immediately and then some were deferred to a subsequent implementation phase. This provided an opening

to continue the project when the main work had ended. As I reported status, I tracked their initial contract requirements separately from the changes. A mini Earned Value Report showed them where we stood each week. Once they understood the report, I never had an issue collecting on an invoice.

How to deal with difficult team members? In every project I manage, I always run into difficult team members, you known, the know-it-all and don't-want-to-listen-to-any-word-you-say kind of team member. Managing these difficult people takes a lot my time and energy. I'm sure that other project managers also face the same problem, so how do they usually deal with it?
Ans. Here are some tips that you need to do. I've listed them in order, so if one fails, you move to the next...

Talk to the team member: Try to understand why he's behaving this way, if doesn't
want to say why, then you should tell him that his negative behavior is affecting the project and you need him to work on his attitude a bit. You should be careful and soft when you talk to him.

Talk to his functional manager: Sometimes team members become "difficult"

because they just don't want to accept that you are telling them what to do and/or they think that you don't have technical leadership. If you talk to that team members' functional manager then the latter might rectify the situation.

Ask to get him out of the project: If the previous step fails, then you should ask for a
replacement resource, as the difficult team member is becoming an unproductive and disruptive team member, and is harming the project.

Reduce his tasks to almost a null level: This is a last resort, if the person is doing
nothing and management is OK, then give him nothing: reduce his tasks and give him very stupid and tedious tasks.

How does a project manager handle conflicts successfully?

What are the best practices that the project manager has to follow in order to handle/manage conflicts successfully? Is there a certain process that he has to follow or should he just rely on his best judgment when resolving conflicts?

Ans. In order for the project manager to handle conflicts successfully, he must following the
below steps (in order):

Understand the root cause of the conflict: Most of the times, the cause of the
conflict is not what it appears to be. Often the real cause has to do with ego, envy, personal issues between team members.

Distinguish if it's a positive conflict or a negative conflict. Positive conflicts are

good and need to be addressed, and they result in higher productivity, negative conflicts affect the performance of both members and potentially the whole team. Negative conflicts should be addressed.

Identify the type of each individual in the conflict, is he the predator or the prey?
Now use one of the following approaches to resolve the conflict:

 Make both parties confront each other: This is where both parties air their concerns
to each other under the supervision of the project manager. Both parties try to find a common ground and try to resolve their conflicts without the interference of anyone else.

Bridge the gap between the conflicting parties: If the previous step fails, then get
involved personally and try to bridge the gap between the conflicting parties. Your role at this point is a mediator. You have to ensure that both parties offer a compromise and both parties are satisfied with the compromise they offer and they receive.

Force the conflict resolution: If you feel there is no way for a compromise between
the two parties, you have to force a resolution. Forcing means that the two parties have to work with each other, whether they like it or not, and the compromises that you decide should be offered by both parties. You may also avoid the conflict altogether, and pretend it doesn't even exist, but beware, leaving things like this to foster can cost you dearly even on the short term (resources quitting, very low productivity, sour work environment, etc...) Whatever you do, just ensure you don't pick a side against the other, or else you will lose both persons' respect.

How to deal with romance in your project team?

Here's the situation: We started a large web project in the beginning of the year (2010), I picked the best employees in the company to be on the project team. Few months into the project, I have discovered that two team members have fell in love. I was happy on the outside, yet deep down inside I knew it was going to be trouble. After that, they started taking their personal problems to work, what makes the problem even worse that they do have to work together a lot... It seems that now every week we have at least a problem in the schedule because of these 2 people. When their relationship is OK, their interconnected tasks are done on time and on schedule, but when it's not, they start blaming each other for the delays in front of the team, while the real reason that when they are fighting, they just refuse to work with each other or be helpful to each other. Clearly, the situation is becoming unacceptable at this point and I need to do something without interfering in their personal lives. I just don't think that standard conflict management is the solution in this situation... Any suggestions on how to deal with romance when it comes to managing projects? Ans .
Option 1. This is an extremely delicate situation and interfering in any way may put you in trouble. I would say stay clear from this until the end of the project, and make sure you don't put them on the same team in your next project. Option 2. I think there is a way to talk to them without interfering in their personal lives. Just call them for a meeting, and then start explaining that the intermittent bickering happening between them is adversely affecting the flow of the project, and they need to be more professional. I'm sure this will change things for the better, because they will realize

that their fighting in the company may jeopardize their involvement in the project, and to some extent, their jobs.

How do you manage and resolve conflicting scope requirements between stakeholders?
As we all know, scope requirements coming from different stakeholders can easily be conflicting, how do you manage that, while making sure that not a single stakeholder feels ignored? Ans. Communication, communication, communication. That's how you resolve these
conflicting requirements. As a project manager, you are constantly faced with this situation, and you need to communicate with each and every stakeholder in order to reach a balance. The best way to handle this is to hold a meeting that all the stakeholders will attend, and discuss each and every person's requirements in the meeting, and point out with whom requirements that stakeholder's requirements conflict with. At this point, stakeholders will do an extra effort to resolve the conflicts themselves, either by concessions or compromises.

What types of conflicts can occur among project managers, line managers, and functional managers?
What are the conflicts that usually occur among project managers, line managers, and functional managers? Are these conflicts restricted to conflicts over resources and authority?
Ans. Conflicts among these types of managers are often triggered by different perspectives. Functional and line managers perceive that there is specific work to be accomplished in a defined timeframe. They may view projects as "endless activities" with deadlines that frequently move. Also, functional and line managers need to be assured that projects that require their direct reports will actually benefit them and/or their groups. The conflicts may occur over the actual work to be performed on a project as well as timing and priorities.

What are some of the best practices that project managers can follow when they develop the project schedule?
Ans. Here's some that I know of:

Involve team members. Let the team participate in creating the plan and schedule. Once you have agreed on an effort estimate, don't change it (you don't need to
accept it point blank -- it needs to be reasonable). Plan on changing the duration or number of resources instead. Changing the effort dishonors the estimate the team provided.

 Don't regularly load resources more than 85% give or take.

There are always interruptions, time off, meetings, etc. that fill in the remainder and you don't want to force the team to regularly work overtime. Overtime is expected however when deliverables are not being met.

Be sure to include contingency in time as well as budget. Use dependencies to manage how tasks link together, not dates.
something changes, you will not have to update every task.

Then when

How to know that a project schedule is realistic?

I always shoot myself in the foot when I schedule a project, as all my project schedules so far are unrealistic (I'm still an inexperienced project manager). So my question is to the experienced project managers out there, how do you know (prior to executing the project) that your project schedule is realistic? Do you use any metrics to determine this or do you just follow your hunch? Ans. The key to a great schedule, besides really understanding the requirements and breaking them down into smaller work packages, is to have really good estimates. The estimates are better if: - there are multiple estimators - estimates are done bottom up (detailed) and top down (metrics and rules of thumb) - the estimates are independently checked I do use metrics, however am only familiar with those of software projects. If these are your projects, look for books by Fred Brooks (The Mythical Man Month), Gerald Weinberg (The Psychology of Computer Programming) and Ben Shneiderman (I believe the title is Software Metrics - he published studies at the University of Maryland) for some great tips. The metrics and rules of thumb will vary by industry.

How to optimize the project schedule?

What are the things that a project manager can do to optimize his project schedule? I know that resource leveling and resource smoothing are two ways of doing this, but are there other ways to optimize schedules? Ans. Here are some tips to optimize your project schedule:

Check the load on each and every resource, ensure no one is over-allocated or underallocated. Create an ideal allocation percentage (I like to go for 70%). If someone is below or above the ideal allocation percentage, then use resource leveling.

Ensure the right resource is working on the right task. Don't allocate a task that is about
cutting the PSD into HTML to your top programmer (even if he knows how to do it).

Ensure that each resource's work is evenly spread across the project schedule. This is
called resource smoothing (see: http://www.projectmanagementquestions.com/2880/resource-smoothing )

Ensure that your resources are not reserved by the project while doing nothing (other
projects may be starving for these resources)

Other than that, there's not much that you can do to optimize the schedule once the project starts. In any case, I think the project schedule should be optimized from the get-go (correctly estimating tasks, delicately assigning resources to tasks, etc...)

What is the difference between schedule baseline and performance measurement baseline?
Ans. A schedule baseline only considers the project timeline. By one definition, a performance measurement baseline (PMB) is a time-phased budget plan. By another commonly used definition, it involves all key measurements including schedule, budget, and operating performance/quality.

What is a project schedule contingency?

I am confused to what a schedule contingency is when planning for the project. Is it just a fancy term that means padding the project schedule? Or is it something else? Is there a "scientific" way to handle contingency scheduling? Ans. Project Schedule Contingency is really just a fancy term for adding some extra time to the schedule to handle risk. Schedule contingency can be done in 2 ways: Explicitly adding slack to the project schedule Reducing the resource utilization: For example, instead of allocating a resource for a 100% of his time, then allocate him for 70 or 80% of his time I usually use the two above methods simultaneously. There is no scientific way to handle schedule contingency.

What type of information can be learned about a project by viewing the project schedule?
Let's say you're a stakeholder, what is the information that you expect to learn by viewing the project schedule? Ans. Some of the things that you can find out looking at the project schedule are:

Is the project on schedule? Are some of the resources over-allocated? Are some of the resources under-allocated? Is there a lot of slack (or is there little slack) in the schedule? What is the critical path? Who are the resources allocated on the critical path? Will there be a hiccup in the project if resource X gets sick (resource X has a lot of tasks
on the critical path)

Is it OK to pad the project schedule?

We all know that project managers are often accused of "padding" the project schedule, and rightly so. So my question is, is it OK to pad the project schedule, and to what extent? How much padding, in percentage, should I add to the project schedule?

How to deal with the customer when the project is delayed?

I am currently working on a project that is behind schedule. I am sure that if I tell the customer he will get very pissed. How can I tell him about the situation (that the end date is pushed) in a way where he won't overreact? Or should I just not tell him? Ans. Communicate! The customer will be definitely pissed but at least he'll respect your honesty. If you withhold this information from your customer, it can eventually come to haunt you back. Projects experience delays, and this is very normal. Most (if not all) customers know that, but they always want their projects to be finished "yesterday". Again, honesty is the best policy in your situation. You may want to ask for an advice from your project sponsor. He'll most likely help you in this case (it is his job!). Here's an example on how to do this: - Approach the customer gently, ask for a meeting, do not tell him this over the phone or by email (email is really bad in this case). - Try to have this over lunch, usually when people are eating they are less aggressive and can tolerate these bad news. Not to mention that people are usually friendlier and more casual. - Tell him why exactly the project was late, be straight to the point. - Tell him when you expect the project to be finished - Tell him what you are going to do in the future to avoid the re-occurrence of this situation. The last step is very important as it will increase the customer's trust in you, because by saying so you made yourself look proactive, you are ensuring that this will never happen in the future. Doing the above steps not only will buy you time with the customer, but will increase your standing as a professional project manager with him. Try it!

How to deal with an unrealistic project schedule?

I am always faced with a situation where an unrealistic project schedule is imposed on me. How can I deal with that? Should I just go with the flow (while of course mentioning that the schedule is impossible to the stakeholders) and proceed with the project execution, or should I just refuse to work on the project until a better schedule is agreed upon... Ans. This is a two edge sword:

- Refusing to work on the project will label you as a "chicken" - Working on the project (as is) will almost certainly label you as someone who can't get the job done I'd say negotiate the best you can, and try to remove some requirements while making every one signoff to the new scope. If this is not possible, then I'm sorry to say that the company your work for isn't the best company in the world, and you should probably seek your fortune somewhere else.

What is a level 1 project schedule?

I'm hearing of 3 levels of project schedules: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. What are they? Is project level 1 a non-detailed project schedule, while level 3 is the most detailed? Ans. The level 1 project schedule is the very top level of the WBS, which the most breakable tasks, for example, in a website development project, a level 1 project schedule may consist of the following: 1234Design Development Integration Testing

All of the above are level 1 tasks. Level 2 for design will include the following: 1.1 - PSD Design 1.2 - HTML Mockup Level 3 is usually the most granular task (that cannot be broken further), and is assigned to a resource.

How can a project manager plan for unforeseen risks?

How should the project manager plan to handle unforeseen risks? Is the only way to do so is to add contingency to both his project schedule and his project budget, or are there other, better ways to do so? Is it possible to have zero unforeseen risks in a project, or are all projects "plagued" with such risks and there is no way to avoid them, regardless of how good the risk management plan is? Ans. Planning for unforeseen risks mainly means adding contingency (padding the project schedule and increasing the project budget) to deal with these risks. Naturally, unforeseen risks catch the project manager by surprise, so what should he do (other than adding contingency) to deal with them? Well, one thing that he can do is to add, in the risk management plan, a clause that addresses the unforeseen risks and have the client sign on it. The clause should clearly state that if the project faces a risk that is not listed in the RMP, then here's what should happen... (the three dots should be replaced by something like the "client should accept the extra delays and costs incurred by these risks" or something similar).

Note that another good way to plan for unforeseen risks is to compare your project to similar projects in the past and to see what unforeseen risks these projects faced, and what was done (or should have been done) to handle these risks.

What is risk exposure?

I was reading an article on project risk management and I read something about "risk exposure". The article stated that risk exposure is one the most important metrics for assessing risks. Please explain what risk exposure is and what it means to risk assessment. Also, since it's a metric, then this means that its a number that can be calculated. So how do you calculate risk exposure? Ans. Risk exposure is the same thing as Risk score, so it is calculated this way: RE = RP + RI - (RP x RI) Where: RE = Risk Exposure RP = Risk Probability (which is a number from 0 to 1, 0 means that the risk has no probability of occurring and 1 means that the risk will definitely occur) RI = Risk Impact (which is the impact of the risk, also from 0 to 1, 0 means that the risk has no impact on the project whatsoever and 1 means that the risk has the highest impact on the project). For example, if a risk has a 50% probability of occurring and has an impact of 0.3 over the project, then the Risk Exposure will be: RE = 0.5 + 0.3 - 0.5 x 0.3 = 0.65 Note that RE also ranges between 0 and 1. 0 means that the risk is not critical at all and does not need to be managed, while 1 means that the risk is very critical.

Known unknowns in project management

I want someone to explain to me the concept of known unknowns in project risk management. What are they? Are they just another type of risk? Can you also give me an example of known unknowns? I have read that the first person who came up with the concept of known unknowns was Donald Rumsfield (ex-secretary of defense), am I right? Ans. A known unknown, in project management, is related to contingency planning. For example, in a software project, we know before we start the project that we will miss some requirements which can lead to extra costs (this is the known part), but we don't know how much these costs will be (this is the unknown part), we also know that these requirements will take some extra time to get done (known) but we don't know how much time they will take (unknown). So the amount and the time allocated for these known unknowns is the contingency reserve.

How often would the risk register be reviewed?

I can find many answers on how to create the risk register, and how to update it, but I can't find any answer on when to review and update the risk register. Should

the risk register be reviewed (and probably updated) every day? Every week? Every month? Ans. The risk register, in my opinion, should be updated "as-it-happens". So, whenever you have a risk that has newly materialized, a risk that changed in status (open/closed), or a risk that has changed in importance (low, medium, high) you need to update the risk register. Further during course of the project qualitative, quantitative risk analysis, planning the risk response for each risk, the risk register gets updated.

Can project risk be eliminated?

Is there a way to eliminate some risks on the project so that we won't have to account for them in the risk management plan? What I would like to know if there is something, in project management, called risk elimination process? And if there is such a process, then how is it done? Ans. At least in theory, it is never possible to remove ALL risks from projects. This is due to the fact that some risks will never be identified and will be what we refer to as the "unknown unknowns". There are risk management methodologies that can assist in identifying some of the "known unknowns" and developing strategies to minimize their probability of occurrence and impact on the project if they do occur. It is possible that there are some risks which are so low in probability that we may not consider them. For example, the probability that snow will hold up construction in southern California in July is a pretty low risk, unless you are in the mountains (and even there, the probability is extremely low). Often we eliminate them from our attention because they are not worth considering.

How to monitor risks?

Please explain the process of monitoring risks. Please also discuss all the risk monitoring techniques, and tell me which technique is better to follow, and why. Finally, I want to ask, when should risks be monitored in the project? Is it only during the executing phase? Ans. Risks can be monitored at scheduled status meetings of the project or it can be done in a separate meeting specifically for risk monitoring. This is called as Risk audits which will examine the identified risks, their causes, & the effectiveness of the risk responses. Variance analysis can also be used to monitor risk. Any deviation from the planned result may lead to a potential risk.

What is proactive project risk management?

Is proactive project risk management a concept or a process? If it's concept, can you please explain it, and if it's a process, can you please define all the steps that should be done in this process to ensure proactive management of the risks? Ans. Proactive risk management is a concept, and not a process. In my opinion, all risk management done by the PM should be proactive. If due diligence is properly done on the project risks, then no risks will suddenly materialize, and all risks will be accounted for. So, you might want to ask, how to do "proactive" risk management? Here are a few steps that I recommend: Be thorough in your risk identification: Don't leave any stone unturned, talk to everyone involved in the project (team members, stakeholders, vendors, etc...), learn

from previous projects (see what kind of risks they faced), learn from other project managers, etc... Analyze each and every risk: Each risk should be thoroughly analyzed. You should know its probability, its impact, and its WRF (weighted risk factor, see: http://www.projectmanagementquestions.com/2000/weighted-risk-factor-analysis) with respect to your project's constraints. Account for secondary risks: Secondary risks happen when risks are mitigated (contingencies applied). As a proactive risk manager, you should take into consideration secondary risks in your RMP. You can read more about secondary risks here: http://www.projectmanagementquestions.com/3858/what-is-a-secondary-risk Calculate the proximity of each and every risk: Calculating risk proximity is tedious (and sometimes very hard), but doing so will allow you to expect at which period a risk will materialize, and after which date a risk will no longer be a threat (here's some information about risk proximity if you don't know what it is: http://www.projectmanagementquestions.com/2281/what-is-risk-proximity) Create and maintain a risk log: Creating and maintaining a risk log means that you are serious about your project's risks and you are closely tracking them.

Risk identification techniques

I would like a comprehensive list of all the techniques that can be applied for risk identification. Can you also please tell me which technique is the best to use (I know that the answer is probably subjective, but I like to know your opinion anyway), and why? Ans. There are many ways that the project manager uses to identify risks, including: Researching similar projects: Maybe get the lessons learned of previous similar projects from the PMO to know what kind of risks and challenges they have faced. Additionally, digging into risk management plans of previous projects is also a good idea. Talk to project managers who managed similar projects: Sometimes a project manager might tell you about risks that he did not account for and he did not even include in the lessons learned. Talk to your project sponsor: Understand what may be the high level challenges that will be faced by the project. Talk to your suppliers: Suppliers can be a source of risks (especially if the project depends on materials). See if there's any chance that your suppliers will have a problem delivering the necessary materials for your project. Talk to your project team: Talking to your project team is critical to understand their skills and their expertise. Try to determine if they actually have the necessary knowledge to perform the tasks (there will be some people lying of course, but one of your skills should be "Human Lie Detector"!). Team members can be a great source of risk if they lie about their skills or if they under-estimate the time it will take them to finish a task. Brainstorm: Usually done with stakeholders, brainstorming is a good idea to determine what will be the risks that may threaten the project. Go on-site: If the project is executed outdoors, such in the case of a construction project, then you should go on site, maybe you'll be able to see some risks there (for example, potential challenges in the excavation because of the proximity to the ocean or the nature of the soil). I would say that reviewing past similar projects is the most important thing that a project manager can do to identify risks.

How are risks minimized?

We all know that managing risks is defined in the risk management plan, where we identify the risks, analyze them (weigh their impact and assess their probability on the project), plan for response and contingencies, etc... But we don't say anything about minimizing risks, minimizing their impact on the project should they occur. How do we do that? Ans. We minimize risks through a variety of mitigation strategies. For example, we take out an insurance policy which transfers some of the risk to the insurance company or we find a business partner to share the risks (and the rewards, if any). We may also put contingency and management reserves into our budgets and schedules. You mention planning for response and the possibility of minimization should be included in that plan.

What are the types of cost risks?

Please list all the types of cost risks that are common to all industries and projects. Ans. Any increase in the cost of anything related to the project is a cost risk, this includes: SUBSTANTIAL SALARY INCREASES: Sometimes companies are forced to substantially increase the salaries of their employees across the board to prevent them from moving to another competitor company. Salary increases will increase the indirect costs of the project. CONTRACTUAL PENALTIES: In some projects, there are terms in the contract that force the vendor (the company developing the project) to a pay a certain amount for the client for every day after the project was supposed to be finished. NON-ACCOUNTED FOR COSTS: Sometimes project managers do not include some expenditures (including material costs, service costs, etc...) in their project budget. This is a potential cost risk in every project. EXCEEDING/UNDERSHOOTING BUDGET - seriously missing the budget by coming in low is a risk since those $ could be more effectively spent on another project, rather than reserved for yours FRAUD/THEFT, particularly if cash or cash equivalents are involved, or expensive components/materials CHANGES IN THE ECONOMY (driving up or down prices of goods and services) CHANGES IN LEGISLATION (changing tax structures, requiring more red tape) COMPETITION (by the time your project is complete, the competition has cornered the market and there is now a limited sales base for your new product/service) Other cost risks include: New taxes, new regulations, inflation, increase in transportation costs, etc...

Who should own the risks on a project?

Generally, who is the stakeholder that should own the risks on a project? Is it the project sponsor? (I'm sure that the project manager should NOT own the risks). Ans. You're right, the project manager does not own the risks, but it is the responsibility of the project manager to know who owns each risk. Now the question is, who should own the risks? There are three ways for doing this: Throwing all the risk ownership on the project sponsor (since his role is instrumental in approving/disapproving all the critical decisions that are related to the project). Throwing ownership of all the project risks on the project board.

Allocating the ownership of each and every risk to a specific stakeholder. For example, stakeholder A will own Risk 1, stakeholder B will own Risk 2, etc... In this case it is a good idea to create a risk ownership matrix in your risk management plan, which lists all the risks, as well as the owner of each and every risk.

Risk ownership doesn't mean that the person is merely responsible/accountable for the outcome of the risk if it materializes, but it also means that he risk owner should ensure (by consulting with/advising the project manager) that the risk is properly managed and that contingencies (for that risk) are in place.

When in the project lifecycle should risk management be done?

During which stage in the project lifecycle should we manage the risks? Is it only during the executing stage? Ans. You start managing risks during the project initiation when you create the project charter and list the main risks (even at this point its called risk management). You then continue your risk management work in the planning phase, by creating the RMP (Risk Management Plan), and of course, you manage/mitigate risks and apply contingencies for materialized risks during the executing phase. Risk management work will be very minimal past this stage, and it is reduced only to crisis management (for example, a war has erupted and you cannot deliver the project...).

What is a compound risk?

In project management, what is a compound risk? Is it a group of similar risks compounded into one? How do we deal with compound risks in our risk management plan? Ans. Unfortunately, many project managers misunderstand what compound risks really are. Some think that a compound risk is one big risk (like a flood) with sub-risks falling under it (offices closed, data center flooded, hardware damaged, etc...). Others believe that it's a collection of related risks. Here's the real definition of what a compound risk is, it's a risk that will result in creating other risks. A flood risk can be considered a compound risk, but the way it is explained above is wrong, because the other risks are not sub-risks, they're just risks that were ensued by the flood risk. Let me give you another example, suppose near the middle of your IT project, the most important and knowledgeable resource decided to quit (that's a resource risk), what happened is that you were forced to hire another person, who may or may not be as skilled as your previous employee (Lack of experience risk), and who may ask for more (Cost risk). Not only that, other employees may sympathize with the employee who quit and may decide to do the same (lack of resource risk), and the whole project will be delayed. You see, when that key resource quit, he created a myriad of other risks that may result in getting your project killed, or at best, increasing its costs and the schedule. Hence "key resource leaving" is a compound risk.

As a Project Manager How to add value to your project?

Ans. Project Manager adds value by:

a) b) c) d) e) f)

Define Proper Communication Plan Maintain Clear Functional and Technical Documentation Arrange Brainstorming session within the team to deliver best quality of services Improve Technical competency in team thru different approach Maintain Team Morale with Creative and fun activities Appropriate resource backup and risk plan

What was the most stressful aspect of your last project and how did you deal with it?
Very few projects stay on schedule, under budget and with no major problems. The ability to handle stressful situations is key to successful project management. Limited resources and time, changing demands and new circumstances all result in stress on the project manager. Show how you are able to stay calm under pressure and plan to reduce stress focusing on aspects such as your people management, technology management, risk management and expectation management.

Risk treatment in project management

How do you treat risks in your project? Do you treat them by executing the contingency plan (which is located in the risk management plan) or is there another way? Ans. The first thing is to profile the risks; identify them, think through the odds they will happen and the consequences if they do, what would trigger them, what actions would need to happen if they were indeed triggered, and who "owns" tracking them and triggering a response. That gives you a risk and mitigation plan. Once you have your plan, you track your risks routinely. Remember risks haven't happened. Risks that have been triggered are no longer risks; they're issues. If there is a risk of a hurricane, you would want to have a plan ready in case one hits. If one hits, you no longer have a risk of a hurricane; you have a hurricane and it's an issue and you'd take the mitigating actions. For projects of any real consequence, I keep a risk register and keep it updated at all times. It takes very little time to track risks using it, if you make it part of a routine, such as at recurring Core Team meetings.

Risk identification process

How does the risk identification process work? What are the steps involved? And what is the difference between risk identification and risk analysis? Ans. The simplest way to identify project risks is to hold a facilitated session, such as brainstorming. Identifying risks will also involve professional judgment and expertise, interviews of stakeholders, research into historical projects (what risks did they encounter), and other types of facilitated sessions (e.g. Delphi).

Project risk categories

What are project risk categories? Are they the same for all the projects, or do they differ from one project to the other? If they are different then can you please

give me the risk categories for the most important industries (software industry, construction industry, etc...) Ans. There are two major categories of risks, but within these two major categories there are sub-categories: Internal Risks: These include risks internal to the organization, and they are: Project management risks: Using the wrong methodology, bad requirements, scope creep, bad leadership, etc... Resource risks: Risks related to resources, such as conflicts, resignation, etc.. Technical risks: Using the wrong software for development, using outdated/bad/inadequate code/material, etc... Financial risks: Project funding getting cut off, project going over budget, increase in the costs Organizational risk: Company politics (including hidden agendas), change of the organization's direction (project is no longer aligned) External Risks: All risks that do not stem from within the organization, and that usually the organization cannot control: Vendor risks: Vendor no longer willing/able to supply the project with necessary material, vendor breaking the contract or not respecting it, vendor delaying shipment of material Country risks: Country at war, acts of nature, etc... Competition risks: Another company coming up with a similar product (at a cheaper price), another company entering the market, etc...

What are resource risks?

What exactly are resource risks? Are they risks associated with team members (such as people getting sick, quitting, etc...)? Ans. Resource risks are risks related to project team members. Resource risks include, but are not limited to: Absenteeism: A resource is absent for an extended period of time (for valid or invalid reasons, including sickness, personal issues, vacation). Resignation/dismissal: Any resource can resign or be dismissed at any time (In North America, most areas are "work at will", means that the employer can fire the employee at any time and the employee can resign at any time, without prior notice). The decrease in the size of the project team is rarely good news to the project. Demotivation: A resource is completely demotivated it's affecting his productivity. Demotivation can happen because of personal issues, bad leadership, bad pay, etc... Inexperience: A resource has no experience with the technology used, and the learning curve is hard. Gold plating: A resource is wasting the company's time by giving the client more than what he asked for (adding features that are not in the scope, etc...), usually this is a sign of a very motivated resource, but can delay the project and can cause problems with the client (as well as lifting the latter's expectations).

What are residual risks?

What exactly are residual risks? And what's the difference between residual risks and other kinds of risks? Do project managers have to account for residual risks as well in their risk management plan?

Ans. Residual risks, also known as secondary risks, are risks stemming from trying to manage a "primary risk", or a risk that is already accounted for in the risk management plan. Planning for residual risks is a very complicated and time consuming process, and most project managers don't include residual risks in their plan.

What are project reserves?

What exactly are project reserves, are they the same thing as project contingencies? And if no, what is the difference? Ans. Ideally a project has both contingency dollars and reserve dollars. The contingency dollars are there solely to cover planned risks. In construction, this might mean planned funds to cover the extra resources or work required in the event of bad weather. Reserves are there to cover the "unknown unknowns" or unplanned risks. These funds should only be brought into play in the event of an unplanned risk.

How is earned value management used to measure project performance?

I want to know how project managers use EVM (Earned Value Management) to measure project performance. One the same note, how accurate is the EVM data pertaining to project performance? For example, if according to our EVM calculation, the project is late, does this mean that the project is definitely late? Ans. The performance of the project is mainly measured against the time and the costs. There are two EVM variables that will tell you how the project is faring against these two constraints: the CPI and the SPI. CPI is the Cost Performance Index, and it will tell us whether the project is on budget (CPI = 1), over budget (CPI < 1), under budget (or sending less money than we actually planned to spend, which is a good thing - CPI > 1) SPI is the Schedule Performance Index, and it will tell us whether the project is on schedule (SPI = 1), behind schedule (SPI < 1), ahead of schedule (SPI > 1). You can find out how to calculate the SPI and CPI here: http://www.projectmanagementquestions.com/3280/how-to-calculate-cpi-and-spi Note that there other EVM values that can tell us about the project's performance, but SPI and CPI are the ones that are most commonly used.

C:\Users\Amitabh Raghava\Desktop\Interview\New folder (5) http://pmstudent.com/project-manager-interview-ron-holohan/ http://devmanagement.wordpress.com/2006/09/18/project-manager-interview-questions/

Learn PMP Earned Value in 10 Minutes Flat! http://www.bath.ac.uk/bucs/tools/software/softwareoperatingsys/MS_Offic e2010/Office2010_FAQ.html http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2010/03/02/p iloting-windows-7-part-3-more-project-planning-pilot-phases-andtimelines.aspx

project plan to upgrade to windows 7

http://www.projectmanagementquestions.com/907/how-to-hold-a-pmp-interview Tell me about yourself. As my resume indicates

7.5 years experience in operational and tactical layers of IT Service

Management, Remote Infrastructure Management services, Client
relationship, Account farming and Solution design activities for top telecommunication, manufacturing and Information technology companies

In my previous position with Wachovia Bank, I was promoted rapidly, achieving a

position as Assistant Vice President after only 33 months. I began with the company as a Credit Analyst and was promoted to Commercial Relationship Manager at the end of seven months of service. In this position, I actively recruited new commercial accounts and serviced existing accounts. During my tenure, my commercial accounts portfolio grew from $15 million to $25 million, and I doubled non-interest (fee-based) income from $20,000 per year to $40,000 per year.

I have earned Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of

Science in Business Administration degrees from Idaho State University.

 Extremely Process Oriented with extensive background for maximizing efficiency

by instituting standards, reusable artifacts/templates and thoroughly documenting processes and issues to reduce/eliminate rework

Techno-Functional IT Professional with proven track record to transform complex

business and technical requirements to functional and technical artifacts and design/engineer perfect solutions

Of the many to respond, few will be as qualified as I am, having 12 years of indepth, bonafide industry experience.

Over the years, I have performed in a variety of environments. As a result, I have

been exposed to diverse people, work styles, standards of measurement, corporate cultures, and demands. What has remained consistent throughout is my ability to produce results in a range of business climates.

When we meet, youll find me to be a person with a positive outlook who enjoys
identifying ways to make something work rather than reasons not to try. This perspective is invaluable in setting an example for employees who are called upon to assume numerous responsibilities -- of particular merit in this era of unavoidable downsizing and cost cutting.

ability of your staff to grasp a problem, evaluate the best way to solve it, and
then work until the solution is in hand. This is precisely the process I followed all four years to graduate with a 3.80 average.

Highly effective communications skills, which I used to sell a range of electronic

products and train customers in using them.

The communication and presentation skills critical to articulating these benefits

clearly and accurately to co-workers, sales representatives, creative staff, senior management, and prospective customers.

Proven ability to initiate, maintain, and build ongoing relationships with

key accounts in academia and corporate markets: to help maximize opportunities for revenue growth.

I am a Strategic Marketing Planning/Program Manager with 20+ years

experience in services marketingthe most recent 8 years in telecommunications, and prior to that, in international transportation.

Commercially astute IT Service delivery leader with strong project

management background and proven ability to develop and improve business through relationship management ,stakeholder engagement , strategy development and ensuring best use of investment through effective budgeting and business case realization.

ITIL certified IT professional having more than 14.6 years of experience in IT

industry with last 4 years focused on Project Management. Rich accomplishment in PM Competency, Technical Services and Infrastructure Management with expertise in managing & overseeing successful initiation, execution & delivery of the projects.

Grant Rauch has more than 17 years of experience in IT Infrastructure

Management both as a consultant and project manager. He is a seasoned

professional with demonstrated leadership, talent and knowledge in successfully implementing complex IT infrastructure projects. Grants key strengths are in the full life cycle of Data Center Management including design, build and operations. He possesses a deep and broad technical skill set combined with strong management skills and a focus on quality and continuous improvement.

Overall 11 years of rich experience in IT Infrastructure Project Management,

Operations Management, Process Management, Team Management and Service Delivery.

14 years of experience in IT Infrastructure Project Management and Service

delivery in enterprise environment.

I have held a variety of positions in retail management with a

particular emphasis in buying, having served as a Buyer for Bloomingdales with responsibility for purchasing in both domestic and international markets. In this position, I acquired a profound understanding of the unique preferences of the upscale consumer, which could help you avoid costly experiments (not to mention embarrassing failures) with this demanding market segment.

Capability to lay down business processes & procedures to

create value
through Intellectual Property and sustained value enhancement.

Can you walk me through your resume?

Good Organizational Skills

Good organizational skills, I think, is summed up in a quote attributed to Lloyd Dobens and Clare Crawford: It is not a question of how well each process works, the question is how well they all work together. Good organizational skills means being able to see the whole picture - how everything needs to work together to complete a project, or organize an office, or manage a group of employees. A person with good organizational skills can walk into a situation and immediately see what could be done to improve a situation, a setting, or a project.

Interview Question: Why do you feel you can be successful in this position?

Winner Answer: I have the skills necessary to succeed in this position (tell a brief story to prove it). I consider myself energetic and willing to learn. Previous employers will attest to the fact that I am a very hard worker.

Interview Question:Why should I hire you?

Winner Answer: I am a go-getter. I believe in setting goals to achieve success. I am willing to learn new ideas and sales concepts. Previous employers will tell you that I am organized, self motivated, and result oriented. *Refer to the Employment Seminar Book.

Interview Question:What is your greatest strength and weakness, and how will these affect your performance here?

Winner Answer: I believe my greatest asset is that I am organized and am capable of creating order out of confusion. My greatest weakness is that I have little patience for people who don't value the same sense of order that I do. I believe my organizational skills will help this organization achieve its goals more quickly.

Communication Skills
The only way to increase your effectiveness in this area is to practice. Career Services recommends practicing with a friend or a parent who won't laugh at you, or using a tape recorder to rehearse/review your prepared interview responses. Warning: At first, this will be very uncomfortable, but with practice it will become easier. Practicing interviewing skills will make you feel more at ease during an actual interview.

Interview Question:How do you go about influencing someone to accept your ideas?

Winner Answer: That's something I've worked very hard on over the years. At some point I realized that good ideas, even great ideas, sometimes aren't received that way. The way you present an idea is just as important as the idea itself. When trying to influence people, I usually try to put myself in their position and think about their perspective. I'm then able to present thoughts to them in a way more likely to end in success.

Interview Question:What experience have you had in making oral presentations? How do you rate your skills in this area?

Winner Answer: I read somewhere that public speaking was the number one fear of people in this country. After I read that, I figured that if most people are scared of it, addressing my own fear and mastering the skill of oral presentation would probably make me more competitive in the job market. So I do presentations every chance I get and find the more I do them, the more comfortable I am -- and the better I get.

Interview Question:How would you compare your verbal skills to your writing skills?

Winner Answer: It seems as if organizations are more dependent than ever on the ability of employees to be articulate both orally and in writing. I am constantly taking advantage of opportunities to develop my oral and written communication skills.

Interview Question:How should superiors and subordinates interact?

Winner Answer: I believe that clear communication throughout the hierarchy of an organization is critical to the organization's success. I'd like to think I've developed good strong skills in that area. I am always trying to increase my skills in that area. In terms of superior-subordinate

relationships, I think it's most important to realize that each person and each relationship is different. The best approach for me is to begin without assumptions and see how the relationship develops over time, always keeping a positive attitude.

Interview Question:How do you get along with your co-workers?

Winner Answer: I generally get along very well with coworkers Occasionally I might run into a conflict with someone. When this happens, I usually focus on what the conflict is about rather than on personalities. I find that approach helps me to maintain a successful relationship with anyone -- and often leads to resolution and strengthened relationships.

Record of Success
Your record of success is your most important credential for gaining access to the best companies. Effectively conveying a view of yourself as a person with an impressive track record will do more for your chances than any other single tactic. There are two tracks you can take here, depending on the material you have to work with and the job you're applying for. If your background vividly illustrates your ability to do the job in question, you merely need to choose the best examples and present them. You should specifically point out how your past relates to what the company needs. This will demonstrate the skills you've used in the past are directly transferable and applicable to the tasks required on the job in question. For example: In my previous position, high sales were very important. My first year working with ABC Company, I averaged top sales in the department, because I was focused on reaching my goals. In summary, if I worked for your organization, I would apply that dedication to your company by focusing on higher productivity and professional development.

Interview Question: What do you consider to be your most significant accomplishment and why?

Winner Answer: Rather than give you a specific line of thought to work with, I suggest you think of something you've done that highlights your uniqueness. Some examples: Won first prize in a math competition, I was elected class officer, managed a family crisis, rebuilt a car engine from scratch, reorganized a department. If at all possible, give a work-related example.

Interview Question: Under what conditions have you been most successful in any undertaking?

Winner Answer: My approach to problem solving involves a systematic process of gathering relevant information about a problem, clearly identifying the problem, setting a strategy, and then implementing it. As long as I have enough information and a clear view of the problem, I can tackle anything.

Interview Question: How hard do you work to achieve your objectives?

Winner Answer: For me, the question is not how hard I work. It's a given that if I've set an objective or if I've been given an important assignment I work as hard as necessary to achieve the desired results. The question for me is how smart do I work -- in other words, what can I do to make the completion of the task come as easily and smoothly as possible so I can move on to other things.

Interview Question: Has the competition had any positive or negative impact on your accomplishments? How?

Winner Answer: If I were afraid of competition, I wouldn't be applying for a job in an organization like yours. The most important thing to me is knowing the competition and being clear about what it is we're competing for. When I'm in a competitive situation I like to make sure I understand what's at stake. Once I understand the game plan, I enjoy competing wholeheartedly.

Interview Question: What do you consider your earning potential to be five years from now?

Winner Answer: I believe my talents can earn a decent living; that's why I'm applying to a prestigious company such as yours. I plan to make enough money to live comfortable and am willing to do what it takes to ensure that I am well paid throughout my career.

Rational Thought Process

Rational thought process refers to the capability and tendency for a person to think and act in a careful and somewhat predictable fashion. Rational thought process is one of those categories that could make the difference in a close interview. If two equally qualified candidates give acceptable performances in an interview,the job would probably go to the one who seemed most rational. To the interviewer, a rational thought process translates to a higher level of productivity and fewer mistakes on the job.

Interview Question: What are the most important characteristics you are looking for in a job and why?

Winner Answer: I'm looking for a job that utilizes my strongest skills, such as [name specific skills]. I think it's also important that my role in the organization be clearly tied to the goals in the organization. I'm working for an entry-level position within a company with opportunities for advancement. Ultimately, it would also be great to have a job that is at times challenging, one that stretches me beyond my current abilities.

Interview Question: How do you think our company determines success?

Winner Answer: I've watched the growth of Baker College over the past few years. It seems to me that you would measure success by the extent of new programs being offered, meeting the

needs of potential students, and by the enthusiasm and desire to produce results relating to individuals working for the college.

Interview Question: How did you determine your career choice?

Winner Answer: The summer before my senior year, I decided it was time to focus on a specific direction. Even though I was a business major, I wasn't sure which business I would end up in. I spent some time thinking about my goals, what I was good at, and what I really wanted out of work, and decided that the __________ industry would fit my interests. I also met with a variety of business professionals to discuss career information.

Interview Question: What do you consider most valuable: a high salary, or job recognition and advancement?

Winner Answer: For me, those things are inseparable. Although I am not obsessive about money, I assume that with success and advancement and recognition it brings will come greater financial rewards.

Interview Question: What qualities are most important to determine whom you would hire for this position?

Winner Answer: I think the 1990's offer real challenges for corporations. If I were doing the hiring, regardless of the position, I would look for several things. I'd want somebody who wasn't afraid to make decisions, yet was a team player. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are important also. Finally, I'd want someone who realized that quality and service are the keys to a company's success.

Interview Question: Do you agree that grade point average is an indication of how successful you would be in this company?

Winner Answer: (for someone with poor grades) I think it's important that someone show the ability to get good grades. If a person has a poor track record in every subject it might make me nervous. The important thing from my perspective is that there should be some highlights in an individual's academic career that point to potential. Winner Answer: (for someone with good grades) While managing an academic career is less complex than a demanding job, I do believe there is a correlation. To me, the most important thing about a strong academic record is that is reflects a commitment to excellence.

Maturity
Applicants confronted with the maturity issue must be able to convey their capacity to think and act in a highly responsible fashion. The key here is convincing the interviewer of your ability to see the whole picture and make judgments that reflect sound thinking.

Interview Question: In what ways have you been a leader?

Advanced Response: I've had several jobs where I've played a leadership role, responsible for seeing that jobs get done, and I've always had successful outcomes. Most important though, I feel in the past few years that I've developed an ability to spot potential in others and have been able to foster their development. For me, that's the real challenge of leadership -- helping others meet their potential. Winner Answer: In my classes, I have often volunteered to do extra work or be group facilitator. Also, at work I have had leadership experience. I am a waitress in charge of training new staff. Generally, many of my coworkers come to me for assistance with work-related questions and with difficult customers. I enjoy being in a leadership role. I thrive on the challenge.

Interview Question: In your adult life, what accomplishment has given you the most satisfaction?

Advanced Response: In my last job, I took over my boss' responsibilities for two months while he was ill. Although I was relatively new to my position, I was able to pick up the additional responsibilities and effectively meet the demands of both positions. It really felt satisfying to be able to respond to a crisis like that and deliver. (Provide a personal example) Winner Answer: Completing my education has been my number one goal. It has been difficult working full time and going to school full time. If I can do that, I know I can do anything.

1.Tell me about the latest infrastructure project you have done? 2.Vlan and configuration (my proj was based on vlan) 3. What is project baseline? 4. Milestone? 5. Methods to calculate risk? 6. If Client doesn't agree with your deliverd product..steps?