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Project Coordinator Interview Questions

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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Project Coordinator interview questions and answers.

  1. What certifications do you possess that make you stand out as a project coordinator? See answer
  2. As a project coordinator, what qualities do you think you should possess that will help execute your duties? See answer
  3. What are the basic steps you take when running a project? See answer
  4. Have you ever worked as a project coordinator for a business like ours? If you have, can you tell me your experience? See answer
  5. What has been the most challenging project you have coordinated to date? How were you able to complete that project? See answer
  6. Interpersonal skills are required for this job because you will be delegating duties to many people. How would you rate your interpersonal skills? See answer
  7. If the morale of your team member is low, how do you intend to motivate them and prevent them from affecting the operation of the project? See answer
  8. What is your system of providing regular updates to your team members? Has that system been effective so far? See answer
  9. Describe why some projects might fail and what you can do to prevent that from ever happening? See answer
  10. Deadlines are a crucial part of your job. How do you intend to keep your team on schedule? See answer
  11. Describe a situation where you helped reduce costs while still delivering on time at your previous job? See answer
  12. What are the steps you take to manage risks? See answer
  13. What tools do you use to stay on top of projects? See answer
  14. Was there ever a time at your previous job where two workers didn’t get along? How did you handle that situation?
  15. What happens when the given budget for a project doesn’t meet your expectation? Will you still deliver quality results?
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Hire your next Project Coordinator today.

Post a job

Hire your next Project Coordinator today.

Post a job
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

15 Project Coordinator Interview Questions and Answers

What certifications do you possess that make you stand out as a project coordinator?

This question allows the candidate to tell you the various certifications they have obtained relevant to the task at hand. There are basic certifications you might require them to have, and they may also possess some qualifications that set them apart from other candidates. You might want to look out for:

  • Bachelor's degree in business administration or any form of administration
  • Master's degree in project management 
  • Other certifications from online courses or seminars 

Example:

"I have a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Winnipeg, Canada. After working for a year, I decided to go back to school to get a master's degree in project management. I also have a PRINCE2 certification in project management. I'm very passionate about what I do, and…"

As a project coordinator, what qualities do you think you should possess that will help execute your duties?

There are certain qualities a good project coordinator should possess. This question tests the candidate's knowledge of the key attributes needed for the job and if they have these qualities. It would help if you looked out for: 

  • Interpersonal skills
  • Great client-facing and team-building skills
  • Impressive organisation skills like time management and delegation of tasks

Example:

"A good project coordinator should have great organisational skills. The whole point of my job is to make sure everything about the project's organisation is proper and deliver good quality service when due. I possess these skills and great communication skills that'll help me relate better with my team and clients. These skills help in the execution of my duties."

What are the basic steps you take when running a project?

You want to know the candidate you're considering employing is well equipped to handle whatever project you give to them. There are different approaches to running a project, but there are basic ones that any good project coordinator should know. You can look out for:

  • Technical skills of the candidate
  • Experience and strategy 
  • A feasible yet solid routine

Example:

"There are different approaches to coordinating a project. At my previous job, I employed different approaches that were suitable for whatever situation. The basic steps for running a successful project include suggesting a budget, setting viable targets, and delegating responsibilities. Whatever approach I want to employ would be defined by these steps."

Have you ever worked as a project coordinator for a business like ours? If you have, can you tell me your experience?

A candidate's experience handling projects similar to what you offer is something to consider. While many project coordinators are flexible and can quickly adapt, you might feel a bit more comfortable hiring someone who has experience coordinating similar projects. You might want to look out for:

  • Experience handling similar projects
  • Candidate's ability to learn on the job
  • An actual example

Example:

"I can handle the coordination of any project because I'm quite flexible and I'm a fast learner. I interned at a company that provided the same services you offer, so I'm not completely oblivious. I assure you that I can manage your projects and deliver quality results."

What has been the most challenging project you have coordinated to date? How were you able to complete that project?

You're looking to see if the candidate is well experienced and can overcome specific challenges. You'll want to see how resilient they are and how good they are at solving simple and complex problems. It would help if you looked out for:

  • Candidate's problem-solving abilities
  • Motivation and resilience 
  • Experience and a specific example

Example:

"There was a time I was coordinating a construction project, and the lumber supplier kept delivering the wood late. This meant we had to keep pushing back deadlines and extending the end date. I considered getting a new supplier, but the lumber supplier was the best fit for the budget. I decided to order all supplies in instalments and figured out how to store the wood."

Interpersonal skills are required for this job because you will be delegating duties to many people. How would you rate your interpersonal skills?

Delegating duties or responsibilities is an essential part of the work of a project coordinator. For this purpose, the coordinator has to have excellent interpersonal skills to help execute their tasks. It would be best if you looked out for:

  • Great communication skills 
  • Ability to delegate responsibilities 
  • Strong leadership capabilities

Example:

"I'm good at delegating responsibilities and following up on them. My experience in administration has helped a lot with this task. I also understand the importance of maintaining good relationships with all team members. I'm able to do this as a result of my interpersonal skills, including great communication skills and high patience levels."

Was there ever a time at your previous job where two workers didn't get along? How did you handle that situation?

Conflict can't be avoided, especially where diverse people are working together. The candidate's ability to effectively handle conflict is vital to executing their duties. This question also tests the candidate's experience levels. Look out for:

  • Candidate's experience handling conflict
  • Great communication skills 
  • Great leadership skills 

Example:

"I was heading a seven member team for a construction project. Things were going well until two men started to have constant disagreements due to miscommunication. The conflict was building up, and I didn't want to let both of them go. I had to find out the root cause of the problem, and when I realised it, I called them in to address it."

If the morale of your team member is low, how do you intend to motivate them and prevent them from affecting the operation of the project?

Motivation is a vital part of ensuring a project runs smoothly. If a particular project seems to be repetitive, the team's morale could be low. A good project manager should have a working strategy that'll help boost confidence levels. You might want to look out for:

  • Strong leadership abilities
  • Managerial and interpersonal skills
  • Forward-thinking strategies

Example:

"I would have a system of motivating my team members because I realise they are under a lot of pressure trying to achieve set goals and tasks. I would have a team meeting every morning to give them a pep talk, and I would also make it clear that they can talk to me whenever they need to."

What is your system of providing regular updates to your team members? Has that system been effective so far?

Aside from delegating duties, a project coordinator has to give regular updates to their team members. Plans change, and people can be reassigned to perform other tasks. There should be a defined system of disseminating information. Look out for:

  • Strong communication skills
  • An actual example
  • A seasoned professional 

Example:

"Every member of my team reports to me once they get to work, and I have morning group meetings where I assign duties, give updates, hear feedback as regards work and the operation of the project. This system has been effective so far."

What happens when the given budget for a project doesn't meet your expectation? Will you still deliver quality results?

Project coordinators formulate the ideal budget they think would be sufficient to complete the project. However, they may not always have an adequate budget. They would have to find a way to work within the budget and still deliver quality results. You might want to look out for:

  • Superior managerial skills
  • Ability to work with any reasonable budget 
  • Ability to meet the expectations of your company

Example:

"The purpose of resource management is to maximise efficiency even in the presence of inadequacy. It is an essential skill every project manager should have. If the given budget is below my expectations, I would have to find better deals and create a strategy that would allow me to deliver quality results within an, albeit limited budget."

Describe why some projects might fail and what you can do to prevent that from ever happening?

This question tests the candidate's knowledge of the different ways a project can fail. A good coordinator should be able to acknowledge these ways and provide you with their strategy that will help prevent failure from happening. You might want to look out for:

  • Technical skills of the candidate
  • Understanding how projects work
  • A working strategy to prevent failure

Example:

"There are different factors that can lead to project failure. Miscommunication and failure to meet deadlines are some of the common reasons. I plan to always communicate with all team members and to ensure that all deadlines are met."

Deadlines are a crucial part of your job. How do you intend to keep your team on schedule?

This question allows the candidate to divulge their plans and strategies they will apply to ensure that they meet deadlines at all times. It's pretty easy for people to forget about deadlines. The project coordinator must be able to ensure everyone meets their deadline. You can look out for:

  • A working strategy to ensure deadlines are met
  • Solid communication skills
  • Impressive organisational skills 

Example:

"I understand the importance of having deadlines to ensure the timely completion of projects. I intend to communicate clearly to my team members on meeting deadlines and also remind them constantly."

Describe a situation where you helped reduce costs while still delivering on time at your previous job?

Finding cost-effective ways to complete a project is one of the duties of a project coordinator. This allows the candidate to give you an example of when they helped reduce cost at a previous engagement. You might want to look out for:

  • Ability to reduce the cost of a project
  • Strict adherence to deadlines
  • Experience in project management

Example:

"I was helping coordinate the construction of a supermarket, and the budget was below what I was looking to work with. I realised I had to cut a deal with key suppliers of building materials to help reduce cost. I was able to use my skills of negotiation to get a better buying price."

What are the steps you take to manage risks?

Risk management is essential to the effective running of a project. A good project manager should be able to help manage and minimize risks. This tests the candidate's professionalism.  Look out for:

  • Risk planning 
  • Prioritization of risks
  • Ability to solve complex problems 

Example:

"Taking risks is important in any business endeavour. I understand the importance of taking risks and ensuring that these risks are duly managed. I would take the following steps to help manage risks…"

What tools do you use to stay on top of projects?

Here, you're looking out for the proficiencies of the candidate. How they intend to stay organised and run the project is very important. Look out for:

  • Skills in Microsoft tools
  • organisational skills
  • Experience with project management tools

Example:

"I know how to make use of Microsoft Project and Microsoft Planner. I'm also familiar with Trello, and I'm able to use it to execute my duties."

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