Solving a project management test scenario.

To get an offer.

Use this mindset: The Goal is not for you to present (or for them to understand) the specifics of the project (tasks, details, etc.). The Goal is for them to trust you. For them to trust you, your message needs to be clear, they need to understand it, and they need to feel that you will make their lives easier and that the project will be a success. If they need to make a decision, make it easy for them to do so. Reading is a heavy cognitive load: show your thoughts and approach visually as much as possible. Answer any questions they might have ahead of time.

Everything has an explanation, and everything has its place in a hierarchy of importance. You are going to tell the story of a successful project. All stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. From a broad outline to more detail. 100s different project managers could tell the story of that project, and all of them would be different. Your story needs to be the best version. 30% of the story is in words. 70% is in body language, voice dynamics, intonation, and so on. In addition, you will put a slide with an image featuring colours and contrasts in front of their eyes. Red is blood, blue is the sky, and green is the tree leaves. The colour bars on the Gantt chart need to support the story. Red is danger, critical, warning. Green is calmness - maybe it’s the last bar. The opposite of red is grey. In the first 5 seconds, their eyes will focus on the red and ignore the grey. Grey for less important stuff.