Canonical Project Manager Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 24 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Canonical.
Canonical
Project Manager
Senior Average Positive experience Accept offer 6 rounds
Interview process
Take home Technical screen Recruiter call Presentation Background check Offer
Interview formats
Technical Presentation Behavioral
This was the most thorough interview process I've ever gone through, and it was very long. There was a written interview stage that was a definite go or no-go because it required several hours to answer all the questions. It's a controversial process, and I'm not sure if it's effective for all roles and levels.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Can you share details about your high-school academic history?
- What was your university background like?
Canonical
Project Manager
Senior Average Negative experience No offer 20 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Take home
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
This recruitment process stretched for more than 4 months, with a lot of interviews and over twenty hours of my time. It was a really intense process and honestly, a lot of it felt overly complicated and sometimes pointless, especially considering it was for a senior role. About half the interviews didn't add much value, with the same questions asked over and over and unclear goals. Some interviewers kept mentioning how many applications they get, which seemed more like a way to make you feel insignificant than to have a real conversation. It felt discouraging and not like a good candidate experience. Some of the tests took way too long and didn't really help assess the seniority level needed. After seeing other reviews, I realized my experience wasn't unusual. Looking back, maybe not getting selected was a good thing. If I'd seen those reviews before, I probably wouldn't have even applied. A good hiring process should be open, respectful, and focused on efficient, useful evaluation, not just volume and secrecy.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Can you tell me about your strengths and weaknesses?
Canonical
Project Manager
Mid Average Negative experience No offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Take home Phone screen Technical screen Recruiter call Offer
Interview formats
Technical Behavioral Coding System Design
First, there's an application review that involves answering a long written interview covering everything from high school to the present. On top of that, there's an aptitude assessment test and a series of technical tests specific to the role. For very experienced candidates, it feels like a lot to ask. Then, a technical team and Hiring Manager review. Mine took over a month, and then it was handed over to another hiring manager who didn't provide any updates for another month before finally saying they weren't moving forward. Supposedly there's a technical team interview and an HR session next, followed by a final interview, and then an offer.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Regarding your high school and university days, how did you perform in mathematics and physical sciences, and which hard science subjects were your strongest, including your class ranking?
- How did you fare in mathematics and physical sciences during high school or university, and what were your strongest subjects in the hard sciences, including your class rank?
Canonical Project Manager Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Canonical interview reports.
“Could you provide your high school graduation results or university entrance results, and specify the grading system used?”
Read reports →“In your view, what are the essential components for a successful open source project?”
Read reports →“Could you share your high school graduation or university entrance exam results, specifying the grading scale used (e.g., SAT/ACT for the US, 1-5 for Germany)?”
Read reports →“From a project manager's perspective, how would you foster effective communication within a distributed project team?”
Read reports →“What are the challenges and strategies for working with a global team across different time zones?”
Read report →“What strategies do you propose for Canonical to emerge victorious in this competitive landscape?”
Read report →“What were your strongest subjects in the hard sciences, and what was your class rank?”
Read report →“Regarding your high school years, how did you perform in mathematics and physical sciences?”
Read report →“Which university courses were your best, and which did you find most engaging?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 24 Canonical interview reports.