How to Get a Job For Project Managers

Learn how to write resume and interview

Leadership for Project Managers

Learn how to lead and drive project success.

Project Management Bootcamp

From a beginner to project management professional.

Agile Project Management and SCRUM with AI

Learn to run Scrum and Agile with AI.

Previous Work Day Experience

A concise report from each Scrum Team member on what they completed, learned, and encountered during the prior work day. It is used as an input to the Daily Standup to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal, surface impediments, and adjust the next 24-hour plan.

Key Points

  • Serves as a primary input to the Conduct Daily Standup process.
  • Focuses on outcomes achieved on user stories and tasks, not minute-by-minute activity.
  • Highlights impediments so they can be recorded in the Impediment Log and followed up after the standup.
  • Drives updates to the Scrumboard and the Sprint Burndown Chart.
  • Enables inspection and adaptation toward the Sprint Goal within a 24-hour horizon.
  • Supports scaled coordination by informing Scrum of Scrums when cross-team blockers exist.

Purpose

The purpose is to provide transparent, recent facts that help the team inspect progress and adapt their plan. By sharing the prior day's results and issues, the team quickly identifies risks, coordinates work, and maintains focus on the Sprint Goal.

This promotes empirical control: real data from the last work day guides immediate decisions, task reassignments, and targeted swarming on blockers.

Key Terms & Clauses

  • Daily Standup: A 15-minute, time-boxed team event for inspection and adaptation.
  • Yesterday-Today-Blockers: Common structure for sharing prior outcomes, current plan, and impediments.
  • Impediment: Anything slowing or stopping progress; captured in the Impediment Log.
  • Scrumboard: Visual board showing story and task status; updated using facts from the previous day.
  • Sprint Goal: The shared objective that frames relevance of what was done and what will be done.
  • Definition of Done: Quality bar used to report completed work accurately.

How to Develop/Evaluate

  1. Review the Scrumboard and verify your tasks reflect reality from the last work day.
  2. Summarize outcomes in terms of user stories, acceptance criteria, and DoD met or not met.
  3. Note any impediments, dependencies, or quality issues discovered, with IDs or links where possible.
  4. Quantify progress briefly if helpful (e.g., tests added, defects found, task moved to Review).
  5. Prepare a crisp 30-60 second statement aligned to the Sprint Goal.
  • Evaluation checklist: Is it outcome-focused, relevant to the Sprint Goal, and does it expose blockers.
  • For distributed teams, jot notes asynchronously before the standup to improve clarity and speed.

How to Use

During the Daily Standup, each member shares their previous work day experience to enable the team to adjust plans for the next 24 hours. The Scrum Master listens for impediments and records them for follow-up after the meeting.

Immediately after, the team updates the Scrumboard and Sprint Burndown Chart, and arranges short huddles to resolve specific issues. In scaled settings, notable cross-team blockers are communicated to the Scrum of Scrums.

Example Snippet

Yesterday: Finished unit tests for US-24 and moved the implementation task to Review; verified 3 of 5 acceptance criteria; opened 1 defect related to API throttling. Today: pair with Pat to address throttling and add contract tests for US-25. Blockers: waiting on DevOps to adjust staging rate limits; PR #123 needs a reviewer.

Risks & Tips

  • Risk: Turning the standup into a status report to the Scrum Master. Tip: Speak to teammates and the Sprint Goal.
  • Risk: Overly detailed activity logs. Tip: Focus on outcomes and impediments within 60-90 seconds.
  • Risk: Not updating artifacts. Tip: Reflect changes on the Scrumboard and Burndown immediately after.
  • Risk: Hiding blockers to appear on track. Tip: Surface impediments early and use the Impediment Log.
  • Risk: Deep problem-solving in the standup. Tip: Time-box and schedule follow-ups right after.
  • Risk: Misaligned work. Tip: Tie statements to user stories, acceptance criteria, and the Sprint Goal.

PMP/SCRUM Example Question

Which Scrum process primarily uses Previous Work Day Experience as an input to guide inspection and adaptation of the next 24-hour plan?

  1. Demonstrate and Validate Sprint
  2. Conduct Daily Standup
  3. Create Tasks
  4. Retrospect Sprint

Correct Answer: B — Conduct Daily Standup

Explanation: Previous work day experience is shared during the Daily Standup to inspect progress, surface impediments, and plan the next 24 hours. Other processes use different inputs and occur at different cadences.

How To Land the Job and Interview for Project Managers Course

Take the next big step in your project management career with HK School of Management. Whether you're breaking into the field or aiming for your dream job, this course gives you the tools to stand out, impress in interviews, and secure the role you deserve.

This isn’t just another job-hunting guide—it’s a tailored roadmap for project managers. You’ll craft winning resumes, tackle tough interview questions, and plan your first 90 days with confidence. Our hands-on approach includes real-world examples, AI-powered resume hacks, and interactive exercises to sharpen your skills.

You'll navigate the hiring process like a pro, with expert insights on personal branding, salary negotiation, and career growth strategies. Plus, downloadable templates and step-by-step guidance ensure you're always prepared.

Learn from seasoned professionals and join a community of ambitious project managers. Ready to land your ideal job and thrive in your career? Enroll now and take control of your future!



Launch your career!

HK School of Management delivers top-tier training in Project Management, Job Search Strategies, and Career Growth. For the price of a lunch, you’ll gain expert insights into landing your dream PM role, mastering interviews, and negotiating like a pro. With a 30-day money-back guarantee, there’s zero risk—just a clear path to success!

Learn More