Top 3 Questions I ask Interviewers
You’re interviewing the company as they’re interviewing you!
If you don’t need to take the first job offer that comes your way, or even if you do, realize that you have just as much power as the person sitting across from you in an interview. This will help your confidence going in, and if you come prepared with some good questions and possible follow up questions, you can determine whether they have their ducks in a row, too. Make every interview a positive experience, and the interview process will become a positive feedback loop that you will be happy to participate in .The way hiring you becomes a win-win is to be in a job you can excel at, so be your authentic self.
How I Prepared for Interviews
If you’d like to find out how I prepared for interviews, check out this great article by The Muse that gives you the 31 most asked interview questions and how to answer them. I read through these up to a day before the interview and think about how I would answer them relative to the position I was interviewing for. I would not read through these on the day of an interview because this exercise requires deep thought and to allow the answers to sink in to your subconscious so your brain can pick them up when needed.
The end of an Interview
The interviewer has finished grilling you about your strengths and weaknesses and what skills and experience you bring with you, and you have finished expertly answering their questions with your preparedness. Then the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for me?” This question used to make my heart beat a little bit faster, because being put on the spot is not one of my strengths. But as I went through more interviews I became prepared for this question with multiple questions of my own that would give me valuable insight about the company and make me sound a little more impressive. I did a lot of googling of career blogs and such, and then wrote down the ones I have actually used in interviews.
The Impressive Questions
Decidedly I couldn’t pick just 3 but there are three types of questions. Choosing one of each type of question before an interview and writing them down on your note pad would be a good strategy to follow.
Questions about the position itself:
What is a typical day like working in this position?
Can you tell me more about [a specific part of the job]?
What would the first 90 days in this position look like?
Are there any specific problems or projects you would like someone in this role to take on?
Questions about culture fit:
What aptitudes and personality traits do you look for in order to achieve a culture fit?
As a candidate looking for a meaningful career, how does your company help its employees achieve this? aka How does your company develop its people?
What type of person do you [the potential manager] work best with, and who may not do as well with you?
Do you [the potential manager] tend to work closely with your employees, or are you more hands off?
Deep Questions about the company:
What is your favorite thing about working at this company?
What does the company’s mission/vision mean to you personally or professionally?
What new initiatives is the company going to be implementing in the near future to keep growing and evolving?
What is something a new hire could help improve about the company?
Saying Goodbye
Don’t forget to thank everyone for their time. For a long time I was trying to figure out why I usually got handed a business card and a “If you have any more questions feel free to email me” on the way out of an interview. A lot of times it felt like a “have a nice life” kind of gesture. I read an article that said the interviewer is basically giving you their email address so that you can send them a thank you email afterward. I followed that advice for the last couple of interviews I had and I did get my current job when I did so. I put effort into those follow up emails that helped me get my job, as it was a job in my field I felt I could really excel at.
Appreciate Rejections
Remember, every interview is a positive step in your personal growth. Any interview that doesn’t result in a great job offer is really good practice for the one interview that does!
This article is part of My Process of Finding a New Job series. Read more here:
