Turn interview questions into opportunities
“So, do you have any questions for me?”
asked the lead UI engineer at your last of the five 1–1 interview’s of the day.
You mumbled, “What’s it like to work here?” She smiled, then gave you a truthful response — outlining a day in her life at the company, the numerous code review requests, and the seemingly hundreds of meetings with PMs and designers, and the constant prioritization changes she and her team juggle with on a daily basis.
The interview ended. You were glad that it was over and you felt you handled her interview questions well. Sadly, that was only in your head. She wasn’t impressed by your questions at all.
At the interview huddle, she told other panelists, “I wish the candidate would have asked more meaningful questions when I gave him the chance. He could have asked me what frontend stack we use, what charting libraries we like, or what challenges we face in evolving our common component library.” She continued, “Instead, I got a couple of generic questions. I am not seeing lots of enthusiasm from this candidate, so my vote is No”
“Funny you said that, because I had a similar observation as well” said the Product Manager. “I wish he had asked me more insightful questions such as the metrics we use to measure our success, or how we collaborate with UXers on user research. However, his only question for me was whether I like working with designers! I didn’t see anything special about this candidate’s skillset and experience, and his questions certainly didn’t impress. My vote is a No as well”
At this point you can probably guess what the outcome of this interview is…
Takeaway
During UX interviews you will get opportunities to ask questions. Leverage questioning as a tool to show your enthusiasm, to show the preparation you did, and to show that you get what it’s like to be a UXer who has been “in the trenches” with your collaborators.
Get to know your interviewers, their roles in the organization, and what they care about. Ask insightful questions that they can relate to. In doing so, your enthusiasm, your curiosity, and your depth will shine; and this will help you stand out in this process.
Don’t let this opportunity go wasted.
