I have a job interview in a few days, and I've been looking through the various things you've posted about job interviews. In one of them you mentioned that you should ask a lot of questions during an interview, and I was wondering if you had any specific suggestions about types of questions to ask? Thanks!
This is so important! Asking questions after an interview does several positive things:
1. It shows your social flexibility and your ease at taking on a leadership role. You asking the questions = you steering the conversation = leadership!
2. It shows your interest in the job.
3. Depending on the questions you ask, it can single you out and make your interview more memorable.
Some Questions to Ask Your Employer (After Your Job Interview)
1. First off- ask any pressing questions you have. Before asking each question, reiterate as much information as you can regarding the question. For example, if you want to ask a question about raises and your employer mentioned that each employee is up for a raise every quarter ask: “So you mentioned that employees can qualify for raises every quarter, what specifically do you look for?”
2. Ask how your interviewer enjoys working for the company. Don’t ask this if the person who is interviewing you is the founder of the company, but do ask this for any level of employee. This gives them an opportunity to elaborate about their job and will help you get a sense of who they are as a person.
3. Similarly. If the person who is interviewing you is the founder of the company, find out some specific details about how the business came about. This gives you the upper hand with some backstory (if they haven’t already shared it with you) and shows that you have genuine interest in the company and its history.
4. Ask about your typical work day. This will allow them to outline the daily requirements of your position, which may (and probably will) unearth responsibilities not mentioned before. This shows that you’re motivated and already prepared to accept a job offer if one is made towards you.
5. Customer service. Many customer service related jobs will ask a question along the lines of “what was a difficult situation you were in and how did you resolve it”. This helps them get an idea of your problem solving skills. Flip it around! Ask the interviewer if they’ve ever encountered any difficult customer situations and how they dealt with them. If you get hired, you can use this knowledge to guide your movements.
6. Ask what people you’ll be working with. Get the inside scoop on any potential co-workers before being put in the zone with them. This also allows you to find out if the person who is interviewing you will actually be your co-worker, or if they’re a higher up you’ll only see at Christmas Parties.
7. After asking your questions ask them if they have any final questions for you. They probably won’t, but this maneuver will allow you to wrap your interview up in a sensical way. You can also verify that they have all of your contact information.
