In my last interview I was just not prepared. When the hiring team asked me if I had any questions, I could not think of a single question.
How did it look, having a guy interviewing for a job and not having one single question to ask about the job or their hiring process? If you’re applying for a job and you have no questions, how much initiative have you got if you can’t even think of a single question?
Here are some possible questions and why they might be important.
What are the primary duties of this position?
Even when this question is answered you STILL don’t really know what the job is going to be like or what you are going to have to do, until you actually have the job. The more you know about the job, the better it is. Think of the job interview as a two way street. They are interviewing you, and you are interviewing them. It is easy to be so desperate for a job that you think, “I’ll take anything, and adjust to it no matter how bad it might turn out to be,” but that is short-sighted. Why be miserable? We spend much of our life at work, so shouldn’t we seek the best job fit possible? :Like getting married, it is better to break-up before the wedding than to have to go through the pain of divorce. Turning down a job is the better choice.
What do you consider the most important skills or traits for someone in this position?
The answer to this question enables to you decide for yourself if you have the skills or traits, without having to reveal your doubts to the interview team. You don’t have to be a perfect fit for a job, but you ought to have a job you know you can grow into.
How would you describe a typical day in this position?
Getting the big duties does not tell you about the day to day little, yet essential stuff involved with the job. Listen to how they answer. Where do they hesitate. Where are their answers more careful, or delicate?
What is the standard schedule for this position?
Don’t you want to know when you’re suppose to be at work, and how late you will be there? I once took a job, and as I walked out I asked when I was suppose to show up and found out I was expected to be there by 7 am. I’d already said yes, but getting there by 7 am meant I had to leave the house by 6 am, which meant I had to be out of the bed by 5 am. This question matters.
Why are you looking to fill this position?
I want to know if the position is being added (showing expansion and growth) or if there is big turn-over. If there is a lot of turn-over, is it because there is something intolerable about the job or the work place?
How would you describe your management style?
Listen carefully, because if they like you, they don’t want to scare you off. There may be a very interesting verbal dance following this question. Do they want people that challenge them, question their decisions, or do they want automatons that do as they say (the ole my way or the highway style).
What are the short and long-term goals for this position?
The company might be in some sort of down turn, or a financial crisis, or taking on a new client, or overcoming some recent fiasco. But once the problems are resolved there may be some goal that would be just wonderful. You might be willing to take on a difficult challenge knowing that eventually you are going to have a wonderful long-term working situation.
Do you expect significant organizational changes in the near future?
This question is seeking to find out if the job you are seeking is going to be there for six months, or not. I once took a job with the State of Florida, and during the training seminar I learned that the State was going to privatize the job, and my position was set to eventually be phased out. Wish I’d known that before I took the job.
What are the prospects for advancement in this position?
Obvious. If advancement is in the picture, you might be willing to start with fewer benefits, or lower pay knowing that better things are coming your way.
What are the next steps in the hiring process?
I want to know, before I leave the interview when they expect to filled the job, and will they let me know their decision if I am not selected. If selected when would I start? Is there a training period that I go through and where does that take place, and how long is the training, and on and on it goes.
How did it look, having a guy interviewing for a job and not having one single question to ask about the job or their hiring process? If you’re applying for a job and you have no questions, how much initiative have you got if you can’t even think of a single question?
Here are some possible questions and why they might be important.
What are the primary duties of this position?
Even when this question is answered you STILL don’t really know what the job is going to be like or what you are going to have to do, until you actually have the job. The more you know about the job, the better it is. Think of the job interview as a two way street. They are interviewing you, and you are interviewing them. It is easy to be so desperate for a job that you think, “I’ll take anything, and adjust to it no matter how bad it might turn out to be,” but that is short-sighted. Why be miserable? We spend much of our life at work, so shouldn’t we seek the best job fit possible? :Like getting married, it is better to break-up before the wedding than to have to go through the pain of divorce. Turning down a job is the better choice.
What do you consider the most important skills or traits for someone in this position?
The answer to this question enables to you decide for yourself if you have the skills or traits, without having to reveal your doubts to the interview team. You don’t have to be a perfect fit for a job, but you ought to have a job you know you can grow into.
How would you describe a typical day in this position?
Getting the big duties does not tell you about the day to day little, yet essential stuff involved with the job. Listen to how they answer. Where do they hesitate. Where are their answers more careful, or delicate?
What is the standard schedule for this position?
Don’t you want to know when you’re suppose to be at work, and how late you will be there? I once took a job, and as I walked out I asked when I was suppose to show up and found out I was expected to be there by 7 am. I’d already said yes, but getting there by 7 am meant I had to leave the house by 6 am, which meant I had to be out of the bed by 5 am. This question matters.
Why are you looking to fill this position?
I want to know if the position is being added (showing expansion and growth) or if there is big turn-over. If there is a lot of turn-over, is it because there is something intolerable about the job or the work place?
How would you describe your management style?
Listen carefully, because if they like you, they don’t want to scare you off. There may be a very interesting verbal dance following this question. Do they want people that challenge them, question their decisions, or do they want automatons that do as they say (the ole my way or the highway style).
What are the short and long-term goals for this position?
The company might be in some sort of down turn, or a financial crisis, or taking on a new client, or overcoming some recent fiasco. But once the problems are resolved there may be some goal that would be just wonderful. You might be willing to take on a difficult challenge knowing that eventually you are going to have a wonderful long-term working situation.
Do you expect significant organizational changes in the near future?
This question is seeking to find out if the job you are seeking is going to be there for six months, or not. I once took a job with the State of Florida, and during the training seminar I learned that the State was going to privatize the job, and my position was set to eventually be phased out. Wish I’d known that before I took the job.
What are the prospects for advancement in this position?
Obvious. If advancement is in the picture, you might be willing to start with fewer benefits, or lower pay knowing that better things are coming your way.
What are the next steps in the hiring process?
I want to know, before I leave the interview when they expect to filled the job, and will they let me know their decision if I am not selected. If selected when would I start? Is there a training period that I go through and where does that take place, and how long is the training, and on and on it goes.
2 comments:
I am very happy to be reading your blogs -- your shared journey regarding your recent job search has been helpful to so many of the people I help; there are currently many dealing with the same issue. Thanks.
Dear Curiosity: I am so honored that you read the blog from time to time, and very pleased if anything found here is helpful to you or the people you help.
Thanks
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