One of the worst mistakes currently being made by job applicants is not being prepared for an interview. It goes without saying that you will wear the appropriate clothes, try to get plenty of sleep the night before, show up on time and pay attention during your interview. However, will you answer the interviewer’s questions intelligently and will you ask the right questions to spark the interest of the interviewers?

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Questions to ask

When you interview for a position with almost any company, there comes a time when the interviewer asks, do you have any questions. If you sit there and look bewildered and respond with a lame ‘no, I don’t have any questions’ you are most likely sealing your fate before you finished the first interview.

The object for every interview should be that you are extremely excited about the opportunity and excited about working for that particular company. To portray this excitement you must ask educated, probing questions that show you have done your research and really are interested in the job.

You do this by asking questions about the position. Show the interviewer that you have read the entire job description, that you have some further clarifying questions and add in some of your own skills to heighten your chances of being hired. Then ask the interviewer about the company, what it is like to work there and show that you have researched the company and have a working knowledge of the company’s main line of business.

Make an impression

When interviewing for a job, you are setting the stage for the initial impression you will make with each interviewer. This first impression is most important when trying to get a job. If you do not ask any questions, interviewers are most likely going to assume that you are not interested in the position or in working for the company. If you did not take the time to read the job description or learn about the company why would they want you to work for them?

If you ask silly or unnecessary questions, interviewers will get the impression that you are not a professional candidate and would not make a good addition to the team. Questions like, what time do I get off of work, do we get free drinks and how often do we get paid are red flag questions. These questions should be saved until you actually get hired.

If, however, you ask insightful questions that elicit further information about the company or the position, interviewers are usually impressed that you have a working knowledge of the company and have insights into the position for which you are applying.

One added benefit of asking questions is that it allows you to expound on your abilities and how they match up directly with the position. It also allows you to highlight some of your skills, your attitudes and your work ethic and show the interviewers that you would make an excellent addition to the company’s workforce. So, instead of thinking of the requisite research as a pain, just look at it as another way to show what a great employee you will be.

Ask the right questions

Asking the right questions is an art form and takes some interpretive work on your part. Initially, ask about the interviewers. Ask them how long they have been with the company and do they enjoy working there. Also ask them where they see themselves in the next five years with the company. This adds a more personal level to the interview and lets you prepare how you want to word your next questions.

Ask pertinent questions about the position. If you are applying for an accounting position, ask what other departments you will interact with on a daily basis. Ask what departments you will work most closely with. Ask if the position is a new position or if somebody left. If someone left, ask why. Ask where the position might lead within the corporate structure five years down the road. Finally, ask if the position is one you can grow with.

Next, ask about the company. Find out if it is public or private. If public, you should have read the latest news and you can ask the interviewers how that latest news has affected them in their job roles and how it is affecting the company as a whole. You can talk about the company size and your preferences for the size of company where you have worked and where you want to work.

Finally, ask about the benefits. You should ask about the benefits in a generic manner so that you do not venture into the realm of Human Resources. Instead, ask one of the interviewers on a personal level if the benefits are good and if they meet the needs of their families. Your goal throughout the questioning process is to leave the impression that you plan to stay and work for this company for a very long time.

Show them you have the right stuff

If you will spend 30 minutes before your interview doing a little research, you will make a lasting impression that will give you a better chance of being hired. By asking intelligent questions you can show the interviewers that you are smart and that you cared enough about the position to do some research. You can also show that you are interested in the company and your future with the company. Finally, you can show that you are willing to work hard to get the position and that you would make an excellent candidate for that position and for the company. By asking intelligent questions, you will hopefully make an impression on the interviewers that will get you another interview and also get you the job.

For a list of frequently asked interview questions and some model answers, visit this web site:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/ebook.htm


I hope your job search is going well. For information on other helpful job searching resources, please feel free to visit our web site:
http://www.JobSearchInfo.com

Michael Green
Editor
Special Reports
JobSearchInfo

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