Questions to Ask During Your Next Job Interview

You’re sharply dressed. When you look down you can see your reflection in the recently polished shoes you’re wearing. Even though your nerves are jittery and you can feel your heart thumping in your chest, you’re confident that you can ace the job interview you’re headed into.

Genius Crafted Resume Isn’t Always Enough to Get You a Job

Furthermore, you’re proud of your resume, and if it clearly summarizes your skills, talents and career objectives, you should be. However, a concise and genius-crafted resume isn’t always enough to propel you over the top when it comes to time to sit across from a hiring manager and start talking about your goals, work experience, training and educational background.  

Your personality will be on display during a job interview, but that’s not all. How sincerely interested you are in working the job will also reveal itself. In fact, to get you to reveal your personality and sincere interest in jobs you apply for, hiring managers, employers and human resource specialists may ask you questions such as: 

• Have you ever managed a project that threatened to come in over budget? If so, how did you manage the situation?
• Why did you leave your last job? (Avoid trashing your former supervisor or a peer colleague.)
• What makes you want to work with us?
• Your direct supervisor has made a decision that angers you. How do you handle the situation?
• Describe your perfect or dream job
• What skills and talents do you think you’ll bring to this position?
• Tell me about your greatest success at your former job

Questions Hiring Managers, Employers and Human Resource Specialists Might Ask You

Those are just sample questions, hiring managers, employers and human resource specialists might ask you. However, it’s important that you also ask questions. After all, you don’t just want to get a job; you want to work for a firm you respect, a company that values its clients and looks out for their best interest instead of only the bottom line. You also want to work for an employer who offers you ongoing opportunities to advance, grow and learn. If not, you might find yourself growing bored with the job and back in the job search population again.

Questions to Ask During a Job Interview

Two or more days before your scheduled job interview, start working on questions you want to ask the interviewer, keeping in mind that the questions might change while you’re in the actual interview. (It’s cool to be prepared!) Questions to ask during your next job interview include:

• What’s the culture at the company like?
• What skills and traits are necessary to succeed at this job?
• How was the job performed in the past and what changes would you like to see in the job going forward?
• Who will I report to and what’s it like working with this person?
• What do you do at the company and what do you like most about working here? 

Speak to secretaries and other employees you pass as you enter and exit the job interview. Hiring managers sometimes ask their staff for their first impressions of job candidates. Also, notice workers’ at the company’s body language, the atmosphere at the company and how friendly and open workers are. This is important because if you get the job these are the people you’ll be working with at some level, directly or indirectly. 

Check out Spiral, Portia and Love Pour Over Me at www.chistell.com 

Sources:

http://www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Articles/Pages/InterviewingDosandDonts.aspx (Society for Human Resource Management: Interviewing Dos and Don’ts for Job Seekers)