Congratulations!!
You scored an interview. Your resume and cover letter must have been impressive (or you had a great connection pulling for you - even better). Before you get TOO excited though, you must thoroughly prepare to present yourself in person to land that job offer.
Chances are you've researched some frequently asked interview questions and prepared your best answers. This is a great start...just don't forget about questions for THEM.
Fast forward to the end of the interview, when the interviewer asks, "Do you have any questions for us?". You don't want to blind sighted or ill-prepared and just give that "No, I think you covered everything" answer. You should capitalize on this opportunity to leave a good impression by showing you are genuinely interested in this position and you were listening carefully throughout the interview. (And maybe they will forget how nervous you were in the beginning?!)
I encourage you to develop a list of at least 5 questions to ask your interviewer, beyond the standard "What does a typical day look like". Here are a few of my favorites and why:
In short, these questions show you care about making an impact at the organization. It's all about what YOU can do for THEM. Sure, you want to know what your day would look like, but you could ask this later if necessary -- AFTER they want to hire you. Your goal now is to show you're already thinking big picture and with the company's best interest in mind rather than your own.
I also love how question #2 and #3 "forces" the interviewer to give you a glimpse into what's truly important to them - then you can evaluate whether this is something you can actually offer and/or if you'd be a good match. With favorite question #5, you are simply setting yourself up for interview follow-up success. If the interviewer says you'll hear back in a week, you know it's appropriate to call after a week goes by (...and you totally should, by the way. Being proactive is a must).
Do you have any favorite questions for the interviewer to share? Would love to hear them!
Happy Interviewing!
Tricia
You scored an interview. Your resume and cover letter must have been impressive (or you had a great connection pulling for you - even better). Before you get TOO excited though, you must thoroughly prepare to present yourself in person to land that job offer.
Chances are you've researched some frequently asked interview questions and prepared your best answers. This is a great start...just don't forget about questions for THEM.
Fast forward to the end of the interview, when the interviewer asks, "Do you have any questions for us?". You don't want to blind sighted or ill-prepared and just give that "No, I think you covered everything" answer. You should capitalize on this opportunity to leave a good impression by showing you are genuinely interested in this position and you were listening carefully throughout the interview. (And maybe they will forget how nervous you were in the beginning?!)
I encourage you to develop a list of at least 5 questions to ask your interviewer, beyond the standard "What does a typical day look like". Here are a few of my favorites and why:
- What is the biggest challenge you will face this year (as a company/department/office), and how could someone in this position help overcome that?
- You described several traits important for this new employee to possess. What is the single most critical characteristic for success in this position?
- How will you measure success in this position and how will my performance be evaluated?
- We spoke about (insert topic) a little earlier. Would my experience doing this (relate a very short example of when/how you've done something similar in the past) be something I could build on or utilize if I were to work with you?
- When should I expect to hear from you?
In short, these questions show you care about making an impact at the organization. It's all about what YOU can do for THEM. Sure, you want to know what your day would look like, but you could ask this later if necessary -- AFTER they want to hire you. Your goal now is to show you're already thinking big picture and with the company's best interest in mind rather than your own.
I also love how question #2 and #3 "forces" the interviewer to give you a glimpse into what's truly important to them - then you can evaluate whether this is something you can actually offer and/or if you'd be a good match. With favorite question #5, you are simply setting yourself up for interview follow-up success. If the interviewer says you'll hear back in a week, you know it's appropriate to call after a week goes by (...and you totally should, by the way. Being proactive is a must).
Do you have any favorite questions for the interviewer to share? Would love to hear them!
Happy Interviewing!
Tricia
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