Page 12 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

FOREWORD

If you can do it without sounding like a brownnose, ask the inter-
viewer something about how she got to be so great. Like, “Why
did you decide to work for this company?” That question implies
that you’re interested in other people and that you respect the
interviewer.

I just read that your stock is down 15 percent. What is the company
doing in response?

Unless you’re interviewing to be a stock analyst, forget the meta-
questions. If you are so interested in the company’s recent downturn,
read the analyst reports.

A question like this reveals to a prospective boss that you are
either (a) preoccupied with the idea that the company is tanking or
(b) preoccupied with details of the company that are way beyond the
scope of the position at hand. Either way, the meta-question defi-
nitely does not scream, “Hire me! I’ll be easy to manage!”

A relatively big-picture question that you would do well to ask
is, “What are your primary goals for the next two quarters?” This
question shows you care about the company’s future in a way that is
relevant to your boss’s immediate concerns.

What needs to be accomplished in this position in the next six months?

This is a useless question to ask at the end of an interview but an
essential one for the beginning. So ask this question within the first
five minutes of the interview. And then tailor everything you say to
address the goals of the position.

The overall rule that should guide your preparations is that you
never stop selling yourself in an interview, even when you pretend to
stop selling yourself in order to ask a question.

Good luck in your job search.

PENELOPE TRUNK
CEO, Brazen Careerist
www.penelopetrunk.com

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