Page 121 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

I N TERV IEW THE I N TERV IEW ER

problem is the only reason the interview is taking place. They need
someone to address the need. This is an opportunity to get into a
very useful conversation about the challenges you will be expected
to face and how you can meet the challenges.

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Would you describe for me the actions of a person who previously
achieved success in this position?
This question gives the hiring manager an opportunity to reflect on
his or her criteria for success.

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Would you describe for me the actions of a person who previously per-
formed poorly in this position?
This question gives the hiring manager an opportunity to reflect on
his or her criteria for failure.

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What are the biggest hurdles to overcome in this position?
This is one of the questions that Penelope Trunk recommends in the
Foreword. The phrasing invites the interviewer to see the challenges
as hurdles for the candidate to jump over. Follow up with stories
about how you have hurdled similar challenges.

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What would you say drives the company—sales, marketing, engineer-
ing, or finance?
A sophisticated question that demonstrates your understanding of
how most companies are dominated by one of these functions. A
good clue is that the company’s CEO usually comes out of the domi-
nant function. That is, a company with a CEO who came from engi-
neering is generally a company in which engineering is dominant.

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How would you describe your own management style?
This is the most direct statement of the question.

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