Page 168 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

FEEDBACK QUESTIONS

11-12
Are there any areas in which you feel that I fall short of your
requirements?
You’re making a direct appeal to the interviewer to talk about your
shortcomings. Now show the interviewer how you can listen to criti-
cism without getting defensive.

11-13
Can you give me any feedback that would make me more attractive to
the company in the future or that I could benefit from next time?
If you don’t get the job, maybe this question will at least give you
some vital feedback you can use for next time.

11-14
Is there anything else you need from me to have a complete picture of
my qualifications?
This is an alternative and elegant formulation of the central feed-
back question.

11-15
Based on my track record and the stated requirements of this position,
I believe it’s possible that you may consider me overqualified for this
position. Is that the case? And if so, may I be allowed to address the
issue?
It’s a risk to suggest an objection that the interviewer may not have
considered. But let’s face it: if you have reason to think it might be an
objection, it probably is. The only issue is whether you get a chance
to address it. The objection may be overqualification, or asking for
too much money, or too much turnover. Whatever the issue is, the
dynamic is the same. Ask if it’s an issue and ask for a chance to
address it. What do you have to lose? The important thing is to have
a great comeback (see “From the Field: Overcoming the Objection”).
For example, for the objection that you are overqualified, you can
say, “Forgive me, but may I suggest that it’s not that I’m overqualified
but that the job is underdefined? I think the job may have more pos-
sibilities than you may have considered so far. Let me explain. . . .”

147