Page 175 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

THE QUESTION LIFE CYCLE

Asking for the job is risky business. It can easily backfire if the
interviewer perceives you as arrogant or entitled. Your timing in ask-
ing for the job must be pitch-perfect. Before taking this step, you
must have created a good rapport with your interviewer, established
that you are a good fit for the job, and extracted at least some expres-
sion of interest from the interviewer. Your timing must be so perfect
that the interviewer could set his or her watch by it. In other words,
unless you have a high degree of confidence about each of these
points, the risks of appearing arrogant might outweigh the benefits.

This advice is true for most jobs. But when the job in question is
a sales or marketing position, the interviewer almost always expects
you to ask for the job. “The most important thing to remember
about closing is to do it,” says Peggy McKee, chief recruiter for PHC
Consulting, a Dallas, TX-based recruiting firm providing top sales
talent in the biotech and life science markets. “No sales manager is
going to hire someone who can’t navigate a closing process. If you
can’t close on something as important as your job, which is in your
own direct self-interest, how are you going to be able to close a sale
for the company?”

? Memorably Good Question
#15

I appreciate your time today, and I am so excited about what
I have learned about this job. Based on our discussion, I
see this job as the perfect opportunity. Do you see me as a
productive member of this team?

The applicant’s question is really a statement. It combines
elements of learning, confidence, and collaboration, and it
hammers home a promise: the applicant will be a productive
member of the team.

Peggy McKee
Chief Recruiter
PHC Consulting
Dallas, TX

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