Page 35 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

THE RULES OF THE GAME

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand your question.” Restrict every ques-
tion to one point. Resist mouthfuls like this:

I know that international sales are important, so how much of the com-
pany’s revenues are derived from overseas; is that percentage growing,
declining, or stable; do international tariffs present difficulties; and
how will currency fluctuations impact the mix?

No interviewer should be expected to take on such a complicated
question. If you really think a conversation about these points is in
your interest, indicate your interest in the issue and then break the
question into separate queries.

3. Don’t Interrupt

Wait for the interviewer to finish the question. In other words, listen.
Many candidates get anxious or impatient and jump in before the
interviewer is finished asking the question. Sometimes they want to
show off and demonstrate that they “get it.”

Don’t do it. The risks of flubbing outweigh any points you may
get for appearing swift. To combat the tendency to interrupt, make
sure the interviewer is really finished with each question. It’s a good
idea to pause three seconds before answering. If you can, use the
time to think about what you want to say. In your mind’s eye, repeat
the question to yourself. Consider repeating it to the interviewer. See
if you really have it. If not, ask the interviewer to repeat the ques-
tion. Even if you can’t make productive use of the three seconds, the
pause will make you look thoughtful. The pause will also protect
you from answering an incomplete question. For example, one can-
didate reported the following exchange:

HIRING MANAGER: I see by your résumé that you’ve had six sys-
tems analyst jobs in six years—

CANDIDATE [INTERRUPTING]: And you want me to explain the job
hopping, right?

HIRING MANAGER: Actually, I was going to ask what’s one new
skill you took away from each job. But since you mentioned job

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