Page 99 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

I N TERV IEW THE I N TERV IEW ER

7-7
What do you consider to be the organization’s strengths and
weaknesses?
Again, it’s the interviewer’s opinion that is at the heart of the
question.

7-8
Can you tell me more about what you expect my day-to-day responsi-
bilities to be?
Listen for items that are emphasized or repeated. These are the hot
buttons, and you will want to tailor the discussion of your skills
relating to these areas.

7-9
What problems or difficulties are present in the department (or facil-
ity) now?
It’s appropriate to ask questions that go to problems and constraints,
especially if you can use the information to talk about how you suc-
cessfully addressed similar problems and constraints.

7-10
Assuming I was hired and performed well for a period of time, what
additional opportunities might this job lead to?
This tells the interviewer that you are looking past this assign-
ment, that you are thinking of sticking around. HR people like that,
because it makes them look good when one of their hires stays for a
while.

7-11
Do the most successful people in the company tend to come from one
area of the company, such as sales or engineering, or do they rise from
a cross section of functional areas?
This question immediately tells the interviewer you are sophisti-
cated. The culture of most companies invariably favors employees
from one department or another. Technology companies frequently
favor employees from engineering. The CEOs of financial companies
frequently come out of finance. Most industrial CEOs come out of

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