Landing a job interview means you are one step closer to joining the team of your dreams. Getting this far means that your skillset matches what the hiring manager is looking for, and that’s great, but now it’s really time to shine.
The interview gives both employers and employees a chance to size each other up and really see whether this will be a good match.
While preparing to answer all the right questions during your interview is a given, and you are ready to recite your four-line answer to ‘why should we hire you?’, there is an area that often gets neglected, or excluded from your preparation entirely.
As a competing candidate, asking the interviewer questions can make or break your interview.
That is why it’s extremely important that you prepare a few solid questions of your own so that you can leave an outstanding impression on the interviewer.
Be original.
This is easier said than done especially if you tend to get nervous during interviews and your mind goes blank when asked if you have any questions.
This can be nerve-wracking, and when your palms get sweaty it’s much easier to opt for general questions about the job description, but this is not the way to end off a good interview.
Instead, use your brain muscles and aim to reinvent the question by asking about additional training processes, career development opportunities, and what you can do to ensure that you succeed in your new role.
This will prove that you’re ambitious, and eager to learn and improve which are traits that will help both you and your potential employer in the long run so take some time to carefully consider how you can rephrase the old, worn-out questions.
Take an interest.
Opting for questions about the salary or benefits is exactly what you don’t want to end an interview off with. When you do research about the company/business, take notes of important details that tell you more about their values, history, culture etc.
Asking questions about what made the business owner/founder decide to head in a certain direction, how the company values are upheld in the workplace on a daily basis, or what they value most and look for in employees working there, are all examples of questions that will show that you truly have an interest in more than the number of hours you’ll have to work each week, and tell the employer that you buy into their ideas and goals which will automatically make you their trusted ally.
Think about it.
Another thing you want to consider is what you would think of yourself if the roles were reversed, and you were the one asking all the questions. When candidates blankly stare at you and stumble over their words, and on top of that ask some vague, general question, you wouldn’t be particularly impressed.
The person interviewing you likely spent quite some time compiling all the right questions to try and find out whether you will be a good fit, so return the favor and prepare some solid questions of your own.
Pay careful attention to what the interviewer is saying throughout the interview and try to ask follow-up questions. This will not only showcase what a good listener you are, but also your good memory and attention to detail.
If you practice asking better questions that will stick with the interviewer after all has been said and done, you’ll manage to stay in their thoughts for longer, and that’s exactly what you want – to stand out.
