Feb 21, 2009

Interview your Interview-er!

Posted by Maithreyi Raman

First of all, as most of you can tell, I am revamping the blog, so please excuse the broken links for a few days. This Week, I have several posts about research, searching for a job online and interviewing, so stay tuned!

Now - the blog entry -
Most people don't realize it, but an interview IS a two way street! Every one answers interview questions, but great interviews do something different...they ASK great questions. Asking thoughtful questions shows that you are interested in their company and how you will fit into it, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, you are interested in your interviewer as a person(not just a potential employer). So, don't be afraid to ask questions at the end of your interview.

WORDS OF CAUTION - We have all heard our instructors say that there is no such thing as a bad question <- They were not thinking of your life as a young professional when they said that! THERE ARE BAD QUESTIONS. In an interview, do not ask about:

  • salary, benefits, hours, or anything related (all of this will be addressed once you get an offer)
  • someone's personal life (other than maybe an occasional question about how they made the decision to work in this field or at this place)
  • about office gossip/drama
  • information YOU SHOULD HAVE READ ABOUT before coming to the interview - (ie, asking about what the company does or about what products they have released)
  • HOW YOU ARE DOING IN THIS INTERVIEW

But DO ASK your interviewer:
  • How has the current economic situation affected the way you do business?
  • In what ways do you feel that the company philosophy and culture transcends to you on a daily basis? (Asking them for their take on the management philosophy and culture not only gives you something to think about, it may show you the interviewer's candid thoughts)
  • What would be my career path if I joined as a [your position]?
  • How does your company encourage/support further education?
  • How does the team's dynamic work when it comes to major projects?
  • What is the technology I should familiarize myself with, if I were to have this position (if accepted)?
  • Always end with the question - Is there any other questions you have for me?
Assess the pulse of the interviewer, and try to connect with the person in front of you. If they sense your enthusiasm, they will connect with you, too. Worse comes to worse, if they can't offer you a position now, they may keep you in mind for the future! Good Luck!

1 comments:

Tam Nguyen said...

i like this one. funny thing is, me and the interviewers always end up talking about random stuff... the last one i had, we talked crap about Sean, and photography hahaha

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