Job Interview: Ask Questions Too
18 October 2012
Read by 1799 persons
Many still see a job interview as a kind of exam where the recruiter asks questions and you must give the right answers. But a job interview is much more than that. It is meant to be a getting-to-know-you session where recruiter and candidate learn more about each other to see if they are mutually compatible. The fact that you are invited to an interview is already a sign that you have impressed them with your CV. It is very important that you also ask questions during this interview to get a better idea of the role and to know what you might be committing to.
You must determine what information you want to get from the job interview. So always prepare your interview well, as it concerns your new job, after all. Keep this in mind and ask any remaining questions. You may be able to ask questions during the interview itself or at the end. The interviewer will surely tell you when you can ask your questions. Here is a list of points on which you can ask questions during a job interview.
The Company
Of course, you must make sure you already know as much as possible about the company before going to the interview. So it is better not to ask what the company does; you are supposed to know that. However, you can ask for other information about the company, especially things you cannot learn on your own, such as the company's future prospects, for example.
The Role
At the end of the first interview, it is important to know exactly what the role entails. Normally, the interviewer will automatically give you further explanations, but you should also ask any additional questions. Once the interview is over, you should more or less know what is expected of you within the company, how many colleagues you will have, to whom you will report, and what training is offered in the company. You can also ask about working hours, and why not ask to see where you would be working?
The Application Process
It is also important to know how the rest of the application process will unfold. You should not hesitate to ask during the interview if they still need to see many candidates and when you can expect a response. Preferably avoid questions about salary at the first interview; this point is generally the subject of later negotiations.
In any case, the golden rule for a job interview is: do not ask any questions you already know the answer to. Also, do not interrupt the interviewer, and if they ask you to wait until the end of the interview to ask your questions, respect that request. Also show that you are listening to what your interviewer is saying and do not ask a question that they have already answered. But don't worry: with your questions in mind and a good dose of common sense, you will already go very far in a job interview!
Stepstone.be
Posted on October 18, 2012.
You must determine what information you want to get from the job interview. So always prepare your interview well, as it concerns your new job, after all. Keep this in mind and ask any remaining questions. You may be able to ask questions during the interview itself or at the end. The interviewer will surely tell you when you can ask your questions. Here is a list of points on which you can ask questions during a job interview.
The Company
Of course, you must make sure you already know as much as possible about the company before going to the interview. So it is better not to ask what the company does; you are supposed to know that. However, you can ask for other information about the company, especially things you cannot learn on your own, such as the company's future prospects, for example.
The Role
At the end of the first interview, it is important to know exactly what the role entails. Normally, the interviewer will automatically give you further explanations, but you should also ask any additional questions. Once the interview is over, you should more or less know what is expected of you within the company, how many colleagues you will have, to whom you will report, and what training is offered in the company. You can also ask about working hours, and why not ask to see where you would be working?
The Application Process
It is also important to know how the rest of the application process will unfold. You should not hesitate to ask during the interview if they still need to see many candidates and when you can expect a response. Preferably avoid questions about salary at the first interview; this point is generally the subject of later negotiations.
In any case, the golden rule for a job interview is: do not ask any questions you already know the answer to. Also, do not interrupt the interviewer, and if they ask you to wait until the end of the interview to ask your questions, respect that request. Also show that you are listening to what your interviewer is saying and do not ask a question that they have already answered. But don't worry: with your questions in mind and a good dose of common sense, you will already go very far in a job interview!
Stepstone.be
Posted on October 18, 2012.
