How to Interview Effectively: Top 10 Questions You Need to Ask

The job interview is regarded as one of the most nerve-wracking experiences in life, yet we all have to endure it at some point. Did my body language give the right impression? Were my work samples up do date, and did they impress the employer? Did I respond to their questions correctly, and effectively promote my candidacy for the position? While these are all very important concerns, there are also some key questions you need to ask the interviewer to give you a good feel for the requirements of the position. Here are the Top 10:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• This article printed out and taken with you to your job interview.
• A printed copy of the company's web page including information on their products and/or services (you may want to print out several pages from their website).
• A printed copy of the job description.
• An extra copy of your resume for you to refer back to if necessary.

1. What would you say are the three main skills I need to succeed in this position? This question tells the employer that you are serious about succeeding in the position after you are hired on. It will also help you get promotions quicker.

2. What would I be expected to accomplish in the first six months on the job? Tell me about some of your projects. Again, you are showing interest in the position and telling the employer you are serious about exceeding their expectations subsequent to being hired on. It's helpful to learn about some of their projects - you might be on several.

3. How long have you been with the company? Do you like it here? This question breaks the ice a bit and makes the interviewer feel more at ease. Everybody likes to talk about themselves, and you get a feel for the positives and potential negatives of the company.

4. How are employees in your company evaluated and promoted? Here you are telling the employer that you want to do a good job in the position, are proactive, and will do what it takes to gain recognition.

5. Does your company offer paid training for job-related courses? With technology pushing forward at such a rapid pace these days, ongoing training becomes a necessity just to keep pace with your work. Your asking this question shows your willingness to keep learning and stay ahead of the curve; plus you will become more valuable to your company.

6. Tell me about the achievers in this company. What is the secret to their success? An excellent question that tells the employer you want to know how to succeed in the position from an insider's perspective.

7. Who would I be reporting to? This one's not a deal breaker unless your interview is going poorly because of personality issues between you and the interviewer, who regrettably responds, "Me."

8. Is there a lot of teamwork in this position, or is work performed more independently? Most companies will answer "teamwork," and most job seekers know the importance of being a team player (or at least saying so during the interview). Always stress your astounding ability to work on a team, citing successes in collaborating with others on various projects.

9. Why is this position open? This question is important because it can send up a red flag. The employer will most likely say the company is expanding. You may want to follow up with, "What happened to the person who last held the position?" Most of the time they'll say they left on good terms of their own accord; but once I actually did have an employer tell me it was because the person simply "didn't work out." It was a red flag which made me wonder why. Was the company asking too much of the person? Did they overwork them? Was the boss too overbearing? Be cautious if an employer tells you this, and ask exactly why they didn't work out.

10. What is the next step in the hiring process for this position? How soon can I expect to hear from you? This question can be asked just before or after the handshake, but don't forget it. It shows you are being proactive and are interested in the position.

Tips & Warnings

• Typically the interviewer will provide you with cursory information on the company's background and the position description. Questions should be asked after this presentation when the interviewer asks, "So, what questions do you have for us?"
• Your tone should be calm, dignified, and professional when asking these questions.
• If you are asked about salary, provide a range such as $40-$50K per year. Always tell them you are flexible.
• Go from question to question smiling and saying, "Okay, good." It makes the interviewer feel better about you.
• Focus your questions mainly on the duties of the position.
• Impress the employer by spreading out on the table a few printouts from their website with your notes written on them. Work from these printouts by asking them specific questions about the company's products and/or services.
• Don't ask about salary or benefits unless the interviewer brings it up first.
• Never discuss politics. If the subject comes up, speak only in vague, general terms and don't say whether you're a Republican or Democrat. Quickly steer the conversation in another direction by asking another question.
• Don't ask superfluous questions that will be determined anyway after you are hired, for example, "Will I be working in a cubicle or in an office." Just getting the job these days is a miracle in itself; the rest can be worked out later.
• Don't ask whether the company has a telecommuting policy. We'd all love it, but in reality it signals to the employer that you're not a team player and you'd rather work independent of the home office.

Resources

• Monster.com Job Search (Includes Career Advice)
• Dice Tech Job Search
• Thingamajob Job Search
• Career Builder.com Job Search (Includes Advice & Resources)
• USA Jobs Federal Government Job Search
• Craigs List Job Search (Select your city, then click job industry under Jobs heading)
• Yahoo! HotJobs Interview Preparation Advice

[Tweety33]

on 12/16/2008 VERY HELPFUL INFOMATION! THANXS 5*

[htdjaeverything]

on 12/7/2008 This is great!FIVE STAR'S!Tomarrow I'll be putting these question's to good use in the employment field.Thank you and do have a great day,Tina(htdjaeverything).

[Virtuous1]

on 11/29/2008 5 star article! Great questions being a business manager that reviews and hires employees it would be great to hear potential employees ask these kind of questions. Great article!