Two questions to supercharge your interview
"Do you have any questions for us?"
One of the most overlooked parts of the job interview is the end, when they say, “Do you have any questions for us?”
So many pitfalls there.
The biggest mistake is to say something like, “No, I’m good. Thanks.”
Always have questions!
If you have no questions, they will think you haven’t considered the job deeply enough, or didn’t care enough to prepare for the interview. That’s deadly.
The first category of questions are from your research, or things that have come up in the interview itself. Having a few thoughtful questions about the company or your duties can show that you are engaged and paying attention, and actually want the job.
Also, make sure you are crystal clear about the parameters of the job and what you will be expected to accomplish. I fell down on that task recently and it blew up in my face. (Story for another time.)
But in my experience, there are two magical questions you can ask that will both impress the interviewer, and give you useful info to decide if the job is a good fit for you.
What is the biggest problem you want the person in this job to solve?
If you hire me, how will you judge my success after six months?
These may seem similar. But the first one is about the company, and the second one is about you. They both show you are engaged and have actually considered what it would be like to work there.
Both questions give you useful info about what the job will be and how they view it. And both give you opportunities to do the job in the interview.
For the first question, whatever problems they identify, use it as a springboard to talk about how you have solved similar problems in the past.
For the second question, you can pivot to ways you succeeded in previous jobs. Whatever their metrics, show you understand them and are ready to step up.
I can guarantee that most people being interviewed will not ask these questions, and just by asking them you will impress whoever is interviewing you. I can’t count the number of times I have had an interviewer stop and say, “That’s a really good question!”
A job interview is a tennis match. Always be prepared to volley the ball back to them.
That’s all for this week. I’m getting over covid so my brain isn’t super sharp. But I recently learned I can do polls in these articles, so here’s my first stab at a poll. It would mean a lot to me if you would respond, no matter what the answer. Thanks.
Yes — I can't imagine not having any questions for them. I always wrote some down in advance, and others could of course come up. Yours are good ones!
Mighty Forces would have been more useful to me when I was actually looking for a job, which I did for a few years in my late 50s. But even now, I get helpful advice from it.