Monday, September 7, 2015

Interviews - Ask Your Own Questions

Okay, you have made it to the end of your interview and the interviewer says it is now 
your turn.  They want to know if you have any questions for them.  And most likely you 
do:  “How did I do” and “Are you going to hire me” – unfortunately you can’t ask either 
one.  But there are questions that you can ask to glean some information on how you 
performed and to determine if the company is a right fit for you.

Although it is not acceptable to ask how you did in an interview, it is okay and 
encouraged to ask what the next steps are and the timeline for them.  Depending on how 
this is answered, you may be able to figure out their reaction to you.  But this is not full-
proof and is not a guarantee.  If they take the time to explain all the checks they need to 
go through, how many people they have left to interview and so on, they are probably 
interested and want you to understand that there is still steps left in the process.  If they 
only tell you that you will hear from them within a certain period of time via letter, well it 
isn’t as promising.

Look at the opportunity to ask your own questions as your chance to interview the 
company.  Of course you have done your research prior to attending and have made up a 
list that you wrote down before attending.  Show your preparedness and pull out the list 
to ask your questions.  Things like company direction and expansion show an interest in 
the business.  Feel free to take notes; it can earn you brownie points.  Ask questions that 
are important to you as well, if vacation time and benefits are a deal breaker for you, find 
out now what the company has to offer.

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