MAKING A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION
Questions to avoid In a nutshell, avoid asking questions that you should already know the answer to as a pleasant, well-read and well-researched interviewee. Don’t ask for information that is clearly stated on the organisation’s website – this makes it seem like you haven’t actually done your research. Likewise, don’t ask about something that you’ve just been told in the interview, simply for the sake of something to say – it’ll look as if you weren’t listening carefully. Also, steer clear of questions that make you sound arrogant. “What’s your company able to offer me?” will give the impression that you’re difficult to work with. The same goes for good questions that aren’t tactfully worded – for instance: “What makes you so different from Company Y? Aren’t they doing the same thing?” Lastly, steer clear of any talk concerning salaries or remuneration, especially during your first interview. It’s bad form to discuss how much you expect the company to give you when your interviewers haven’t yet decided if they really want to extend a job offer to you!
Other opportunities to ask questions You may also have the opportunity to talk to other members of the company outside the formal interview – such as an introduction to a recent recruit to have a chat about his or her job, taken on a tour of the building, or joined by other team members for an informal lunch with your recruiters. Make the most of these opportunities to ask polite questions when appropriate, and listen carefully to the answers. Good questions include the following:
Keep in mind that while you’re talking, it’s very likely that the recruitment team will be taking feedback from everyone who has spoken with you. So take as much care about what you ask and how you come across in less formal activities as you do in the interview itself. Above all, great questions to ask at the interview often require you to do a bit of research in advance. It’s a big factor in being a hireable candidate.
• What’s your position? • What type of products/projects/cases do you tend to work on? • How long have you been with the company? Did you join as a graduate? • Do you find the company a friendly place to work in? • What do you enjoy most about working here? • What are some of the hardest parts of your job?
The smart questions funnel A good tactic is to use what’s called the funnel method of questioning. Start by using open questions such as “How?”, “Why?” and “Who?” before working your way towards closed questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. This can help the conversation seem more organic. Since open questions need more than a “yes” or “no”, use them if you want to get your interviewers talking. For example, you can ask something like “What is the training process like?” Use closed questions later to clarify points and show that you’ve been listening, with questions such as “So your expectations are that your trainees will be ready to work independently within a month?”
How will this trend affect the way you work?
What sort of training will I receive?
What does this mean for my role?
So your expectations are that...
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