The job seeking process is an extremely stressful time in every person’s life, especially if you’ve been out of job for a while and need to end your unemployment as soon as possible. A job interview is a key step in the job search process, and most often the outcome of your search directly depends on how well you perform in an interview. However, what surprises a lot of job seekers is the fact that it’s not only important to answer the interviewer’s questions the right way, but also to ask the interviewer the right questions. Find out how to make a great impression on the employer with the help of a couple of questions right now!
What are the biggest challenges of the job?
This question demonstrates the candidate’s eagerness to face problems immediately rather than avoiding dealing with the possible issues. It’s a good way to get acquainted with the things your employer considers to be the most challenging: whether it’s paperwork, communication, workload, working overtime, or any other drawbacks, it’s necessary to be prepared for them, and there is no better way to get to know the challenges than to ask the employer directly, so that he knows you’re not afraid of dealing with problems.
What are your best memories about working here?
Don’t forget: the person who’s interviewing is not only a current employee at the company you want to join, but is also likely a very seasoned worker who knows everything about the company. The interviewer will be delighted if you ask about his best experiences at the company and will instantly feel more open towards you, and his answers will help you realize if this company is what you’re looking for in an employer. For example, if the interviewer’s best memories concern working overtime, and you are looking for a strictly limited workday, this company might not be for you.
How are my qualifications looking?
A person who’s interviewed you for a while probably already knows whether you’ll be hired or not, so it never hurts to find out about your prospects. However, asking directly if they’ll hire you is hardly a good idea – it makes you look desperate. Instead you should ask if your qualifications and experience are enough to get a job. The interviewer will likely not hide the truth from you, so you’ll instantly know if you lack anything in skills, education, or experience, and if you can improve to get the job.
Tell me about the team I’ll be working with
With this question you can kill two birds with one stone. First, you phrase the question in a way that looks like you already have the job, which is exactly the confidence that is appreciated by many employers. Second, the people surrounding you at your new job on a daily basis have a huge influence on your productivity and enjoyment from work, so it never hurts to find out more about your future team, and especially your boss, who also has a direct impact on your work life. If you’re lucky, you can even meet your prospective boss during a job interview!
Who held this position before?
If the position you’re interviewing for is brand new and not freshly opened, it means someone has worked here before you, and what your interviewer will say about your predecessor will tell you a lot about working here. Ask if the person working here before was fired, promoted, or quit. If he was fired, find out the reason – it’s one thing to be fired for being constantly late or leaving too early, but if the reason for firing was bad performance, it can mean that the boss is very subjective and possibly unfair. However, if the previous worker was promoted to a higher position, you can feel better knowing that it’s possible to make a career within this company.
What is considered to be success at this company?
Asking the employer what your prospective company thinks about success is very telling in terms of their expectations from the work in general and from you in particular. It’s a well-known fact that success cannot be measured. However, a good employer knows exactly which employee is successful and which is not. Finding out the criteria for success will help you know better how to behave in the workplace, which strengths to demonstrate, and what direction to take your work in to help the company achieve its goals faster.
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