Marc CenedellaSo you managed to get through a phone screen, ten resume revisions, and a lot of anxious moments when you were convinced they were ignoring you. Or at least playing hard to get so that you’d be grateful if they ever did offer you an interview.
And now those infamous words have just come out of the mouth of the person who is sitting across the desk from you. And you desperately wish you had something to ask.
It can be easy to forget that interviews aren’t about you.
This is a good time to remember what interviews are really all about.
It can be easy to forget that interviews aren’t about you. They are about your ability to do something for the people interviewing you.
There’s so much else going on in your work, your life, and in your job search, that you can forget to look at the interview from the interviewer’s point of view. They are somebody with a job, too, and a whole slew of tasks and accomplishments that they need to get done this year.
So for professionals in the first ten years of their career, these 14 questions — which focus on the needs, traits, and preferences of your future boss and future employer — demonstrate that you are somebody who is genuinely interested in their well-being, and in the success of the company you’re joining.
And the more interest we show in others, the more interest they’re going to have in seeing you get the job.
With that in mind, here are fourteen questions for your next interview
1. What’s the biggest change your team has gone through in the last year? Does your team feel like things are getting better in the economy and for your business?
2. If I get the job, how do I earn a “gold star” on my performance review? What are the key accomplishments you’d like to see in this role over the next year?
3. What’s your (or my future boss’) leadership style?
4. About which competitor are you most worried?
