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And Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
As a job seeker, your goal in an interview is twofold; you need to gather enough information to decide if you want to work at a company, and you need to convince the interviewer that you are the candidate for the position.
Part of convincing the employer that your worthy of a role is showing them that you’ve researched the organization beforehand. Visit the company’s website as a starting place and look for the company’s brochure, annual report, or 10-K for perusal. (Publicly traded companies are required to file 10-K reports annually with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 10-Ks are similar to a company’s annual report, but highlight more details about its management, financial situation, and practices, resulting in a goldmine for those preparing for interviews).
As you prepare to be interviewed, be sure that you can answer basic questions about the firm before meeting with any of its representatives, such as:
- What does the company do?
- What are the company’s mission, vision, and values?
- When was the company started?
- What do the company’s financial or other performance indicators show?
- Who is the main consumer base of the company’s products/services?
- What does the competitive landscape look like for this company?
- Where are the company’s locations?
- How many employees work at the company?
- What kind of public image/brand does the company have?
- Is there important terminology the company uses (i.e., do they call employees “associates”)?
You should be prepared to engage in interviews in different formats, ranging from telephone conversations, to formal dinners, to casual coffee shops, and, of course, in traditional office environments. If you’re ever faced with a choice as to whether to meet in person or via telephone, always opt for the in-person option. Meeting in-person tends to showcase more of your skills and personality, and allows you to be more agile in the interview, reacting to body language and other in-person clues you can collect “in the moment.”
If you’re less-than-experienced at interviewing, I recommend doing at least one role-play of the interview with a trusted friend, professor, or mentor. Role-playing can help you curb your interview nerves because it makes the real interview feel more predictable, as though you have already been there.
Since you have done your homework by this point, be confident in an interview and when answering questions, focus on keeping your responses clear, articulate, and evidence-based. What specific scenarios can you share that highlight your skills? Too many interviewees speak in general terms, so the more you can give examples and show measurable change or progress, the better.
Think about times you have truly shone, or when you were offered praise for your work. Was there a project you worked on where you had great synergy with your team or the task at hand? Are there compelling metrics that illustrate how you added value to the company? If you’ve learned that the company uses certain terminology, such as favoring “business unit” to “department,” or “associate” to “employee,” do your best to use that same language. It will help send the message that you can easily integrate into their culture and fit in.
No matter where you are in your career, even if you’re still in college, you should be prepared for the tough questions. People may ask why your grade point average is low, why you have never stayed at a job for longer than two years, or why your college major is so different from the job you want. Think through what your vulnerabilities are as a candidate–and like any good media coach would advise, bring the conversation back to what you can deliver.
An easy rule of thumb is that you should always ask questions in an interview . . . and I mean always. If you know that you’ll be meeting with many people over the course of an interview visit, prepare several different questions to ask. Asking questions shows you’re hungry to learn about the company and job and shows humility that you don’t yet have the company “all figured out.” Most of all, asking good questions guards against the worst kind of interview position—apathy.
Exuding apathy is the worst crime that an interviewee can perpetrate. Even if you don’t like a company or job based on an interview, treat the interview as though you may want the job at a future date. Put forward your most professional self and then think through the job fit off the interview clock.
Ideally, your questions should reflect a mix of subjects. Some questions can address tangibles such as benefits and promotion policies, while others can be specific to the work or based on something you heard in the job interview itself.
Suggested questions include:
- What are the two most critical skills needed for this position?
- How does this position fit within the larger organization?
- If the ideal candidate were hired in this role, what kind of change would it create in the organization?
- How would you describe the corporate culture?
- What is your vision for this position?
- What else can I tell you about my qualifications?
- What kind of assignments will the incumbent work on?
- Is there an emphasis on creating career paths for employees? If so, how?
- How do you measure performance?
- Do you see this job as more team-focused or independent in nature?
- What challenges does the company face?
- How would you describe the management style here?
- What characteristics do top performers at this company have in common?
- What distinguishes you most from your competitors?
- What new customer base would you like to target?
- Do you offer training or tuition assistance to employees?
- How affected is your company by shifts in your larger industry? Can you give me an example?
- What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization?
- What have you enjoyed most about your time with the organization?
- Where is your organization looking to grow and develop?
- How do departments work together here? Does this position have exposure to other departments?
Ultimately, the message you want to send if you are interested in an opportunity, is just that—interest. You want to avoid conveying desperation, extreme nervousness, indifference, or aloofness. If you’re interested in the job, go ahead and show your genuine enthusiasm. In my experience, most employers would rather hire someone moderately qualified who really wants the job, in favor of a highly qualified person who seems apathetic or indifferent.
Selena Rezvani is the author of The Next Generation of Women Leaders: What You Need to Lead but Won’t Learn in Business School (Praeger, ABC-Clio, 2009). She lectures extensively on the topic of women and leadership at places like Harvard, Princeton, Duke, NYU, Comcast, Apple, and Northrop Grumman. For more information, visit: www.nextgenwomen.com.
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