Six Must-Ask Interview Questions

Interviewing can be a gut-wrenching process. Most books on how to interview list hundreds of interview questions you need to be ready to answer, but few talk about the questions you need to ask.    

Take more control at your next interview by asking some pointed questions of your own. Here are six must-ask questions and why you should know the answers.

1. What happened to the person who previously did this job? (If a new position: How has this job been performed in the past?)

Why You Need to Ask: You need to know any problems or past history associated with this position. For instance, was your predecessor fired or promoted? Is this a temporary position or brand new? The answer will tell you about management's expectations and how the company is gearing to grow.

2. Why did you choose to work here? What keeps you here?

Why You Need to Ask: Although you may like this company, you're an outsider. You need to find out what an insider has to say about working there. Who better to ask than your interviewer? This also forces the interviewer to step out of their official corporate role and answer personally as an employee and potential coworker.

3. What is the first problem the person you hire must attend to?

Why You Need to Ask: You need to be on the same page as your new manager, as well as be clear on what the initial expectations are and that you can deliver. What you don't want is to allow yourself to be misled about the job’s requirements and end up overwhelmed and over your head after the first week on the job.

4. What can you tell me about the individual to whom I would report?

Why You Need to Ask: It doesn't matter how wonderful the company might be; your time will be spent working for a specific manager. You need to find out who this person is and what kind of manager he is -- earlier rather than later, before personality clashes develop. If you're an independent type used to working through solutions on your own, for instance, you'll chafe when you find you're being supervised by a micromanager.

5. What are the company's five-year sales and profit projections?

Why You Need to Ask: You need to know about the future of the company you plan to spend several years of your life working for. It doesn't have to be this exact question. For example, you might want to ask about the company's future plans for new products and services or any planned market expansion. Of course, you've done your own research, but nothing can beat an insider’s observations and insights. This also shows you've done your homework and are serious about this company.

6. What's our next step?

Why You Need to Ask: This is your closing and the most important question to ask at the end of the interview. You need to know what happens after this point. Many books advise asking for the job now, but most people may feel too intimidated to bluntly do so. And with more candidates already scheduled for interviews, the company is not likely to make you an offer yet. You may also need to do some additional research on the company, making it too early to ask for the job.

A good compromise: Take the lead and set a plan for follow-up. You'll also be able to gauge the company's enthusiasm with the answer. Don't forget to ask for your interviewer’s direct phone number and the best time to call.

What to Remember

As a job seeker, the key to a good interview is to find out as much about your potential employer as possible. Asking these six questions will not only make you appear more committed as a candidate, but will also give you better insight into both the challenges and opportunities that may lie ahead for you.

[As a recruiter, Joe Turner has spent the past 15 years finding and placing top candidates in some of the best jobs of their careers. He makes it easy for anyone to find and land the job they really want -- all on their own in the shortest time possible. Discover more insider job search secrets by visiting Job Change Secrets.]

 

The Five Interview Questions You Must Answer

Most job search authors have book sections with sample questions suggesting you should memorize the “correct” answers to pass muster. In reality, an interview is just an opportunity for a company to acquire the answers to five rather simple questions. If you don’t, or can’t, answer any one of these satisfactorily, you will not be hired or brought back for a future interview.

 

The 5 questions you must answer in any interview:

 

1. Why are you here?

 

2. What can you do for us?

 

3. Will you fit in? (Will you get along with our values and culture here?)

 

4. What makes you different from everyone else, will you go that extra mile?

 

5. How much will you cost us?

 

Before you begin any interview, here is how to deal with the above: Change these five questions into five statements:

 

1. Why are you here?

 Tell them what you like or what impresses you about this company.

 

2. What can you do for us?

 List the skills you have that are needed for the job and cite evidence from your past that supports these skills.

 

3. Will you fit in?

 Demonstrate how much of a team player you are, your specific contributions to the company’s mission and cite several successful projects of which you’ve been a part. Describe your role in each project’s success.

 

4. What makes you different?

 Highlight instances when you’ve gone the extra mile, put forth extraordinary effort, or successfully overcome unique challenges in your work history that have resulted in a positive outcome such as winning a major contract, completing a project ahead of schedule or making or exceeding a goal or quota that may have hung in the balance.

 

5. How much will you cost?

 In today’s economy, many companies are bringing up the salary question early because they can’t afford experienced workers. Unfortunately, many will rule out stellar candidates because of money and you might be one of them. If this is the case, move on. You don’t want to get caught up in a discussion about salary here. If they bring it up, it’s only to allay any early anxieties in their mind about whether they can afford you. You only need to demonstrate a willingness to work with them within the confines of their compensation structure at this point. Check out sites like salary.com or payscale.com for a gauge on current salaries in your target market. Keep it general now. If they really want you, they’ll find a way to pay you what you’re worth at closing.

 

Don’t Just Answer Questions, Tell Your Stories

 

Here is where you’ll craft a few of your stories to illustrate some of these points, especially for questions 3 and 4. These are short personal narratives that you can tell, taking no more than 30 to 90 seconds each. You can start by developing your stories around areas like these:

 

1. Instances when you either made money or saved money for your current or previous company.

 

2. A crisis in your life or job and how you responded or recovered from it.

 

3. A time when you functioned as part of a team and contributed a unique contribution as a result.

 

4. A time in your career when you had to deal with stress, and the positive outcome.

 

5. A time in your job when you provided successful leadership or a sense of direction.

 

Also, think now of instances above when you provided a contribution or leadership role that was unique, untried, out of the ordinary, or otherwise, outside the box. Especially for questions 3 and 4 above, companies are looking for employees who are willing to go the extra mile, can bring a unique perspective to their teams, and can take on initiative without being asked.

 

Summary

 

Your objective in an interview is to stand out and be remembered positively from all of the other job applicants. By answering these five questions in your own unique style, you’ll separate yourself from the pack and win either a callback or a job offer.