Four Important Questions to Ask Your Interviewer; Do You Really Want to Work for This Person?


Many job seekers miss a golden opportunity when they are asked towards the end of an interview if they have any questions. If they feel the interviewer adequately explained the position, they make the mistake of answering "No" to this question. But this is the perfect time to find out if you really want to work for this person!  After all, even a wonderful job can turn into a miserable experience if you don't get along with the person you work for.

Here's how to find out if the boss will be as great as the job -- ask these questions during the interview:

1.  "What's your ideal employee like?"  Asking this question will give you an idea of what this boss would expect from you. Listen carefully to the answer and deduce what it will mean for you.  For example, if her ideal employee works independently, you'll know this boss is not a micromanager. If her ideal employee follows procedures without question, you'll know it may be an uphill battle to implement changes or new ideas. If her ideal employee works long hours, don't expect to leave on time every night.

2.  "What are the other people in the office like?"  Does this boss really know the people who work for her? Does she list their accomplishments with pride or say something vague and unimpressive?  Note her tone of voice when she talks about her team. Is she enthusiastic or disappointed?

3.  "How does an employee succeed on your team?" Hopefully she'll give you something more enlightening than "Do the job right."  You want to learn what standards are expected. For example, if it's a sales position, will you be expected to exceed a specific dollar value in sales or obtain a percentage of satisfied customers? So if her answer is too generic, you may have to follow up with more questions to get specifics.  Ask about the typical career path for an employee who successfully meets goals.

4.  "How do you go about solving problems?"  How she answers this question can give you insight into her management style. Does she prefer to take charge when things go wrong, or encourage her team to develop solutions?

In addition to the answers themselves, note this person's overall attitude about answering these questions. If she was open to them and answered thoughtfully, she's probably someone who enjoys promoting good working relationships.  If you're offered the job, you shouldn't have any hesitations about working for this person.  But if she appeared to resent the questions and didn't answer them to your satisfaction, she's not someone you'd
want to work for.

It's better to know this sooner rather than later! 

Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.best-interview-strategies.com.


MORE RESOURCES:

Downsized trade workers go back to school
Canada.com, Canada - 9 hours ago
... in order to compete in today's employment market," said Labombard, who also worked at International Tool and Hallmark before starting a teaching career. ...


Canada.com

Crunch boosts health-care careers
Canada.com, Canada - 12 hours ago
... that desperately lack adequate health-care resources, are the students who gain more career options than ever in expanding fields of employment. ...


Good job prospects for Wrexham's graduates
Wrexham Leader, UK - 18 hours ago
The careers centre at NEWI offers a range of activities and services to both students and graduates to help them gain work experience and employment. ...


Telegraph.co.uk

Making the move abroad a partnership
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 17 hours ago
... having to become more proactive in their support, and are realising that self-employment and "portable careers" offer a flexible and practical solution. ...


Campus Career Portal Launched for Pakistani Universities
All Things Pakistan, Pakistan - 7 hours ago
As they increase exposure to diverse internships and career opportunities, they are in a better position to choose their careers as opposed to being chosen ...


LOG ON FOR TIPS ON CHOOSING A CAREER
Evening Post, UK - 9 hours ago
Focus on Careers will help students to understand their possible options as they consider future learning, qualifications and employment opportunities. ...


State of Connecticut Prepares Next Generation for High Growth ...
CNNMoney.com - 13 hours ago
Faced with the need to identify current and future employment trends for the State of Connecticut, the IFS Center tapped SkillPROOF to develop Web-crawler ...


College Jobs Network Offers Free Job Postings for Employers ...
Free Press Release Center (press release), Canada - 45 minutes ago
“Our goal is to develop and promote a collaborative employment website for recent graduates and current students through alumni resources, college career ...


Historians' Rocky Job Market
Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription) - 2 hours ago
But hundreds of historians spend years — and some spend whole careers — barely earning a living by teaching at several colleges at once. ...
The Small Paycheck and History Teaching Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription)
all 2 news articles


Self-doubt a hurdle for women returning to workforce
The Gazette (Montreal), Canada - 2 hours ago
After the birth of her daughter two years ago, Cathy Lac-Brisley of London, Ont., struggled to make the transition back into full-time, permanent employment ...

careers & employment - Google News

Google

Refer a Friend

home | site map


MaineBannerExchange

© 2006 Careers & Employment