When you interview for a new position, much of the conversation focuses on you and how you’d fill the given role and meet the expected qualifications. As a result, you spend a lot of time selling yourself and your skills.
But choosing to take a new job isn’t just about what you will do for the company— it’s also about whether the company is a good fit for your professional goals and day-to-day happiness. You’ll spend roughly 40 hours a week at work, so you need to make sure this job is one in which you’ll flourish.
To find out if a company or role is the right fit, ask these 10 questions.
如今大個仔如今大個仔^^I recently interviewed an excellent candidate for a position at our growing startup, Likeable Local. The woman had an incredible resume, an infectious personality, and, seemingly, a great work ethic. She was dressed for success, with a style fitting our culture. She answered all of my questions well, and seemed like a potential excellent fit for our company. Yet, despite all of this, she didn’t receive another interview, and I absolutely couldn’t seriously consider hiring her. What went wrong?
When I asked her what questions she had for me, the job candidate replied, “None, really. I’ve been following you guys online for awhile and feel like I know everything already.”
That was a fatal error, of course. By not asking questions, she told me she wasn’t truly interested in learning more, in creating value, and in our company. I couldn’t hire an otherwise very-well-qualified candidate because, in her lack of questions, she displayed a lack of passion for, interest in, and curiosity about our company and the position.
The most important thing you must do in every interview is to ask great questions.
The key is to ask great questions- not to ask questions that you should know the answers to already (“What does the position entail?) or questions that make it all about you (“What is your vacation policy?”)
Here are 9 great questions you can use or make your own on your next job interview. Obviously they're generic and should be tailored based on circumstances:
Interviewing for your next job is tough work!
Last year, I published The 1 Thing You Must Do In Every Job Interview. The article received a lot of feedback—some in support and some in opposition. Interviews have remained a hot topic for me over the past year, especially as I work to scale our team at Likeable Local. This year, I thought I'd ask my friends over at the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) about the 1 most impressive interview question to ask.
The YEC is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. I asked these CEO's and entrepreneurs what single most impressive interview questions applicants have asked (or they they wish applicants would ask). These are their answers, followed by mine:
