The key to success in a job interview is preparation, but you already know that. You know to walk in the door cool, calm, and confident. You are dressed professionally and you have researched the company. The hiring manager greets you and you give them a firm handshake and a warm smile. They ask you about yourself, your experience, why you are looking for new opportunities, and why you are interested in their company. You give them strong, polished answers and think to yourself that “you’ve got this.” The hiring manager tells you about the position, the expectations, and the company. Then they ask you if you have any questions and you freeze, this is the one part of the interview that you didn’t prepare for. Jobs can be won and lost based on the questions you do or don’t ask. Don’t let this happen to you.
The article “Three Interview Questions Every Job Seeker Should Know” by Liz Ryan, featured on Forbes.com, discusses job interviews, scripted vs. unscripted, and how the thing that hiring managers are most looking for in interviews is to see your brain working. She draws upon her experience as a former HR manager to advise you that you should be prepared for an interviewer who is going to follow a script and one who may go off book. She lays out three questions that you should definitely be asking in your interviews:
- What items are on your hot list, the things you most want and need to have completed and off your plate three months from now?
- What is the biggest goal for your department this year, and how would I as a new team member contribute to that goal?
- What is the biggest problem you’re looking to hire someone to solve for you?
Are you curious about other things you should be doing, or not doing, in your interviews? ACS has the perfect resource for you. At the ACS Career Fair, held during the National Meeting in Denver, March 22-24, our Career Consultants will be holding mock interviews to help guide you in putting your best foot forward in your job interviews. Register today to take advantage of this outstanding resource!
