by
Willette Coleman ©2013
Do you freeze up during a job interview when a Human Resource
(HR) interviewer or recruiter, asks, “Do you have any questions?” “Yes?” then beware. “If you don’t ask questions in the interview,
many recruiters will wonder if you will avoid asking questions on the job,”
says Janice Bryant Howroyd.
The Founder, CEO, and Chairperson of
ACT•1, an employment
service, adds that it “really clouds my estimation of their interest and
ability to engage.”
Granted,
most people get nervous at the very thought
of a job interview. This stress mimics the jitters students get before and
during a test in school. To relax, do
two things:
1. Breathe. Minutes before a job interview (or a test) do
7 belly breaths. Deep, focused breathing calms your nerves.
2. Prepare: To keep from having that deer-in-the-head
lights stare when an interviewer asks that fated question, be prepared.
When you’re prepared, you minimize, maybe even eliminate nervousness. Preparation
is a career life skill that ~
·
sharpens your query capabilities,
·
fortifies your personal power, and
·
allows you to siege your moment to ask questions as an opportunity to professionally
and modestly strut your stuff.
Basic
homework or research is the best preparation. With the Internet, researching
companies and management teams is easier than 20 years ago. These 5 steps
will help you maximize your search to prepare thoughtful questions for a job
interview.
1. Go to the
company’s Website: At a company’s website, click on the “About” tab and
read its purpose and mission, and, in some cases, its history; click the
“Staff” tab and learn who’s who and in what position; the “Products” or
“Services” tab, as well as the “Community Relations” tab (if there is one), where
you can learn about the company’s charitable outreach. Sometimes such
information is a subheading under another tab that may seem unrelated.
So, check each tab.
2. Use
Alternative Websites: WetFeet.com
and glassdoor.com are good resources
for searching salaries, stock exchange information and
anonymous first-person “reviews posted by employees.”
3. Use Search
Engines:
Type the name of the company into any search engine and you may get practical
information from newspaper and magazine articles, or trade newsletters and
magazines that may not be on the company’s website. Type the name of the
CEO, or department heads into a search engine and you may discover they are on
Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social media, which could provide you with useful
information, such as from what college the CEO or hiring manager graduated. Coincidentally, you might have graduated from
the same college.
4. Assess the
Company’s Philanthropy: If you are a “sharin' n’ carin'” kind of person,
giving back to the community or sustaining the environment may be major for
you. If so, you can access the Foundation Center’s
databases and learn where a company stands on education, health, homelessness
and other issues. You can also view their annual budget report. Note:
Not all companies are listed in the Foundation
Center’s database.
5. Read.
Reading the Wall Street Journal, trade magazines, newsletters and
professional journals may reveal the financial status, management style and
culture of a company. Trade magazines and newsletters, particularly, are
specific to the "trade," e.g. education, health, journalism, medicine,
media, marketing, sales, publishing, farming, real estate, finances, the
environment, engineering, technology, fashion, and so on.
Framing
Questions Based on Your Findings. During your moment to shine and ask
questions, creatively work a bit of the knowledge you discovered into your
conversation with the interviewer or recruiter. For example, take a
moment to share that you read (name the source) about the company’s future
plans (whatever they are). Show that you support the company’s vision and
how you might help.
If
your research revealed that the company prides itself on high performance, you
could frame your questions around performance objectives and evaluations.
Such as:
“What would you like the person you hire to accomplish in
six months or a year?”
“What is the most critical and
helpful change I can make (in the department or area where you might be working, or
project you'd be working on)?
“Do you reward excellent performance?” If so, “How?”
“How often does the company do
performance evaluations?”
“Are there career opportunities for those who
consistently produce outstanding results?”
Listen:
Pay
close attention to the interviewer’s answers to your questions. He or she
may say something that needs further clarification. DON’T
INTERRUPT! Ask for clarity when he or she finishes a sentence or
statement. This shows that you listen to people. Recruiters
would surmise that you'd pay attention to information and details given to
you in the job.
Take Notes: Recruiters are impressed with
candidates that bring a pen or pencil and notepad. However, don’t overuse
these tools (i.e., trying to write down every word the recruiter says), as they
can also be a distraction and deter you from one of the critical job interview
etiquettes: Looking the interviewer in the eyes. To stay focused and keep from losing your
train of thought (as well as review what was said in the interview, later), write down
key words in the interviewer’s statements that may have triggered a
question.
Company Culture Questions. Even if you read about the company’s culture
during your research, asking the interviewer gives you a direct and personal
view point. Ask:
“Would you mind telling me why you came to this company”
or “What do you like most about working here?”
Pam
Webster at Enterprise Rent-a-Car says she likes when candidates ask about the company culture. Company
culture means - the vibes, the atmosphere, the values, the work styles and
preferences - and what it’s like to be immersed in that environment every day.”
Dr.
Randall S. Hansen, founder of Quintessential Careers, says “Corporate culture
can be expressed in the company’s mission statement and other communications,
in the architectural style or interior decor of offices, by what people wear to
work, by how people address each other, and in the titles given to various
employees.” The “Andrea” character in the movie, The Devil Wears Prada, not only hadn’t asked questions, therefore,
didn’t know the day-to-day stressful and cultural environment of the
high-priced fashion industry where she applied for a job at a fashion
publication, she didn’t know the company’s dress code culture, nor
the signature name of the executive in charge.
For a journalism college graduate, she failed Research 101. Movies being what they are, however, Andrea
was hired anyway.
Company
culture may also include having fun. Asking whether management encourages
workplace fun is a judgment call. Even though experts say that workplace fun
is a healthy and healthful component that increases productivity, you don’t
want the interviewer to think “fun” on the job is your priority. This
aspect of work culture will be discussed in my next post, FUN & WORK: Can
They Just Get Along?
Resources. There’s no shortage of
helpful information on this subject on the Internet. Resources include,
but are not limited to Job Interview,
which also gives “Mock Interviews,” Quint Careers and Resume Magic. You’ll
need to discern, from the hundreds of suggestions, which questions are
appropriate and you’re comfortable asking. Don’t be shy about modifying
some suggestions to suit your personal character or the situation.
The
bottom line is: Interviewers judge
you as much by the questions you ask as on the answers you give, therefore,
thoughtful and intelligent questions demonstrate that you understand
priorities, and underscores commitment, diligence, resourcefulness and (again)
personal power, which can result in a POWER INTERVIEW.
Magic,
Miracles & Blessings,
Willette
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