Each year, many employees seek new ventures in the job market. When seeking a new job, the interviews remains the most important part of the assessment and this artificial form of human interaction can invariably prove tricky.
Connor Campbell, business expert at NerdWallet has compiled some of the key questions that people can consider asking in their next job interview and he has shared this with Digital Journal.
Campbell explains: “A job interview has historically been seen as the opportunity for the company to interview the applicant. But over the last couple of years, it’s become increasingly seen as the chance for the applicant to interview the company and ask themselves, “Will this be the right role for me?”
He adds: “To give you the best chance of utilising this time, it’s important to go into a job interview prepared. Interview styles can vary from company to company, and depending on that style, you may only have a short amount of time to ask questions. So, you will need to make them count.”
Campbell explains there will inevitably be core things that the candidate will wish to know: key responsibilities, the company structure, challenges and pressure points. To get to the heart of the role and company, Campbell recommends splitting out your questions into topics.
He sets put why: “The role and company are arguably two of the most important topics to get an understanding of, so these are a good place to start. When it comes to the role, asking questions such as:
- ‘What does a typical working day or week look like for this role?’
- ‘Is this a new role, or will I be replacing someone who is leaving?’
- ‘What do you think is the most important contribution I could make in this role?’
- ‘What do you think will separate someone who is good at this job from someone who is fantastic at this role?’
- ‘What do you think is the main attribute that makes the company stand out from its peers?’
- ‘What do you think the people who work here most have in common?’
- ‘What types of people tend to do well in this environment?’
As to the usefulness of these questions, Campbell explains: “It’s never been more important for the company values and culture to be aligned with ours. And the interview is the perfect opportunity to make sure they do. Questioning what the company’s most important value is, and how that relates to this role can give you a great understanding of the values they hold.”
Campbell closes out recommending: “If the opportunity arises, it’s worth ending the interview by asking the interviewer/s questions about their experience. ‘What is the one thing you wish someone had told you before starting at the company?’, is a great question to ask as it’ll help highlight pressure points that may not have been raised. ‘How has the company changed since you joined?’, is another question that will give you real insight into the company’s history and plans for the future.
