Questions to prepare for an interview

By: Alan Hung

With many new year resolutioners looking to make big changes at the start of a new year, changing jobs is one of the top items on most people’s lists. And when people are looking for a new job, the first thing that they do is update your resume, send out your applications, and wait for that phone call or email inviting you for an interview. There’s more that you can be doing as you are waiting for that opportunity to interview for your next dream job.

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Employers and interviewers today are no longer just expecting you to be able to answer their questions in an interview. They are looking for individuals who come prepared with relevant questions relating to the position, their company, and their overall industry as this shows that preparation and research have been done. However, it’s not just any question either, but insightful and relevant questions that are going to win you some points.

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Usually towards the end of the interview process, interviewer will give you an opportunity to ask any questions and it is important to you to have these questions ready to genuinely gain more insight into the role and the company, and more importantly, to impress your interviewer.

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Here are 4 tips for questions you can prepare to ask during your interview to stand out and show your interest.

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1. Questions about the position

Asking questions about the position would offer more insights into the role that a job description would not be able to provide. It can provide you with further knowledge of what skills and experience are needed and can help you better understand the daily expectations of the role.

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Furthermore, it will allow the interviewer to see if you truly understand what the position is about based on the relevance of the questions you ask. Through this line of questioning about the position will allow both sides to determine if there’s a skills and experience fit to the qualifications and requirements.

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Some examples of questions you can ask are:

“What does a typical day to day look like?”

“What are some of the challenges one could face in this role?”

“What are examples of traits and skills that someone in this role has that enables them to be successful?”

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2. Questions about the company and culture

It is a great opportunity for you to show your interest in the company while getting to hear insider information about the team and culture that you can’t find anywhere else. It is important to learn as much as you can to see if the values and vision of the company align with yours. We spend a big part of our waking hours at work and with the people we work with and therefore the work environment must be something you can get comfortable with, or else you will get burnt out very quickly just physically and mentally being part of the team.

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Some examples of questions you can ask are:

“How would you describe the company’s values?”

“How has the company changed over the past couple years?”

“What would your employees say is the best part of being with the company?”

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3. Questions about future opportunities

When looking for a new job, one would likely be looking for a career opportunity that can lead to greater and bigger roles in the future. If career progression and advancement opportunities are important to you, you want to find out if the position that you applied for, and the company in general has succession plans or mentorship programs, and what the current position leads to. It is important to express your career aspirations and see whether the company can help you reach those goals.

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Some examples of questions you can ask are:

“Where have successful employees previously in this position progressed to?”

“Are there opportunities for advancement within the company?”

“What are the plans for this position and what can I grow into next?”

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4. Questions not to ask

While it’s important to ask questions during an interview, only the right questions will help you stand out. There are many basic questions that you can find online, but many times these questions are asked just for the sake of asking a question. There’s no real purpose to it and sometimes the answers do not add to the conversation, provide more information, relevant to the position, or have already been covered during the interview. Also, you’re expected to have done your research prior to an interview so questions that you can easily find the answers for online, should be avoided as it can appear as if you did not research at all. Lastly, there are questions, while are important to the candidate, can wait until the later stages of the interview process (i.e. sick days, vacation days, remote work, benefits, etc.) There’s a time for these types of questions when the employer has expressed interest in you, and you need all of the information and what is being offered in order to make an informed decision.

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Some examples of questions to avoid asking are:

“What does the company do exactly?” (Or anything that shows you have not done your research)

“When do I start?” (Or anything that can come off presumptuous)

“What are the benefits like here?”

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It is important to remember that during an interview, not only is the interviewer assessing if you are the right candidate for the role, but you are also assessing whether the company and the role would be a fit for what you are looking for. Use this opportunity to gather more information about the company that was not addressed during the interview so that you can walk away confidently knowing all there is you need to know about company and leaving a positive impression on the interviewer!

Contact us ?today to speak with one of our Recruitment Specialists and let us help you find new opportunities for the next step in your career!

Photo Credits:Image by ijeab on Freepik

Link to original article:https://www.expandreach.ca/2024/01/16/questions-to-prepare-for-an-interview/