101 Smart Questions to Ask on Your Interview (5 page)

So be smart enough, when asked what interests you about the job, not to answer,
“Heck, I just need a job with benefits. I owe way too much on my Visa.”

Don’t underestimate the effect of your body language
on the interviewer. While many people don’t mean what they say or say what they mean, their nonverbal actions reveal
exactly
what they’re feeling. According to studies,
more than half
of what we are trying to communicate is being received nonverbally.

To many interviewers, your
failure to look them in the eye
indicates you have something to hide. So does being overly fidgety or nervous. Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake, face him or her, sit up straight and, of course, look ‘em in the eye.
Breaking
eye contact occasionally is also a good idea. Staring at someone without pause for more than a few seconds will make them nervous.

Likewise, interviewers are looking for people who are
enthusiastic
about what they do, so sighing, looking out the window, or checking your watch during a question is not creating the right impression. If you don’t seem interested in the job, why should they be interested in hiring you?

A candidate once said to me, barely five minutes into our interview,
“I’ve got three other offers right now. What can you do for me?”

I showed him where the exit was.

Yes, you need to be confident, enthusiastic, and cheerful (and brave and clean and reverent . . . ), but there can be, as this example clearly illustrates, too much of a good thing.

The interviewer asks what she thinks is a simple question and you act as if she has accused you of a crime. You start to sweat, hem and haw, and try to change the subject.

What are you hiding? That’s what the interviewer will be wondering. And if you aren’t actually hiding anything, why are you acting so defensively?

Interviewing over lunch
is a situation fraught with potential dangers. Slurping spaghetti or wiping barbecue sauce off your tie is simply not attractive, even if you are. Ordering the most (or least) expensive item on the menu sends an unwelcome message. And what happens when the French dish you didn’t understand but ordered anyway turns out to be sautéed brains?

If you can’t avoid a lunch interview (and I would certainly try), use your common sense. Order something light and reasonably priced—you’re not
really
there for the food, are you? Remember what Mom told you: Keep your elbows off the table, don’t talk with your mouth full, and put your napkin on your lap. Don’t drink alcohol (even wine), don’t smoke (even if your host does), don’t complain about the food (even if it was lousy), and don’t forget that this is still an interview!

Although many interviewers will not consider inappropriate dress, poor grooming, or a bit too much candor an automatic reason for dismissal, an accumulation of two or more such actions may force even the most empathetic to question your suitability. (Some items, of course, such as dishonesty, may well lead to an immediate and heartfelt,
“Thank you . . . please don’t stay in touch.”
)

Is It Okay to Take Notes?

I suspect I could find equal numbers of recruiters, executives, and interviewers to come down on either side of this question. Of course, it’s okay for the
interviewer
to take notes, which is why I believe it is okay for the interviewee, too. Not just okay, but encouraged.

Why? There are a few good reasons:

First, you can’t possibly remember everything, no matter how good your memory. And yet you certainly want to remember what
you
said, what
he
said, what seemed
right,
what felt
wrong,
titles, numbers . . . all the myriad things that went on during the interview. As long as you ask permission first, I believe taking notes is an absolute requirement.

Second, it is essential for your follow-up. I encourage you to write brief individual notes to
every
person you meet on an interview, from the receptionist to the person who got your coffee, and even more targeted and longer letters to all the people with whom you actually interviewed. How can you be sure of the spelling of that many names, titles, and the like, without good notes? How can you make sure to answer (again) the objection you know may be the key thing obstructing your hiring? How can you schmooze the colleague who seemed a little cold to your candidacy, perhaps jealous because
he
wanted (or expected) your job?

Third, you may need to use your notes during the interview itself, jotting down a question you don’t want to forget (while the interviewer drones on), a point you want to raise, or an example you want to emphasize. This will allow you to interject something at just the right time, which may be quite a while down the road, even at the very end of the interview.

I believe many if not most interviewers will interpret your note taking as a sign of professionalism and seriousness, as long as you don’t lug in an iBook or PalmPilot and keep your nose buried in it the entire time.

You should walk in with notes—the questions you intend to ask, detailed notes on financials, specific points you want to remember, and research data you want to incorporate in an answer or question. Getting the interviewer used to your “consulting my notes” makes it a lot easier to ask permission to
take
notes during the interview itself. But be careful. You don’t want to appear to be constantly “referring to your notes” every time the interviewer asks a question:
“Where did you go to college, Jim?” “Uh, just a minute, let me consult my notes.”

Personally, I wouldn’t want anything but an attractive notebook that is extracted from an equally professional-looking attaché case, along with a quality pen (not a disposable!). I find the use of a notebook computer much too distracting (as an interviewer), but it may be acceptable in high-tech industries where the interviewer could consider such technology a given (even a plus).

I’d never recommend a tape recorder, unless you plan to arrest the interviewer immediately after the interview. I see no positive value and a host of potentially negative reactions to it.

Whatever you use, remember the point of the interview is to listen, then talk. Write as little as you need to. And if you aren’t very good at note taking and listening at the same time (or taking notes while retaining eye contact), practice. No one wants to talk to your forehead.

Don’t Run Away . . . Yet

We’ve all been there—an interview that is obviously not working. Maybe it’s the interviewer, maybe it’s you, maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s a cruel joke by God. Whatever. The interview is not going well, and you are sorely tempted to get up, thank the interviewer, and run, not walk, to the safety of your bedroom.

Don’t leave. Excuse yourself, perhaps for a bathroom break. (Hey, I know it’s not usually done, but right now we’re trying to salvage an interview that’s going down in flames.) Compose yourself. Give yourself a pep talk. Then go back in there and sell yourself.

You may actually be completely unqualified for the job, which is why the interview is not going well. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other jobs at that company or jobs at other companies the interviewer knows. Make the sale.

CHAPTER 2
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Who are you?

What are your strengths?

What is important to you?

What specific things do you require in the job you’re seeking—adventure, glamour, a bigger office, more money?

Where do you want to work?

What size company do you want to work for?

How many people would you like working under you?

What are your long-term goals?

What are your short-term goals?

What have you already done to accomplish these short-term goals?

What do you still need to do?

Whew! And you were afraid the
interviewer
was going to ask tough questions!

There are a lot of questions to ask
yourself
long before you let your fingers wander through the want ads or job postings.

Answering these questions should enable you to define both short-and long-term goals—personal, professional, and financial—and could even help you develop a road map to reach those dreams. Additionally, they will help you better assess the fit between a company’s culture, the job, the boss . . . and
you.
Unless you do this kind of analysis, on what basis will you be evaluating job offers? As the old saying goes, “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

So let’s make a few lists to help you assess who you are, what’s important to you, and what this analysis should tell you about the kind of company you want to work for. You’ll quickly see that this is a far more detailed and completely different assessment than you were advised to do when collecting data for your resume.

Questions About You as a Person

What are your key values?

What kinds of people do you enjoy spending time with?

How would you describe your personality?

What activities do you most like doing?

What activities do you least like doing?

Are you a risk-taker or risk averse?

What in your personal life causes you the most stress (relationships, money, time constraints, etc.)?

What in your personal life gives you the most pleasure?

If you had to spend 40 hours a week doing a single activity, what would it be?

What were your favorite subjects in school? Would they still be your favorites today?

What were your strongest subjects?

What games and sports do you enjoy? What does the way you play them say about you?

Are you overly competitive? Do you give up too easily?

Are you a good loser or a bad winner?

Do you rise to a challenge or back away?

What kinds of friends do you tend to have? Do you seek out people who are just like you or those who will laugh at all of your jokes?

What has caused you to break up friendships? What does this say about you?

If you were to ask a group of friends and acquaintances to describe you, what adjectives would
they
use? Why do you think they would describe you in those terms? Are there specific behaviors, skills, achievements, or failures that caused them to choose those adjectives? What are they?

Questions About You as a Professional

What kinds of people do you like working with? What kinds do you dislike working with?

What are your goals and aspirations?

What would it take to transform yourself into someone who’s passionate about every workday?

What
are
your passions?

How can you make yourself more marketable in today’s competitive job market?

List Your Current Strengths, Abilities, and Values

The following list of descriptive adjectives should help you further define who you really are, both professionally and personally. Circle those words or phrases that you believe describe you, and keep them in mind when assessing any job offer or any company and its attendant culture.

Active

Active in sports

Active reader

Active volunteer

Adaptable

Adventurous

Ambitious

Artistic

Attractive

Brave/heroic

Calm

Communicative

Computer literate

Confident

Courteous

Creative

Decisive

Dedicated

Detail-oriented

Directed

Dynamic

Economical

Efficient

Empathetic

Ethical

Excellent analytical skills

Excellent math skills

Experienced

Extrovert

Flexible

Fluent in other languages

Focused

Goal-oriented

Good delegating skills

Good leadership skills

Good listening skills

Good mathematical skills

Good negotiating skills

Good presentation skills

Good public speaking skills

Good sense of humor

Good team-building skills

Good time management skills

Good under pressure

Good written communicator

Graceful

Handle stress well

Hard-working

High energy

Highly educated

Honest

Introvert

Learn from mistakes

Left-brained