How to prepare for your Next Interview

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People say that there no stupid questions. Wrong… at least, when you are interviewing for a job. I have been training people on how to interview, celebrating job offers, and consoling losses for the past 5 years. Over the course of the time, I have learned a few lessons.

First of all, most great candidates are not experts at interviewing. As a matter of fact, most great candidates are terrible at interviewing because they rarely have to do it. However, being a great interviewer is how most people get job offers these days. As with anything in life, the best way to succeed is Prepare, Prepare, Prepare.

There is a section in almost all interviews where you will have a chance to ask questions. The goal of this section of the interview, contrary to popular belief, is to sell yourself. How? Ask questions about the interviewer’s own experiences. Why? Because the more people talk about themselves, the more they will like you!

Too many candidates want to picture themselves in the job and start asking logistical-type questions like: how often are expenses reimbursed, can I come in at 7:30 instead of 8, or is there free coffee… These questions waste valuable time and, honestly, are slightly presumptive.

So, what are some good questions to ask? Anything that gets the interviewer talking about things they enjoy about their job. Examples: What do you like most about working here? Why did you decide to join X company? What is the culture like here? What are some traits of the most successful members of your team? What is your management style like? What are some examples key projects that your team has worked on?

If you really need to ask some logistical questions to decide how this position stacks up against the others; you still must restrain yourself! The key to successful interviewing is to “sell first, buy later”. I always say, you cannot decline an offer that you don’t have.

Trust me; you will have plenty of time to ask logistical/buying questions once the company has decided to extend an offer to you. And, if you wait until this point in the process, you just may like their answers a little bit better!