Careers & Employment Information

Turning the Table: Questions for Your Interviewer


(DES MOINES, Iowa - January 26, 2005) The fateful final question of all interviewers may carry more weight than you would think. Upon hearing "Now, do you have any questions," you are given a chance to show the quality of your character and interest in the company. No matter how well the interview went, passively responding to this question with a shake of the head and a polite smile will only communicate to the employer that you are not interested in inquiring about the job, the company, and your place within their organization. Your approach to this Question & Answer time will directly impact the interviewer's assessment of you and the interview.

When thinking of questions the first things that probably come to mind regard your salary, hours, vacation, and benefits. It is not a good idea to ask these types of questions during this time. It would only express to the employer that you are more concerned about yourself than learning about the company. These kinds of questions are valid only when a job offer has been made.

When preparing for this part of the interview develop questions regarding the company or the organization. This will positively influence your interview by showing that you care more about the company and the job than just how much they will pay you. Good questions to ask are:

* How would you describe your company culture?

* What is the typical career path for someone in this position?

* What is your company's biggest challenge?

* Where do you see this industry in the next five years?

* Who is your competition and how do you compare?

* How does your company measure success?

* What skills are the most important for this position?

* Describe your ideal employee.

* Tell me about the people I'd be working with.

Not only will these questions indicate to the interviewer if you are right for the job, but their answers will indicate to you if the job is what you're looking for. Just as you may not be a perfect fit for all companies, not all companies are a perfect fit for you. Just as you try to sell yourself to a company, a company should try to sell themselves to you. In this case you should ask questions like:

* Are there any plans for a corporate merger or outsourcing initiatives?

With mergers and outsourcing often come layoffs. Before accepting a position you may want to be aware of this. Many job seekers are under the impression that only unsuccessful companies downsize. That is not always true.

* Are promotions based on seniority or accomplishments?

Some companies still operate on seniority. No matter the accomplishments or lack of accomplishments they are offered advancing positions before a new hire is. You should know that if you put in 110% that you will receive what you are due.

* If you could change one thing about how this company functions, what would it be? Not every company functions perfectly and you may want to be aware of where their weaknesses lie.

The interviewer will recognize questions that have been prepared after thoughtful consideration. Take the time to determine what is important to you and what you highly value in a company so you can ask appropriate and intelligent questions.

Established in 1996, MEPatWORK is the leading full-service recruitment solutions provider in the HVAC, sheet metal, refrigeration, control, electrical, plumbing and piping industries. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, this privately held company also has offices in in Chicago and Pittsburgh and specializes in finding top talent for all levels of contracting, wholesale, and manufacturing.


MORE RESOURCES:
Google

Maxwell-Gunter Employment Exposition set for Sept. 25
Maxwell Gunter Dispatch, AL - 13 hours ago
Maxwell Support Division?s, Airmen and Family Readiness Center, Family Support Branch offers the Maxwell-Gunter Employment Expo Sept. ...


Honda Sun Celebrates Completion of New Plant in Hijimachi
MarketWatch - 4 hours ago
Honda Sun established this new plant with the goal of making it a world-class plant with a universal design which will further expand employment of people ...


The Job Link Employment Expo
WALB-TV, GA - 10 hours ago
The Allied Health Division supports Darton College in its goal of providing educational programs for the citizens of southwest Georgia. ...


Tesco supplier in US reported to employment tribunal
Retail Week (subscription), UK - 12 hours ago
One of Tesco's suppliers in the US has been reported by America's biggest food workers' union in the latest spat between the two organisations. ...


Vital Signs: Will Employment Get Worse?
BusinessWeek - 9 hours ago
Finally, results of the upcoming employment report will be of particular interest to the Federal Reserve, which meets on Sept. 16. Despite the wishes of the ...


AFP

China to boost tourism employment to 100 million by 2015: report
AFP - 15 hours ago
Labour Minister Tian Chengping said earlier this year that the employment situation in China was "very severe," as 20 million new jobseekers emerge annually ...


Employment Law Resource Center Offered by Lawyer Central
Emailwire - 48 minutes ago
Lawyer Central is pleased to offer an employment law resource to employees and employers who are interested in learning about labor law, employee rights, ...


Alberta still has the best labour market in North America
Financial Post, Canada - 10 hours ago
The study includes an overall measure of labour-market performance based on five indicators: total employment growth, private sector employment growth, ...
Report says Alberta, BC, Sask, have best labour markets; Atlantic ... TheChronicleHerald.ca
Canadians facing 'historic' softening of the job market: economists The Canadian Press
all 31 news articles


Employment lawyers know no-go cases
Houston Chronicle, United States - Aug 27, 2008
Kathy Butler, an employment lawyer who represents employees at Butler & Harris in Houston, has also seen plenty of folks come to her law office with dollar ...


Franc Down Against Yen, Higher Versus Other Majors Ahead Of Swiss ...
RTT News, NY - Aug 28, 2008
(RTTNews) - The Swiss Federal Statistical Office is scheduled to issue the Swiss employment data for the second quarter at 3:15 am ET Thursday. ...
Swiss franc gains further versus greenback RTT News
all 2 news articles

Employment - Google News

home | site map
© 2006