You’ve landed a job interview. That’s great news! Surely you will want to prepare well for the interview. You will want to prepare your STAR stories, know which strengths to talk about, and the general questions the hiring manager will most likely ask. However, sometimes in the preparation process, we forget about things to ask the hiring manager and factors to ask ourselves before accepting the job.
During the interview, here are five important questions to ask the hiring manager:
- What programs are available for professional development for their employees? How do they implement those?
- What metrics do they use for evaluating performance and how often does that occur?
- What are their corporate values and how do they honor those?
- What is a typical day like, who will I be interacting with on a regular basis, and can I meet them?
- What type of person best succeeds in this position?
Asking these thoughtful questions will show that you are truly interested in the position, in your career, and how you would perform as an employee.
It’s also important to think through these five factors on a personal level:
- Will this job make use of my strengths—those I would like to continue using?
- Is the work environment, culture, and management style suited to my personality type?
- Before I accept, do I know exactly what will be expected of me, down to the specific goals I am expected to achieve and milestones in the first 3–6 months?
- Will this job move me towards my long-term career goals?
- How often will I be challenged in this position?
Before the interview, decide what the ideal responses to these questions would be. Then be alert during your interview for the answers to these questions. Jot down small notes, if needed, and see how the answers match up to your ideal responses. Of course, depending on the industry, you may want to consider additional factors. Keep in mind that in order for a job to be rewarding, you must find fulfillment from using your strengths.
