Jenny

This post is a follow up to yesterday’s post on how to prepare for a first interview.

You have done your homework, you have researched the company you will be interviewing at, and you may have also gotten some information on the interviewer.  Your next mission is to craft intelligent questions that will project your interest in the position you are interviewing for and leave a lasting impression on your interviewer. 

Listed below are suggestions of possible questions you could ask during your interview:

1. What are the expectations of the candidate chosen for this position?  With this question, you are trying to get some feedback from the employer about what other goals or standards you may be evaluated or measured against other than just the general responsibilities that go along with the position.
   
   
2. What are the skills and attributes you value most for someone being hired for this position?  With this question, you will be able to determine whether you will have to learn some new skill sets to be more proficient in the position.  By understanding early what is important to your new boss, you can quickly learn the necessary skills or adapt the skills that you already possess to the new position.
   
   
3. Where have successful employees previously in this position progressed to within the company?  In asking this question, you express to the interviewer that you are interested in promotion opportunities, and therefore, will be willing to tackle challenging tasks and handle additional responsibility relatively quickly.
   
   
4. You should always remember to ask, what are the next steps in the interview process. With this question, you will learn of the hiring timeline, and maybe get some insight as to how many other candidates are being considered for the position.
   

Finally, remember that even though it may be tempting to inquire about the compensation package, in a first interview, you should steer away from discussions about salary.  Questions about salary are best addressed after you have received an offer from the company.

So tell us, what are some of your strategies and tips when preparing for your first interview?