WRITE YOUR QUESTIONS DOWN

You’ve secured a job interview. Great. The first thing you do is homework.
The
second thing you do is write down the questions you will ask.

Some job seekers are uncertain about whether they should write
down their questions. If they do, should they bring them to the interview?
The answer to both questions is yes. Doesn’t that look, well, premeditated?
Of course it does. That’s the effect you want.

“I’ve always found that the most important thing at a job interview
is to have a list of questions prepared before going in,” says Kate Brothers,
director of grants administration at Keuka College in Keuka Park,
New York. “It accomplishes two things: It makes you look like you’ve
done your homework, and it fills the awkward silences when the interviewer
runs out of things to ask you. Also, it puts at least a portion of the
interview in your control.”

Writing down your questions accomplishes a number of useful
objectives.

It helps articulate your thoughts. Your questions should be as crisp
as your shirt or blouse. Write them down, practice reading them
aloud, and edit until the questions sing.

It helps prioritize your issues. Not every question carries equal
weight. But only when you write them all down can you decide which
question to ask first. Some candidates write questions on index cards
so they can easily order and reorder them until they have the flow
they want.

It helps you remember. In the anxiety of the interview, you can easily
forget a question you meant to ask. Or worse, your brain can
vapor-lock and spill out something really dumb. If you have been interviewing
with a number of companies, it is easy to forget where
you are and ask a totally inappropriate question, such as asking
about manufacturing facilities at an insurance company. Protect
yourself and make yourself look professional by preparing questions
in advance.

It improves your performance. Knowing which questions you will
ask generally makes the interview go better. It breeds confidence. You
will be able to guide the interview to highlight your qualifications in
a way that your questions will underscore.

It makes you look prepared. That’s a good thing as far as interviewers
are concerned.

KNOW YOUR KILLER QUESTION

Depending on how the interview goes, you may have time to ask only
one question. If that’s the case, make it a killer question.

Everyone has a different killer question. Ask yourself, if you could
present just one question, what would it be? Think about the brand you
want to present. You are that brand. Take some time to think of the question
that allows you to differentiate yourself from the crowd.

In many cases, the killer question has three elements:
• A statement that you appreciate the company’s challenges or problem
• An assertion that you can solve the problem
• A request that you be given the opportunity to do so

The thoroughness with which you prepare for this question goes
a long way in deciding whether you will be successful in getting a
job offer.

Formulating open-ended, penetrating questions gives you a leg up
on the competition. The right questions give the hiring manager a better
picture of your value proposition to the company, the only basis
on which you will be offered a position. The 15 rules that follow provide
guidance to help you strategize about the questions you will take
into your job interviews. Now is the time to be intentional about the
interview, to take control, and to put your best foot forward.

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