Don’t be shy about asking critical questions
There’s a lot of learning that goes into preparing for a job interview. You need to learn about the company, the company’s culture, the job specifics – and, as much as you can, even about your interviewer.
The good news is that most, if not all, of that information can be found. It may take some digging in some cases, but it’s there – if you look for it.
But what about the things that aren’t necessarily obvious or apparent? How can you dig deeper to find out what really matters? The simple answer is the obvious answer: Ask!
But what are you asking? Every job has its list of criteria. It could be years of service. It could be experience in a particular job, or a specific industry. It may be a proven track record – increased sales, improvements in profitability, lower turnover. Any of those things could be critical.
But which ones? It’s time to circle back to our earlier answer: Ask!
Why not come right out and ask the interviewer: what are the deal breakers for this job? What are the “must haves”? A competent hiring manager or interview should know these things. And once you know them, you will know what to emphasize to overcome any objection that the interviewer may have.
If, for whatever reason, you don’t feel comfortable about asking the interviewer a question like that, ask your recruiter. Of course, a good recruiter should offer that information to you before you even ask. But if they don’t, again: Ask!
Depending on the situation, you could also ask someone you know at the company, or the person who told you about the opening or who referred you. Anyone who might have some “inside information” would be someone to ask.
The more information you have about a company or a job the better, but the best thing(s) to know are what are the deal breakers. Armed with that insight, you can capture the inside track to job search success.