Careers are Made Here

An interview is a two-way street. It's not only important for the interviewer to learn if you fit them, but you need to find out if the company fits you. You also need to know if there are potential problems lurking behind the scenes. Most job seekers go to an interview prepared with questions, but not the ones which will ferret out the type of information they need to know before they begin working there.

In the next two columns I'm going to provide you with a few questions that should always be asked. Not only will they help you to ascertain if the job for which you are interviewing meets the criterion of your perfect job, but the answers, when put together, will give you a fairly accurate picture of what's going on behind the interview.

These are informational questions, not challenges. Be genuinely interested in the answer, because you're gaining valuable information that has to do with your future. Match what you've learned with what you are looking for.

Additionally, pay attention to the interviewer's body language and facial expressions. Is he relaxed? Does he fill in some of the spaces? Does he speak to you - or at you? These, too, are valuable cues, and you'll need to piece them together with the verbal information you received.

1.WHAT PRIORITIES WILL NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY?: A job title alone tells you nothing. The job description won't reveal much either, except whether or not you're capable of doing what's required functionally on a daily basis. For the same reason that you put your accomplishments on your resume - and not just the job description - here, too, you want to get a sense of the individuality of this job in this company.

Was everything left running smoothly? Is it picking up and continuing normal daily functions? Is there damage control to be done? If so, is there a time line for the repair, and is it achievable considering your capabilities? Is it realistic regardless of who holds the position?

This will begin to clue you in about both the boss and the previous employee.

2.HOW LONG WAS THE PREVIOUS PERSON HERE? If that person was there an oddly short time, you also want to know how long the person before that was there. And if the duration of each was less than two or three years, you'd be wise to ask under what circumstances they each left.

If the job is in disarray, and the last two people were there a short period of time and were fired, you don't need to ask any other questions. Exit gracefully and then run! Because before long, you, too, will be terminated for not achieving whatever it is they want done - regardless of if the stated time frame sounded realistic or not.

3.TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE. HOW DO YOU BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR EMPLOYEES?: Is he a micro manager? Is he an information hound that must be kept informed? Does he help you if you have trouble? Do any mentoring? Or is he a berating, derogatory, jerk?

Obviously he's not going to come right out and tell you he's a micro manager. Instead he might say, "I like to keep a very close watch on what's going on in my department," or "I visit with each member of my department on a daily basis to make sure they're staying on track," or something similar.

You'll find that the person will be fairly straightforward in sharing their management style with you. What you want to pay attention to is how they word it.

Next week I'll share three more questions with you.

Judi Perkins
www.findtheperfectjob.com