The 2 Questions You Must Ask During Your Next Interview
Every part an of interview has a special significance to the overall outcome – from your handshake, your knowledgeable answers and career stories, how you appear to fit in with the culture, etc. – and so many people ace all of those parts and then have zero questions prepared for the closing of the interview.
When the interviewer asks you if you have any questions before you close your meeting, and you sit there and say ‘no’, you’re wasting a huge opportunity to take lead, show how smart you are and how interested you are in the company. You should think strategically about every interview; do your research, stalk your interviewer on LinkedIn, and prepare notes and personalized questions.
I would recommend keeping a set of favorite closing questions prepared to use pending how the interview goes – but there are two questions that MUST make sure to ask. They consistently make a difference and positively impact how the interview closes out – both with the interviewer and for your own sense of how the interview went.
The 2 questions you should be copying down right now are:
1. If I were to start this position, what is one thing I could do to make an impact right away?
2. Do you have any concerns or hesitations on your end about my skill set for taking on this role?
The first question gives you insight into what you could potentially be diving into work on in just a few weeks. The second question gives the interviewer a chance to bring up any concerns, giving you an opportunity to address them immediately and get a feel for whether or not they think the role is a good fit for your skill set.
Good luck on your interview – let me know how it goes using these questions!
xo SH
