When you are invited to an interview, you have an excellent opportunity to sell yourself and land your dream role. Getting your job interview right is key.
It goes without saying that preparing well for your interview is crucial if you want to impress. You should find out a much as you can about your prospective employer and the role they are offering.
While no two interviews are the same, you’re almost always going to have an opportunity to ask your own questions of the interviewer. Every interview should be two-sided, so don’t be afraid to take some control and find out what you want to know too.
If you want to show the interviewer that you are ambitious, bright and motivated, you’ll need to ask them some questions that set you apart from the rest of the crowd. They will have heard the standard questions before, so how can you show that you have extra quality and personality?
Here are three questions that will help you to impress:
1. “What qualities are you looking for in the person you are hoping to hire?”
It’s important that both parties have a clear understanding of what skills and experience are required for the role. If you know exactly what they are looking for then you can ensure you prove that you tick the right boxes. If the requirements aren’t spelt out in the job advert, this is a vital question to ask.
2. “Can you tell me about the scope for progression at your company?”
This question demonstrates that you are ambitious and keen to progress your career which are good qualities to have. Employers don’t tend to want to hire people who will simply coast and not push themselves. Forward-thinking and ambitious companies will want to hire people who share their values and asking this question will show that you do.
3. “Is there anything you have seen in other candidates on the shortlist that you have not seen in me?”
When the interview is drawing to a close this is a good question to ask. It turns the tables on the interviewer, and you can get instant feedback about how you have performed and what they are thinking. Getting feedback from your interviews is crucial if you want to improve for next time. This question is a little risky as you may not always get the answer you want. On the flip side, it’s a gamble that may just pay off, make you memorable and help you secure the job!