Questions To Ask In An Informational Interview
Informational interviews are not job interviews.
Simply put, an informational interview is when you schedule an interview with a person to know about their work and their industry.
These interviews are great for your job search process.
You get to know many professions up close and build your network at the same time.
Here are the major questions to ask in an informational interview:
Remember, the purpose of an informational interview is to get as much information about the job as possible so that you can make educated decisions about your future
These questions will fulfill the purpose quite well.
What Are The Next Steps In The Interview Process And When Can I Expect To Hear Back
While not as creative as some of the questions above this is a strong question to ask an interviewer because it shows that youre organized and interested in the role.
This question will also give you insight into what to expect after the interview ends, so youll be less anxious while waiting for feedback.
Youll know how long to wait after the interview, and youll be ready to follow up by email if you havent heard back in the timeframe provided.
For these reasons, I recommend asking this question at the end of all your job interviews.
Why Are You Interested In Working Here
Another common interview question that could be phrased a number of ways:
- Why do you want this job?
- Why are you interested in this position?
However, this question is specifically asking you to keep the company in mind in your response.
A good, well-thought-out response should touch on aspects of the company or job that werent on the job ad, or the industry itself, thus displaying your own research.
Some examples of this could be:
- Thought leaders within the company or industry
- Company mission, values, culture, and/or reputation
- Company projects or initiatives
- The products or services within their portfolio
You want to make sure you display your enthusiasm and motivation for the role. You dont want to be too general that could imply a lack of research so you want to be specific aspects of the company, as well as the specific position you are applying for.
For example, As someone who regularly uses technology products, I would be thrilled to have the opportunity to work on your marketing campaigns. I would be proud to work for an industry leader and not just in tech trends, but in cutting edge research and development. I also have friends who work here, and I know this organisation rewards innovative thinking. I love coming up with novel, out-of-the-box solutions to business challenges, so I think I could make a great contribution not just to the company, but to the marketing team itself.
You May Like: System Design Interview Prep
Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job
Let’s start with what you shouldn’t say .
Don’t talk about how your boss is difficult. Don’t talk about how you can’t get along with other employees. Don’t bad-mouth your company.
Instead, focus on the positives a move will bring. Talk about what you want to achieve. Talk about what you want to learn. Talk about ways you want to grow, about things you want to accomplish explain how a move will be great for you and for your new company.
Complaining about your current employer is a little like people who gossip: If you’re willing to speak badly of someone else, you’ll probably do the same to me.
Questions About Your Work History
The meat of any job interview is your track record at work: what you accomplished, how you succeeded or failed , and how you behaved in real time in actual work environments. If you prep a few versatile stories to tell about your work history and practice answering behavioral interview questions, youll be ready to go.
Also Check: How To Prepare System Design Interview
What Is Your Greatest Strength
What They Want to Know: When answering questions about your strengths, focus on the abilities you have that are key to success in the job for which you’re interviewing. Don’t be too humble. It’s important to make the hiring manager aware of your qualifications.
My greatest strength is my ability to learn new processes quickly. When placed in a new environment, I actively observe how other people do things so that I can easily pull my weight on the team. Im also open to testing new ways of doing things in order to optimize our efficiency.
More Answers: Interview Question: What is Your Greatest Strength?
What Questions Should You Ask During A Job Interview How Can You Ask Good Questions That Leave A Positive Impression And Help You Get The Position
- Research the company and demonstrate your understanding of the employer by asking well-informed questions
- Ask about the specific day-to-day responsibilities that a job entails
- Ask about the type of candidate the hiring manager is looking to hire
- Ask about the people you will be working with
- Ask about the various challenges that will be a part of the position
Don’t Miss: Best Interview Attire For A Woman
Why Do You Want To Work Here
Interviewers often ask this question to determine whether or not you took the time to research the company and think critically about whether youre a good fit. The best way to prepare for this question is to do your homework and learn about the products, services, mission, history and culture of this workplace. In your answer, mention the aspects of the company that appeals to you and aligns with your values and career goals.
Example answer:The companys mission to help college grads pay off their student loan debt resonates with me. Ive been in student loan debt myself and would love the opportunity to work with a company thats making a difference. Finding a company with a positive work environment and values that align with my own has remained a priority throughout my job search and this company ranks at the top of the list.
Read more: Interview Question: Why Do You Want to Work Here?
Question #: Is There Anything About My Background Or Resume That Makes You Question Whether I Am A Good Fit For This Role
This question displays that youâre highly invested in the job and committed to understanding your prospects as a candidate. Plus, it will also allow you an opportunity to respond to any potential concerns. Lastly, this question is best to ask at the end of the interview to gauge where you might stand within the job process.
Read Also: What To Wear For An Interview Women
Questions To Ask At The End Of A Job Interview
Nearly every interviewer provides you with the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview. It’s important that you’ve prepared at least two or three questions that express your interest, as well as show them that you’ve done your homework by researching the company in advance. Here are the top questions to ask at the end of your interview:
Best Interview Questions To Ask Candidates In 2021
You found our list of the best interview questions to ask candidates.
Interview questions are questions that employers ask to determine the best fit for a position among a pool of candidates. Because interviewers have a limited amount of time to evaluate candidates, recruiters select questions that elicit informative and comprehensive answers. Examples of the most common interview questions include tell me about yourself, and what is your greatest accomplishment? but interviewers occasionally pose more strategic or unique questions to test applicants critical thinking skills and creativity.
These questions can also serve as icebreaker questions or team building questions.
This article contains:
So, here is the list!
Don’t Miss: Design Interview Preparation
What Percentage Of Employees Was Brought In By Current Employees
Employees who love their jobs naturally recommend their company to their friends and peers. The same is true for people in leadership positions — people naturally try to bring on board talented people they previously worked with. They’ve built relationships, developed trust, and shown a level of competence that made someone go out of their way to follow them to a new organization.
And all of that speaks incredibly well to the quality of the workplace and the culture.
What Are Your Strengths/weaknesses
This question is often seen as challenging by many candidates, even those with significant experience. However, if approached correctly it is easily possible to avoid ‘bragging’ when discussing your strengths or seeming excessively negative when talking about your perceived weaknesses.
Strengths – Based on the job description, choose three examples of traits the employer is looking for and give examples of how you have used these strengths in a work situation. Ideally, include a mixture of tangible skills, such as technical or linguistic abilities, and intangible skills, such as management experience.
Weaknesses – The best approach here is to pick a trait that you have already made positive steps to address.
Consider how you have approached your perceived weaknesses in the past and what you have done to address them
If your tech skills are not at the level they could be, state this as a weakness before telling the interviewer about training courses or time spent outside work hours you have used to improve your skills.
Also Check: Women’s Outfit For Job Interview
Do You Have Any Questions For Me
What They Want to Know: The last question at a job interview is usually one about what you want to know about the job and the company. Be ready with a list of questions to ask. You may seem disinterested if there isn’t anything you want to learn more about.
Do you have a formal schedule and mechanism for performance reviews? How soon after hiring would I receive my first review?
When Youre Balancing Multiple Projects How Do You Keep Yourself Organized
Employers want to understand how you use your time and energy to stay productive and efficient. Theyre also looking to understand if you have your own system for staying on track with the work beyond the companys schedules and workflow plans. Be sure to emphasize that you adhere to deadlines and take them seriously.
Discuss a specific instance when you stayed on track. Talk about the importance and urgency of the projects you were working on and how you allocated your time accordingly. Explain how you remain organized and focused on the job in front of you.
Example: Im used to juggling projects at my current job where Im often moving between coding one software program to another. I use the timeboxing technique to make sure theyre all on track, allocating time on my calendar for certain tasks. Ive found it really helps me prioritize what needs to get done first, and it holds me accountable for the more repetitive day-to-day tasks Im responsible for.
Also Check: Prepare For System Design Interview
How Does The Company Respond To Employees’ Concerns
Asking this question is a good way to learn about how well the company takes care of its employees. This question shows your interviewer that you value open communication. It can help you determine if you are going to get the support you need to feel comfortable suggesting changes or sharing feedback.
Related:Giving and Receiving Feedback: Definitions and Examples
Question #: Can You Tell Me About The Company Values
During your interview, ask about which company values the organization aligns with. These values are typically the bedrock of the companys operations and the why that frames the reason for the companys mission. Pay close attention to the values you identify with and be sure to tell the interviewer or hiring manager why and how they relate to you.
You May Like: Questions To Ask A Cfo During An Interview
Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years Time
An interviewer will be impressed if you have considered your short-term and long-term goals. Talk about the kind of job you’d eventually like to do and the various steps you will take to get there.
Show that you have the ambition and determination to make the most of every job you have held to get where you want to be and always relate this back to the position you’re interviewing for. Avoid telling the interviewer that you want their job.
What Can We Expect From You In Your First Three Months
Ideally the answer to this should come from the employer: They should have plans and expectations for you.
But if you’re asked, use this general framework:
- You’ll work hard to determine how your job creates value — you won’t just stay busy, you’ll stay busy doing the right things.
- You’ll learn how to serve all your constituents — your boss, your employees, your peers, your customers, and your suppliers and vendors.
- You’ll focus on doing what you do best — you’ll be hired because you bring certain skills, and you’ll apply those skills to make things happen.
- You’ll make a difference — with customers, with other employees, to bring enthusiasm and focus and a sense of commitment and teamwork.
Then just layer in specifics that are applicable to you and the job.
Read Also: Mailscoop Io
Tell Me About Your Work Experience
An interviewer may or may not already be familiar with your background. Regardless, this question gives you the chance to detail your experiences that are most valuable to the prospective role. Employers want to know that youve reflected on their expectations for a qualified candidate and that you have directly relevant or transferable skills. Consider these tips for answering:
1. Quantify your experience:I have 10 years of experience in personal finance management, and I have assisted 45 repeat clients in increasing their capital by an average of 15% every year.
2. Illustrate connections to role:As a financial analyst, Ive used visual growth charts to show my clients how each saving plan option can impact their goals. When I became a senior financial analyst, I supervised other analysts and trained them in providing the most helpful experience to our customers.
3. End with a goal statement:”As your senior financial consultant, I aim to integrate my individualized approach to helping clients build the retirement fund they will depend on.
Read more: Interview Question: Tell Me About Your Work Experience
How Do You Evaluate Success
What They Want to Know: Your answer to this question will give the interviewer a sense of your work ethic, your career goals, and your life goals. Tailor your response to fit what you expect to achieve if you were to be hired by this employer.
When I wake up each morning enthusiastic about going to work, then lock the clinic at night knowing that weve made a difference in peoples lives, I figure the day has been a success.
More Answers: Job Interview Question: How Do You Define Success?
Also Check: Questions To Ask A Cfo In An Interview
Whats Something Positive Your Boss Would Say About You
This is one of those behavioral interview questions which can be tricky to understand exactly what they’re looking for.
Just saying that your boss approves of your work isn’t enough. The interviewer is looking to see what kind of relationships youve built with the management team, and get an impression about how you may fit in with their team.
How to Answer:
This is a great time to brag about yourself with someone else’s words. Start with My boss has told me that… so that it’s clear you understand the question.
Stay humble and refrain from sounding arrogant.
Example Answers:
My boss has mentioned that my attention to detail and thoroughness cant be matched.
She said the last campaign we ran together produced amazing results because of my effort and ability to thoroughly run it from start to finish…
My boss mentioned that she’s gotten a lot of compliments about my customer service from customers.
How Quickly Do You Adapt To New Technology
Today, whether youre applying for a software engineering job, or as a cashier in a supermarket, youre going to need to use technology at least on some level.
Its very common for a company to adopt new tech – new point of service system, self check-out kiosks, customer management software, and whatever else.
So, you should be able to pick up new tech ASAP. Any new change shouldnt completely disrupt your work.
So, when answering this question, you should talk about how tech-savvy you are.
Possible answers:
- Sample Answer:
Im pretty tech-savvy. Ive worked with a lot of different Point of Service systems so far, and have zero difficulties learning how to use new ones.
As a given, I own a PC, have used Office 365, and all the usual stuff.
- Sample Answer 2:
Ive always been interested in tech. In fact, Im the type of person to actively seek out new software to help solve business problems at work.
Ive worked with 3 different Customer Management Software in the past, such as PipeDrive, SalesForce, and Zoho CRM.
Recommended Reading: Questions To Ask A Cfo
Tell Me Something About Yourself
How hard can it be to talk about yourself? We do it on a daily basis without much thought to it.
However, recruitment managers are not looking for your whole life story, your third-grade achievements, or what you had for dinner last night. Instead, they are looking for a pitch.
This is usually the first question asked in an interview, so it acts as your introduction. Make sure your answer is relevant to the position you are applying for. What you should be aiming for here is to present yourself as the ideal candidate for the job.
A good rule of thumb is to structure your talking points as follows:
- Briefly introduce yourself: Whats your name? How long have you been working as ?
- What do you love about your job?
- What are your top 2-3 achievements that are relevant to the job youre applying for?
Now, lets go through some examples:
Possible Answers for “Tell me About Yourself”:
- Sample Answer 1:
Hey! So, my name is John Doe and Ive worked as a business analyst for 5+ years in Company X and Company Y.
I have some background in data analysis, having studied Information Systems at University.
Throughout my career, Ive done some pretty impressive stuff .
For example, at Company X, I led a project for migrating all operations data to a new data warehousing system to cut down on costs. The new solution was a much better fit for our business, which eventually led to savings of up to $200,000 annually.
- Sample Answer 2:
