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Wednesday, 2 April 2008

Questions you should have asked at interview



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How many times have you come out of an interview wishing you had asked more pertinent questions? It is surely one of the hardest parts of an interview - the any questions section at the end. It is so hard to remember that the interview is your chance to make sure the company and the job is what you are looking for just as much as it is about them choosing you.

Some of the questions I wish I have been able to ask (and ones I will try to ask in my next interview) are:

What was it about my covering letter and CV which prompted you to invite me in to interview?
I have never asked this question yet it is something I am always dying to know the answer to. In fact you should really ask this question right at the beginning of the interview. That way you have a much better understanding of what they are looking for and you can then tailor your answers.

What do I have to do to make sure my salary keeps rising and when can I expect my first pay rise?
Pay is always tricky to ask about. You don't want to come across too intersted in the money - after all it should be about the role not the reward - however it is a key issue and we shouldn't feel unable to clarify the pay structure nor the pattern for rises.

How much do you invest in training? And how are you going to develop me?
You should make sure that the company you are going to work for has a comprehensive and transparent training programme. In your interview ask directly about training.
If you are to give them your time, expertise and commitment, they have a duty to invest some cash in developing your career. I would like to ask for an actual schedule and list of personal development courses they have on offer.

What is my line of promotion?
Again tricky as you don't want to seem overly ambitious to the extent that they begin to consider why you applied for this particular role, however, it is important to know where you can go from this point and how long it could take.

These are the questions that immediately spring to my mind - what questions do you wish you'd asked in the interview for your current role?

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