Interviewing your Interviewer: Six Tips for Leaving A Lasting Impression
Picture this: you’re on the hunt for a new job. After coming across an opening that piques your interest, you spend a few hours (at least) compiling your portfolio, updating your resume, and submitting an application. To your delight, you soon discover you’ve landed a formal interview.
Excited? You should be! But don’t be fooled – there’s still work to do.
That’s because one of the most crucial aspects of a job interview is not just how you answer questions but how you propose them. Qualifications and experience aside, potential employers want to see you’ve gone the extra mile to prepare for the position and if you possess traits that set you apart from other candidates. Thus, crafting the right questions ahead of time will help you leave a lasting impression and conclude your interview with confidence.
Here are our top six tips on how to successfully interview your interviewer:
Do your research.
Before you can come up with meaningful questions, do your research with due diligence. Go online and search for their mission and values, what they specialize in, and recent developments they’ve publicly shared. A solid understanding of the organization’s fabric allows you to formulate questions that show your knowledge and interest in the organization.
Ask for their point of view.
Since your ultimate goal is to become an employee, ask for your interviewer’s firsthand experiences and perspectives on the company. Listen to them speak about the workplace culture, opportunities for professional development, and how different teams collaborate daily. Besides learning more about the firm’s internal workings, you’ll show eagerness to find your fit within the organization.
Leave the money conversation alone (for now).
The initial interview should differ from when you inquire about salary, benefits, or anything else you will materially receive from the position. Further down the road, feel free to ask, as this is a critical element to be clear on – but until then, stick to questions unrelated to monetary gain.
Use caution when discussing future goals.
It may be acceptable to touch on typical career pathways, but be sure you’ve expressed a strong and clear interest in the vacant position. You don’t want to convey that you consider the job a stepping stone. Instead, convince your interviewer that you’ll go above and beyond to fulfill the necessary duties.
Show genuine interest in their responses.
Staying engaged during an interview goes a long way in leaving a good impression. Physically express interest by nodding, maintaining eye contact, and paraphrasing their questions in your responses. Listening intently allows you to develop new questions that keep the conversation flowing and feeling natural.
Don’t be afraid of some small talk!
While avoiding overly intimate topics such as marital status, religion, or politics, engaging in small talk before or after the interview may positively influence your overall assessment. Some questions to ask your interviewer could include how long they’ve worked at the company, the area in which they live, or how their commute was that day. Coming across as personable demonstrates confidence without cockiness – a trait that most employers look for amongst their pool of potential hires.
Now that you know how to ace an interview, let us help you secure one. Our signature applicant-centric method uncovers what makes you a valuable candidate and allows us to find you the career you’ll love. And, with connections to top employers regionally and nationally, our recruitment specialists will help you put your best foot forward and land a position in any field or industry. Contact us today to get started!