Job Search Tip: Impressing the Interviewer

By Lise Marken

"Always ask questions" is one of the standard pieces of advice given to people going to a job interview. But thinking of questions to ask that will help your cause can be easier said than done.

There are two reasons to ask questions in an interview: to make the interviewer want to hire you, and to get information for yourself about the interviewer and the job.

"If a person doesn't ask any questions, my first thought is that they are not interested, and my second thought is, ‘How much is this person going to contribute?'" says Dennis B. Boykin, Director of Software Development at the Army After Next project, a study program in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

One way to show your interest in the job is to ask questions that show you have done some research about the company.

"I'm amazed at how few people in today's technological environment go and hit our Web site to see what our organization is all about," says Mark Moerdler, a Senior Vice President of MDY Advanced technologies, a network integrator in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Moerdler suggests researching enough so that you can ask about specific products the company is using.

It's also a good idea to ask questions that will tell you what the interviewer wants.

Penny Jobin, Recruiting Manager at Alta Software, in Reston, Virginia, says very few applicants ask her what she is looking for in a new employee. Those who do are better able to tailor their answers.

John White, Manager of enterprise computing at Cluett-Peabody, a clothing manufacturer in Atlanta, says he likes candidates who ask why the position they are interviewing for exists.

"It gives the applicant an opportunity to sell themselves and say, 'I can help you'" White explains. "I had a guy who asked what the list [of job duties] was and he said, 'I've done that and that. I can help you."

Of course there are some questions that you should not bring up, at least not early in the interviewing process. "How much money can I make?" is perhaps the primary example.

"If economics is the first question out of someone's mouth, it seems like they are just jumping ship because of money," Moerdler says.

Of course, it's important to find out about money at some point. But there are ways to get information without giving a bad impression.

Brenda Peterson, a counseling intern at the Career Action Center, in Cupertino, California, suggests asking how often performance is reviewed. This can give you some idea of how often you would be considered for a raise without your asking directly about money.

Another area to approach with caution is asking questions about the company's culture.

"If someone asks right off the bat about working conditions, that makes me think they won't fit in," Boykin says. "You should be careful about how you word your questions about the environment."

But Tony Berger, Applications Development Manager at Weyerhaeuser, in Federal Way, Washington, says he likes questions about the atmosphere or culture.

Jobin says the phrasing of the question is key. For example, someone once asked her, "Why would I want to work for such a small company?"

She suggested rephrasing the question in a more positive way, such as, "What are the benefits of working for a small company?"

The fact that different interviewers may react differently to the same question underscores the importance of learning something about your interviewer. General research about the company can help with this. But Boykin says it is often hard to find out a lot about your interviewer beforehand.

"Look at the person's desk to get an idea of who you're interviewing with," Boykin says. Then tailor your queries to impress the interviewer and get your questions answered.

Best and worst

Interviewers reveal the worst questions they have been asked...

"Are you going to let me do my own thing?"

"What's the chance of getting a bigger office?"

"So what exactly is C anyway?"

"How much vacation do I get?"

...and the best.

"Do you think this job can keep me busy?"

"What do you personally like about working at this company?"

"Could I sit in on a meeting and see if I have anything to contribute?"