RE: Tips for Second Interview

[Karen <ekarenski-techwrl -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

Would it look bad if you came into an interview with a note card with questions on it so you could check off which ones had been answered already and find out the answers to the others at the end of the interview? I'm not sure if that looks like you're prepared or stupid. (I feel so out of the interviewing loop!)

Karen

"Pinkham, Jim" <Jim -dot- Pinkham -at- voith -dot- com> wrote: Whatever questions you ask, try to make them intelligent ones.  How many
people would I be reporting to?  

*** And if you haven't met the key players with whom you'll work most
closely and often and seen the tools you'll have to get the job done,
now is the time to ask and inquire and meet and see. Better now than
unwelcome surprises later.

It is not out of line to ask about their five-year growth plan, quality
plans, continuous improvement programs...

*** Especially so if they've questioned you in like manner, such as the
proverbial "where do you see yourself in five years?" However, beware if
the tenor of their questions has been or continues to be like this. What
you both need most to talk about is the job and whether you can do it in
a way that's mutually satisfactory and beneficial.

Ask them to give you three specific places or ways that they think you
can make their lives easier or better because of the specific skills and
experience you would bring to the job.  Tell them how you agree that
this can happen.

*** Matter of fact, if possible, **show** them how you would tackle a
pertinent project. Even a brief mini-demo of the way you think and work
and what you bring to the table could set you far apart from the horde.

Have a copy of STC/ASQ/other salary survey with you, and review it
beforehand so you know how to read it.  When it's time to broach the
subject of money, pull it out with a "Let's see what's typical for this
part of the world."  This is much more impressive (and usually more
rewarding) than letting them slide a number out of their armpit.  It
also demonstrates that you know how to back up important decisions with
hard data (and documentation).

*** But don't get overly locked into either the norms of "this is what
we always pay" or "this is my profession's going rate in the Anyville
area" Remember, it's ultimately a negotiation. Look at the whole package
of what you really want. Review an offer carefully and take at least a
little time to unpack it. It should be fine to tell them if you're
seriously interested and then ask for a night or weekend to look it
over. When it comes to compensation, what's bottom-line relevant is your
ability to deliver what they want, the way they want it, and profitably.
That's the premise for arriving at something that works for both of you.
Anything else can be arbitrary and puts you back in the horde, based on
something else other than what you specifically can deliver to what they
specifically need.

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