Re: Questions to ask Interviewer

[Marilyn_Baldwin -at- capgroup -dot- com]

Stepheni Norton asked:
> I am interviewing this evening for a new document manager
> position and one of my biggest interviewing pitfulls comes
> when they ask if I have any questions, its not that I dont
> have question I just te[n]d to do alot of research and
> already have them answers.  So my question to you is...what
> question do you ask regarding the position - not benifet
> related.

Stepheni, it's great that you do a lot of research and feel you know quite a
bit about a potential employer.  So maybe you can ask questions that show
you did your homework:

   -  I know that XYZ  Corp is the tenth largest producer of widgets and
    gained market share over the last two years.  How did you grow
    your documentation effort to keep up with that productivity
    increase?

   -  I've read that XYZ has plans for marketing internationally.  Will you
    publish product documentation and online help in multiple
    languages?  Do you already have contacts with translation
    specialists?

You also want to ask questions that show you've been paying attention
(perhaps even taking a few notes) to what the interviewer has been
saying:

   -  You've spoken about a team environment here at XYZ.  Are these
    teams permanent, as in fixed departments, or do they team around
    a project and then return to their various areas?

But most importantly - if you think you really want this job - you want to
ask questions that plant yourself in their mind as the candidate who gets
the job:

   -  I really like to feel that I'm value added from the beginning.  By the
    end of my first month here, what will I have accomplished that
    makes you especially glad you hired me?

   -  In your judgment, what will be my top three priorities as the new
    document manager?

These were tips a friend of mine passed along long ago.  Hope they help.
Best of luck tonight!  Let us know how it goes.

- Marilyn Baldwin
   (mlbb -at- capgroup -dot- com)