Job interviews can be challenging because they combine the desire to put your best foot…
John Borrowman, CPC
Borrowman Baker, LLC
Gallatin, TN
Few things are more frustrating than acclimating to a new job and discovering you should have asked smarter questions during your interview. Here is some help.
Job interviews can be tricky business. You don’t do them very often and don’t have much experience to draw on. You want to make a good impression so you may avoid asking questions because you are afraid you will come across as “pushy.” Often, your best approach is to ask in a neutral—“I’m curious”—tone, using neutral language.
By percentage, what are the two or three largest categories of engagements you do here?
It is entirely reasonable to want to know what kind of work the practice does. Asking about categories “by percentage” gives you more solid information to work with.
If I were to start work tomorrow, what are the engagements you would put me to work on?
Yes, it’s important to know what kind of work the practice does. It’s more important to know what you will be doing when you start working there. You don’t want to get your hopes up about working on particularly glamorous projects that the practice handles if you aren’t going to be working on them.
What should I expect when it comes to goal-setting? How does meeting those goals play a part in performance reviews and potential pay raises?
You don’t want to reach your first review point only to discover that goals were not only poorly articulated, but that meeting them makes little or no difference to your career advancement.
Investing time to develop and ask better questions can save you from buyer’s remorse. Contact us for a confidential conversation to help you prep for your upcoming interview.
Check out this video for more advice on interviewing.
John Borrowman
