Killer Questions
Make sure you get as many killer questions in at an interview thatyou can.
IT Contractors often underrate the importance of asking questions at an IT interview.
They are too busy preparing to be asked questions and to be able to answer them than to be asked them.
However, asking the right questions can often swing an interview your way when you are against multiple competitors.
Reasons for Asking Questions at Interview
There are several reasons for asking questions at an interview.
1. Firstly, you may want to find out what the job entails. What skills and knowledge can you gain to help you decide if you want to work there.
2. Secondly, it gives you the opportunity to showcase what you know. You can drive the conversation to areas where you have god knowledge and are especially confident about.
I was very glad of that I can tell you.
I remember going to one interview where they said, after a series of questions from me, that there was no point in giving me the technical interview. That’s because I obviously knew what I was talking about, they said.
3. Thirdly, and most importantly of all, you can build a rapport with the interviewers by discussing subjects that they are keen on.
When the competition is fierce for a position very often they will take the person that they feel will best fit in with the Project team (especially themselves).
Questions to Ask at Interview
So, what questions should you ask?
I would plump for:-
What skills will you need to do the job and what tools do they use?
This will not only give you the information as to what to concentrate on when selling yourself. It will also give you the opportunity to pick out areas where you have good knowledge. you want to have in depth discussions about those to show you know what you are talking about. You would obviously leave out the areas where you are weak.
Also, you may want to discuss a particular tool and its use atthe company. You can tell them how you have seen others use it elsewhere.
They always have an interest in how other places use the tools. They are interested to pick the brains of someone who has used them elsewhere.
This may just give you an extra edge.
If you can get into a good and interesting discussion about topics and skills (or areas of them) where you have good knowledge then that might just swing it for you against the competition.
Ask them what methodology they use.
It is always an area where those leading projects have an interest and you can always get a good discussion of the relative merits of the different methodologies and how to use them.
Ascertain early whether they like their current methodology. If they don’t then suggest others that you have seen used elsewhere.
If they do, then get a little excited about that one. Tell them that you have other companies use it successfully elsewhere (if you have).
Ask them what the culture of the company is and especially the culture of the team you will be working with.
They probably put the team together. The culture will be one that either they are comfortable with or put in place by themselves.
This is a great opportunity to bond with them. It’s an opportunity to show that you can, and want, to fit in with the Project Team.
Whatever they say is the culture of the team you should endorse enthusiastically. Say that you worked in places where they did the opposite and you hated it.
Here is a great opportunity for you to put clear blue water between yourself and other candidates who have equal, or even slightly greater, skills and knowledge to you.
Ask them what they are expecting from you and what type of person they want
Some people try to sell themselves without knowing what the interviewers want.
You may sell yourself as being great at this or that or you’re this or that type of person but if that is not what they want and it is not the type of person they are looking for, you are stuffed – probably without even being aware of it.
Isn’t it a lot easier just to ask them what they are expecting from you and what type of person they are looking for so that you can use that information to show them that you are exactly what they want?
Once you know that then you can work towards showing them that you are just the person they want. These killer questions can help you achieve that.
