| You arrived on time for the interview. You were | | | | say that?" |
| dressed appropriately. You felt you were able to | | | | This answer, by the way, has gotten a number of our |
| immediately establish excellent rapport with the | | | | "coached" candidates the positions they sought this |
| interviewer and maintain it throughout the interview. It | | | | year! |
| was obvious, at least to you, that you and the | | | | Just how vital the answer to this question is to a |
| interviewer seemed to have really "hit it off," to have | | | | successful candidacy was recently brought home to |
| had quite a bit in common. All the evidence pointed to | | | | me by a vice president of a Fortune 500 chemical |
| you literally being a "shoo-in" for the position! | | | | company that I recruit for: |
| You are positive that you will be invited back for a | | | | "The quality of a candidate is in direct proportion to the |
| follow-up interview. At this stage of the game, | | | | quality of the questions they ask during the interview," |
| however, you believe that next step has merely | | | | he told me. |
| become a formality. Then something strange and | | | | Just for the record, and before moving to the second |
| unexpected happens! You never hear one single word | | | | toughest question, let me hasten to point out the types |
| back from the hiring manager or the company! | | | | of questions not to ask at this stage of the interview: |
| What happened?! How did you so misread the signs!? | | | | Questions about the company (you should have |
| There are many and varied reasons why a candidate | | | | done your "homework" in this area before the |
| never hears back from a hiring manager or a | | | | interview!) |
| company after a job interview. And, if you expect to | | | | Questions about benefits (you haven't even been |
| learn the exact reason(s) why your candidacy | | | | offered the position yet!) |
| apparently "fizzled" from a hiring manager or company, | | | | Questions about low-level tasks/duties |
| that simply is not going to happen. If you are working | | | | responsibilities of the position |
| with a recruiter, the hiring manager will certainly tell the | | | | In other words, keep your questions tightly and |
| recruiter why, if for no other reason than he or she | | | | narrowly focused on solid, in-depth questions about the |
| wants to move the hiring process along and doesn't | | | | position itself. Ask questions that enable both you and |
| want to waste additional time interviewing candidates | | | | the interviewer to define success! |
| similar to the ones he or she has just rejected. But | | | | THE SECOND 'TOUGHEST' QUESTION |
| certainly the hiring manager will never, never tell you | | | | Rare indeed is it that a job candidate won't be asked |
| the reason(s). | | | | a question that goes something like this during the job |
| In my experience, the main reason why a candidate is | | | | interview: |
| summarily dropped from further consideration by a | | | | "What is your salary expectation?" |
| hiring manager boils down to this: How well-or how | | | | Most job candidates instinctively realize that this |
| poorly-the candidate answers TWO questions that | | | | question certainly isn't a "soft ball" or "wrap up" type of |
| seem to be asked in one form or another during | | | | question! Indeed, many candidates actually dread |
| virtually every Job interview. | | | | having to answer this question. Why? Because they |
| THE FIRST 'TOUGHEST' QUESTION | | | | know, instinctively again, that, if they answer too low |
| As most job interviews wind down, the interviewer | | | | and they are the successful candidate, they will be |
| almost always will ask the candidate a question that | | | | "leaving money on the table." If they answer too high, |
| goes something like this: | | | | again, if they are the successful candidate, they sense |
| "What questions do you have?" | | | | (often correctly) that they will quickly be eliminated |
| If you are like many candidates this question may | | | | from further consideration. |
| seem to be nothing more than a "soft ball" or "wrap | | | | So, what is a good answer to this "killer" question? |
| up" question, the answer to which will really have little if | | | | Actually-and this will come as somewhat of a surprise |
| any meaning or impact on the overall interview. Nothing | | | | to many job candidates!-the best way to answer this |
| could be further from the truth! | | | | question is not to answer it directly! Here is an |
| The "typical" candidate, either attempting to curry favor | | | | example of how to do that, and it's the approach we |
| with the interviewer or avoid saying anything that might | | | | consistently coach our candidates to use: |
| offend him or her, will give an answer like this: | | | | "I am very interested in this opportunity, Mr./Ms. Hiring |
| "You've done such an excellent job of explaining the | | | | Manager. And, If I am your candidate of choice and, in |
| position that I really don't have any further questions." | | | | turn, you are my company of choice, then I know the |
| This type of answer, ladies and gentlemen, is the "kiss | | | | salary will be more than fair." |
| of death" for you and your candidacy! "Curiosity" may | | | | Think for just a moment about the inherent "beauty" of |
| indeed prove fatal to a cat, but the lack of it on your | | | | this answer! You're not "avoiding" answering the |
| part during a job interview can definitely prove "fatal" | | | | question, or "dancing around it," you're merely making a |
| to your candidacy. | | | | definitive statement about the relative importance of |
| This is your moment to "shine"! Don't waste it! | | | | salary vis-à-vis the position, the overall career |
| A far, far better answer to this question would be | | | | opportunity. Will an answer such as this dissuade |
| something like this: | | | | every hiring manager from further pursuing the |
| "Mr./Ms. Hiring Manager, let's assume for a moment | | | | question? Of course not, but it will dissuade the |
| that I am your candidate of choice and that I become | | | | majority of them to the extent that they move on, |
| your next (position for which you are applying). It is one | | | | satisfied that salary, while apparently an important |
| year from now. You look back over the past year and | | | | consideration for you, certainly is not the most |
| say, 'I made a good hire.' What is it that I would have | | | | important consideration for you. |
| had to have done over the year for you to be able to | | | | |