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Depressed in MO
Sep 12, 2007, 10:50 AM
Hi everyone. I have a phone interview scheduled next week. I have searched topics on this, but only found questions such as "what kind of questions to employers ask potential employees in an interview".

Now I may have missed something; however, I'm at work so have to keep this on the down low so I'm really not taking my time. (sorry).

I know how interviews are to go. I need to ACE this as I need to leave my current job ASAP.

What types of questions could I ask my potential new employer?

If you need additional info, Please ask.

Thanks so much!!

Emland
Sep 12, 2007, 11:03 AM
What type of position?

Clough
Sep 12, 2007, 11:05 AM
What type of position?

My question is the same.

Clough
Sep 12, 2007, 11:25 AM
Here is one that I like to use that could fit a number of types of positions. It could be worded something like the following

What type of policies or factors do you have in place that will help to further growth in ______?

Could be about sales, more people joining, workplace harmony, etc.

I did find something below that is from the following site: Questions To Ask Interviewers - Boston College (http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/skills/interview/questionstoask/)



Questions to Ask Interviewers

Mike Woginrich, Campus Relations Representative for Mervyn's California, says:

"Candidates should ask as many questions as they can. [Taking a job] is a big life decision and they need to know as much as possible about the organization, just as the organization wants to learn about them during the interview."

A few key principles about asking questions:

Ask only those questions to which you want an answer. This may seem obvious, but many people will ask questions merely to impress the interviewer. Why waste your time and theirs when they are likely to see through your smoke-screen?

Ask questions that reveal the depth of your research and your interest in the job. In other words, don't ask questions that are easily answered on the company Web site or in the job description. (You do have a copy of the job description, don't you?)

Don't ask questions about salary, vacation, or other benefits until you are offered the job.

If you do ask, the interviewer will be inclined to think that you are more interested in the money than in the position. (There are exceptions to this rule - for, instance, if you already have experience in this field and need to know if the job falls within your acceptable salary range.) Take a look at Richard Fein's "Rogue's Gallery of 16 Awful Questions."


Some sample questions:

How and when will my performance be evaluated on this job? How is success measured in this department / organization?

I read in your literature that your training program comprises three six-month rotations. Does the employee have any input into where he will go at the end of each rotation? How do you evaluate the employee's performance during the training period?

I read in Business Week that a major competitor of yours is increasing its market share in your main market. What plans does your firm have to regain its lost market share?

Can you please tell me how your career has developed at this organization? Would someone entering the firm today have similar opportunities?

What is an average week in this job really like?

Does the management encourage the policy of promotion from within the organization?

Describe typical first year assignments on the job.

What are the challenging facets of the job?

What are the organization's plans for future growth or change?

What makes your firm, hospital, school system, ad agency, etc. different?

What are the organization's strengths, and what challenges does it face?

How would you describe your organization's personality and management style?

What are your expectations for new hires within their first three to six months on the job?

Describe the work environment.

What is the overall structure of the department where the position is located?

What qualities are you looking for in your new hires?

What characteristics does a successful person have in your organization?

Nursing candidates may wish to ask about orientation, promotions, shift differentials, chain of command, malpractice policies.

Education candidates may wish to ask about in-service training and opportunities for professional development; textbook selection procedures; approaches to curricula; parental involvement in school-related issues or PTA; median age/turnover of faculty; master's degree requirements.

Depressed in MO
Sep 12, 2007, 12:17 PM
What type of position?
I knew I was missing something. So sorry...

It is titled 'Support Assistant' and it is in the administrative field. The type of company is an Insurance company

Clough
Sep 12, 2007, 11:38 PM
Thank you for answering what type of job that it is.

If it's Support Assistant in the administrative field for an insurance company, then that could mean any number of things concerning the responsibilities, like secretarial work to computer systems support. I did look up support assistant in the administrative field for insurance companies and came up with a lot of different responsibilities depending on the particular job.

A lot of the questions for you to ask in the answer that I gave to you would work for this type of position. You just have to think of how you could tailor them to the particular position.

Do you have any sort of job description/duties that you know about the position that you could post here?

benn11
Sep 13, 2007, 01:51 AM
One important question is how much you will make once you leave your current job;)

VIJ
Sep 13, 2007, 05:20 AM
How to write to clients with increased fees in a friendly way so you don't lose your clients

Depressed in MO
Sep 13, 2007, 06:10 AM
Thanks Clough I got what I needed thanks to you. :)

And thank you to everyone else. You are all wonderful

dolly2009
May 7, 2008, 11:06 PM
What can of benefits does your company have? What shift will I be on, etc

Clough
May 8, 2008, 12:15 AM
What can of benefits does your company have? What shift will I be on, etc

When someone is interviewing for a job, it is more important for the interviewee to focus on how he or she might benefit the company rather than how the company can benefit him or her. Questions like the above, are those that a person might ask after they have been hired for the job, not during an interview.

Bimmer528i00
Apr 30, 2009, 05:17 AM
I would be careful asking about advancement right off the bat. Your potential employer is looking for someone they need to fill a slot, not someone who's going to leave right away. You can structure your questions so they aren't taken the wrong way however. Its best just to be yourself. You don't want to take another job if you won't be happy in it. Most positions are chosen on fit and personality, just as much as skills. The questions are to find out who you are, there are no right or wrong answers, but in the way you answer them. Hope this helps - good luck.