How To End An Interview In A Powerful And Memorable Way

Date: July 29, 2008

By Genny Carson,

Many of the "How to articles" that I have come across do advise candidates to come prepared to interviews with questions, but where these articles sometimes fall short is in coaching candidates on the right questions to ask.

Asking questions like "How much does this pay again?" and "what is the process if I need time off" or the cookie cutter questions given for you by \\\'experts\\\' on the Internet are NOT really the kinds of questions that will impress the interviewer. Yes, these are important questions, however, it is equally important for you at this stage in the process to remember that you may not even be in the running for the job. Sell yourself first, then ask the technical questions.

It is equally important for you to remember that where you choose to work is as important as the mate you choose as your life partner. So ask questions that are important to you and that are relevant to the position/company you are seeking a long term commitment with.

First thing is first, if you want the job, you must arrive prepared; and therefore, research is a must. The interview is not the time to "wing it". Gather your questions by compiling information from the company\\\'s website, information found over the Internet (conduct searches on the company, on the president, on the v.p of sales etc... ) and from people that you may know who already work for the company.

Now that you have done your research, the next step is to ask yourself: "What is important to me?"

Examples of questions that are important to you and that are relevant to:

The work environment:

"Candide feedback is something that I value, especially when starting a new role. What is the management style of the person to whom this person reports to? What is his/her coaching philosophy?"
"What are the company\\\'s goals, vision, mission statement and how do they ensure that these are maintained in the business on an ongoing basis?" (if this was not found on the website)

Industry norms:

"What systems are currently being used in the office?"
Question that highlights something that sets the company apart and how they as a company ensure that they continue to be innovative/creative. For example, "In my research, it became apparent to me that "ABC Company" is the only company that sells widget A in Canada. This really sets your company apart from your competitors. What are some other things that set you apart that you can share with me?"

Current issues / Current Market:

"What impact if any does the stronger Canadian dollar have on your company?" (less of a profit margin? loss of client loyalty?). What are some contingencies?
"What is the impact of the raising price of oil, if any, on your company?" (less face to face sales calls and more telephone follow ups?)

Information read on the company\\\'s website:

"The corporate values that I company operates by is important to me. I see that one of the corporate values listed on your website is that ABC Company is Customer Centric. What are some of the things that ABC Company has in place to ensure that employees work together to ensure a consistent customer centric experience?"

Word of caution: Be respectful of the time frame set aside for the interview. Once you have decided what is important to you, decide which must be asked and which are nice to know but not necessary at this juncture. You may only have time to ask 2 or 3 of these, but they will be 2 or 3 questions that will leave everyone in the room impressed because they will be a true reflection of what is important to you and will demonstrate your interest in the company.