The 3 Types of Questions in Interviews

There are three types of questions in interviews:

1. the questions they will ask you

2. the questions you ought to ask them

3. and the questions you should ask yourself

Let's look at each type.

Much is written and said about Type 1 Questions. This is as it should be. A key part of preparation for an interview is to think in advance of the questions the employer is likely to ask you.

One of the goals of the employer is to determine if you can do the job. So they will ask a variety of questions about your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Be ready to tell your CAR stories as a way to convey your capabilities and value.

It is also vital to anticipate the "tough" questions they may ask, such as 'Why did you leave your last position?' Another tough question deals with gaps in your work history.

Since there are many excellent resources for this type of question, we will leave it there.

As for Type 2 Questions, these are ones that the savvy job candidate asks. They come from the homework she has done on the company, including online (and library) research as well as tapping her network for information. She has studied the job description and annotated it with comments and questions about the role and what appears to be expected.

Such pre-work is a must! The more you have delved into the Job and the Company, the more you will feel ready to engage in a conversation with the employer. And it will provide a basis for preparing a list of questions to ask the interviewer.

What sorts of questions? Questions about the job and the role, about the business, and about the culture.

Why are Type 2 Questions so important? There are several reasons. They show you have done your homework. They demonstrate your interest in the company. And they help You to gather vital information that will help you decide if this company is right for you.

Which brings us to Type 3 Questions, the ones you must ask yourself. Questions such as...

Am I ready for this interview?

Have I prepared my CAR stories?

Do I know my value?

Do I want this job?

And after the interview...

How did that interview go?

Do I still want this job?

Do I want to work for this company?

What must I do next?

Terrence Seamon helps career transitioners to achieve their goals. Follow him on twitter @tseamon and on LinkedIn.

Five Hacks for Risk-Taking Transitioners

Some job hunters are impetuous. Understandably so.

They want to get back to work so fiercely that they are willing to take project work as a "hired gun" to assist a company that is desperate for some help.

Typically, these job hunters are highly experienced and accomplished. They may have attained a high level in their career progress. Or they may be a deep expert in a particular field.

Highly motivated, they tear into the search so aggressively that they generate opportunities quickly.

In the past year, I have had several such clients. When they reached out to their connections, they were presented with appealing (and financially attractive) short-term consulting opportunities. So, needing the work, they took the plunge. Now several weeks/months into the consulting assignments, they see that "the end is near" on the work, and they are no closer to their next job. 

So I reached out to some of my network contacts to "crowd source" some hacks for this dilemma:  

How can a job hunter, who is consulting, keep their job searches active when they are very busy and don't have much energy left for the search at the end of the day/week? 

Ed Han, facilitator of Land Faster, responded:

Terry, good morning!

Consulting can be a challenge in its own right, as can running a job search. So here are a few hacks that come to mind:

• Make the time over the weekend to update the resume with the experience and skills gained/used in the consulting assignment
• Schedule time in the middle of the day to review possible opportunities and engage recruiters or other parties presenting attractive options
• Network with everyone possible on the assignment and keep the eyes open for opportunity
• At the midway point of the gig, evaluate the likelihood of the assignment being extended and increase the mid-day window where possible

I hope these are helpful.

Sheri Brown, Career Specialist with JFS, had these thoughts:

Terry-Thanks for reaching out about this.  I tell my clients that they need to stay engaged with their network by sending them a “newsletter” every 6 weeks or so about what they are doing and what new skills they are learning, etc.  I also encourage them to stay active on social media with their connections.

And Kathleen Santucci, Workforce Development facilitator, offered this sage wisdom:

Hi Terrence,

What I have is a question. Was the job seeker not keeping up with the job search because they were tired as you stated or did something else get in the way?   Is a lack of energy the result of being overworked, down in the dumps or was the consulting engagement time-line left too open?   

I tell job seekers to keep the future in mind, understanding what they have is a consulting engagement with a beginning and end date perhaps.   Keeping up on the social media side might prove energizing and engaging for the job seeker and help overcome the lack of energy. 

What the “experts” are currently saying is by the year 2020, 40% of the workforce will be contractual, temporary, contingent, etc.  Where does that leave everyone?  It’s a concept that requires a mindset and planning change.

To sum up this wisdom, here are five hacks to use if you decide to take on a contract assignment:

1 Make time to update your resume (and LinkedIn profile) to reflect what you are currently doing.

2 Stay engaged with recruiters and other sources of opportunity such as job search groups.

3 At the mid-way point in the gig, evaluate your options. Can the gig be extended?

4 Keep engaged with your network. Send out a periodic "newsletter" via email to let them know what you are doing. Stay "visible" so that you will be "top of mind" for people who are looking out for you.

5 Keep the future in mind. Be ready for contingent work to become the New Normal.

Lastly, don't let the contract work drain all your energy so that you have no bandwidth for your longer-term objectives.

Terrence Seamon helps career transitioners to achieve their goals Follow him on twitter @tseamon and connect on LinkedIn.