Page 1 of 1 [ 4 posts ] 

Bozewani
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 3 Mar 2008
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Posts: 396

26 Sep 2009, 12:13 pm

Basically, when they ask "Do you have any questions?". basically ask all the questions they ask you in reverse.

What will happen?



AardvarkGoodSwimmer
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Age: 61
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,663
Location: Houston, Texas

26 Sep 2009, 2:26 pm

That would be like fancy play syndrome in poker.

Instead, keep it simple. Know what the company does. You'd be amazed at how many people don't and amazed at how much 20 minutes on the Internet the afternoon before can help. But don't overdo it. Do not over invest. Just do it light to medium. And keep it fun for you, too.

The questions? Ask one or two. Primarily about what you'd be doing.

'So, the service contract is equally important as the photocopier itself?' (if the job is selling photocopiers/service agreements)

Try not to analyze the answer (which I certainly have a tendency to do!). Let the person put it in their own terms and let that be. You'll have plenty of time to mull it over later when you're taking a run or swim or walk (all of which sometimes work for me) or reading a book of your own choosing.

Good luck. Be yourself. Don't so much conform, but do engage.



RossMc
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 3 Oct 2009
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 147

15 Oct 2009, 9:50 am

There is a clear difference between how interviewing is done, depending on whether it is a for-profit company, or whether it is in the non-profit sector. Generally, in the non-profit world, as with government agencies, the interview process is much lengthier and more elaborate. This may have something to do with the fact that once they are hired, these employees are difficult to fire, so the consequences of hiring mistakes loom larger.
Common with non-profits, are group interviews, plus a first and second interview. Often, relatively high-ranking people will conduct interviews. Also, it is permitted to ask a lot of questions in these interviews.
In my experience, with for-profit companies, it is not acceptable to ask a lot of questions during an interview. The interview is seen solely as a way for you to sell yourself to the company, and not a way for you to get information. Then the responsibilty for researching the company before the interview is yours. Also, companies tend to assign very low-level people the task of interviewing for jobs. That is one reason that I have worked exclusively for government agencies and non-profits for the last 17 years. I had too many bad experiences when applying for jobs, too many times being deliberately kept waiting while people giggled and yawned. Also, the private sector can't offer the same job security I have. I can only be fired for cause after a long series of disciplinary hearings with the union fighting on my side every step of the way. Layoffs are by seniority only, so a lot of people would have to go before they reached me. Also, I have a pension- not a 401K, not any kind of glorified savings account. No, the taxpayers of my state are on the hook to pay me a fixed percentage of my base pay based on my age and years of service at retirement, regardless of how well or how poorly their investments do.



DenvrDave
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Sep 2009
Age: 58
Gender: Male
Posts: 790
Location: Where seldom is heard a discouraging word

15 Oct 2009, 12:06 pm

Bozewani wrote:
Basically, when they ask "Do you have any questions?". basically ask all the questions they ask you in reverse.

What will happen?


I interview people routinely. If someone were to "...ask all the questions I asked in reverse" I would: (1) see through the strategy almost immediately; (2) wonder what the person was hiding; and (3) probably not recommend offering a position.

The best candidates come to interviews prepared with a list of relevent questions written out ahead of time. If some of the questions coincidentally are similar to the interviewer's questions, that is ok. Following the strategy of "basically ask all the questions they ask you in reverse" is probably the surest way to not get the job.

If anyone wants real advice on how to interview effectively for a job you really want, just let me know :D