Job interviews are hard work. Equally, getting to the stage of a job hunt where you’ve finally secured a face-to-face with a hiring manager for a job you really want is an achievement.
It also means that you’ll need to move up a gear, preparing yourself and researching the company so you perform well and make a great impression on your interviewer.
Recent reports show that 40% of job seekers have experienced a prospective employer ghosting them after a second- or third-round interview, so getting it right matters.
That’s not necessarily down to candidates’ individual performance in interviews, but is likely due to a mix of factors such as the volume of applications for jobs coupled with reduced recruitment teams, thanks to layoffs.
5 tech roles to explore this week
- Senior Software Engineer, Raytheon, Carson
- Developer – BI/Data Warehouse, Duke University Health System, Duke University Health System, Durham
- Senior SRE DevOps Engineer, Vanguard, Wayne
- Director, AI Strategy for Biologics, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Boston
- Director Software Engineering, Optimum, Bethpage
But there are things you can do to make sure that you’re putting your absolute best foot forward.
One of those is to ask questions. Crucially, these need to be the right questions, so that the interviewer understands that you’ve prepared carefully, are serious about the opportunity, and can open a dialog with them about the company, the role––and how you’d succeed in it.
Here are some questions you should ask in your next interview.
Who will I report to, and what is the team structure?
Asking this question shows you’re thinking about how the role works in practice. You can also phrase this so that you can get a sense of how collaboration and teamwork works within, and across, departments.
Make sure that if you do ask this, that you can naturally refer to examples in your own work history where you worked well as part of, or leading a team. And if you’re told that the boss is hands-off, make sure you’re clear that you can work effectively without a lot of input from above.
What does success look like in this job?
Asking a question like this is an opportunity to reinforce your own skills, abilities and previous experience. If the reply is “an ability to work at a fast pace, and change lanes when necessary”, for example, then this is an ideal way for you to explain how you can pivot quickly, think on your feet, and problem solve on the go.
What one thing would really impress you?
Asking a hiring manager what one thing they think would be a real win in your first few months in the job can provide real insight into what they think really matters in this role.
If they say something like “exceeding targets and expectations”, then have an anecdote ready to go about a time you smashed targets, shipped code early––or simply went above and beyond.
How does this role contribute to the company’s overall mission and goals?
By asking this, you’re looking to see what sort of impact you’re going to have. Will you sit on steering or leadership committees, and will your work give you face-time with those in senior leadership or C-suite positions?
This can be a useful way for you to get a sense of the structure of the business, and assess if you’ve got promotion potential. After all, if your work will be seen by decision makers, then it will be easier to move upwards within the organization.
How are you responding to changes in the industry?
The advent of AI is massive within tech right now, with the industry not only creating the tools of the future, but also pioneering the use of AI platforms and software within its workforces.
Asking your interviewer what the company is doing in response will give you insight into how strategic planning is undertaken here, and the kinds of strategies being used.
This will also give you a way to explain how you approach future planning, and how you value and embrace learning and development within your job.
