Before the interview... Are you prepared?

In all cases, you should be prepared to answer detailed questions that pertain to the documents you have provided to the company. You must be prepared to answer questions but you should also be ready to ask questions. A give and take interview is almost always more pleasant for the interviewer. By asking questions, you are showing sincere interest in the job and company.

Not only does this help produce a healthy interview, it is also important to have the best information for you to make a decision about the job position. Many people fail to understand that its not just about the impression you provide to the interviewer. The job interview is the best place for you to learn more about the company and helps you make the decision about the whether it is the right job and the right company for you.

Always do your homework on the company or organization you are interviewing with, so that you will have comments and questions pertaining to the company/organizatio n when the time comes for you to ask.

There are several general questions you can ask, common questions include:

Questions regarding the position:

• What are the hours for the position?
• What benefits are offered?
• How many people would I be working with?
• When do you hope to have the position filled by?
• How soon do you anticipate a decision being made?
• What is the generally accepted attire? Business casual? Business formal?

Questions regarding the company:

• What are some basic goals and objectives of the company?
• Is the company growing or planning to open new offices/locations?
• Is the department growing? Will there be new opportunities in the future?

*Remember - Do not memorize questions in advance and strictly plan to use them. Inevitably, some of these questions will be answered in the interview already.

These are general questions that you can use to fill the void if nothing else comes to mind. During the interview you will likely come across details or facts about the company that you will have questions about. It's ok to ask questions when they come up as long as you don't find yourself dominating the entire conversation with your own questions.

At the end of the interview ALWAYS ask "What is the next step... When will I be notified... Who will I hear from? "This combination of questions can be asked in any way, form or wording. You must commit the interviewer to the next step before leaving your first interview.

Participate in your interview beyond just answering questions. You will be better respected for it.