Your Interview Questions

If you are about to begin, or are in the midst of, a job search, you should be prepared for interview questions. In addition to thinking about your answers to the possible questions an interviewer might ask you, you should also be prepared to ask questions of the interviewer.

Some questions could be the same ones you ask of each interviewer you meet, others would need to be specific dependent upon with whom you are speaking in the organization. Many organizations now have committees do the initial screening interview. Those committee members may or may not be in positions directly related to the position for which you are interviewing. So you will need some general questions you can ask, as well as more specific ones for those who may know more about the responsibilities of the position in which you are interested.

Create questions to ask that indicate you know something about the organization and the industry. Current trends and their impact on the organization are good to ask about. These days you can look on line for information to help you prepare for your interview. Of course, some of that research should have been done before you contacted the organization.

So in your job search, prepare for the many phases of the interviewing process. Once you have created your questions, you may want to write them down in case you don't remember them during the interview. By having your questions written down in a notebook, you can refer to them, if you have a momentary lapse of memory.

The job search can be a fairly stressful process, so the better prepared you are, the less stress you may experience. Being prepared for the possible questions you may get in an interview and creating your own questions can help increase your confidence through the process.


Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com for more information.

To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.