Page 66 - John Kador - 201 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview-McGraw-Hill (2002)

CHAPTER 4

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

KNOW BEFORE YOU ASK

When Sonja Parker interviews a candidate, she expects that the job
seeker will have done a reasonable amount of research into the com-
pany. Before you interview with Parker, VP of Integrated Design in Ann
Arbor, Michigan, you will receive a folder with general information on
the company, a detailed job overview, and an application. During the
preliminary telephone interview, Parker always asks:
What do you know about us? Have you reviewed the packet I sent, or
have you poked around on our Web site?
If the candidate hedges, Parker questions whether she should invite
the candidate in for a job interview. If the candidate answers yes,
Parker asks:

What is your impression of what we do?
“I want to see if the candidate can articulate the information about our
company and the job,” she says. Her reasons for asking are twofold.
First, she wants some feedback on how effectively the company’s re-
cruiting materials are working. But even more importantly, she believes
that a candidate who has taken the time to thoroughly study the recruit-
ing materials demonstrates real interest in the job, while one who has
not is a poor risk.
“If you want to work at Integrated Design, I insist that you demon-
strate at least a basic understanding of what the company does,” she

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