Page 279 - Marky Stein - Get a Great Job When You Don't Have a Job-McGraw-Hill (2009)

Get a Great Job When You Don’t Have a Job

while at the same time flattering the employer. The following is a
list of some good questions to ask:

• What is the company’s five-year plan?
• What is the company’s mission?
• Is the company culture more on the casual or more on
the formal side?
• What would be the ideal candidate for this position?
• What is the typical management style?
• What would be some of my duties in the first year of
employment?
• What are some of the new products, services, or
improvements in the works for next year’s production
schedule?
• What do you [the interviewer] like most about working at
the company?
• What are some of the organization’s proudest moments
or most unique accomplishments?
• What do you think I can personally do to drive this com-
pany to the competitive edge?

Much later, when you are in the negotiating phase, you can nego-
tiate for a parking space. For now, keep your questions open and
general.

Stalling and Accessing

In some cases, there may be a question for which you just cannot
recall the answer.

You’d be surprised at how clever your brain is if you just
give it a little time to process and access a response.

You might take a moment to put your hand to your chin and
comment: “That’s a really good question. Hmm . . . let me see. I

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