So you’ve done a great cover letter and you now have an interview! What next?
Here’s how to stand out from others and put your mind at ease about your upcoming interview.
We are digging deep into what questions you should ask the interviewers! This is an under rated area which will give you an edge on your fellow colleagues AND make sure that the company you’re going for the job interview is a great match for you and your career!
Question One: What does your professional development schedule look like?
The idea behind this question is twofold. Ideally, the company that you applying for a job at should have a professional development schedule for a start. Even better, the schedule should be planned out ahead of time in a structured way with a specific purpose or goal around developing you and the teams skills.
Question Two: What opportunities and career pathways are there for me? Is there a reward system?
The reason behind this question is that you want the company that you’re going to work for to at least have a plan in place of how you can progress, where you can get to, what options are there for you once you settle-in and really start to crush it!
The other part with the reward system is, if you are going to be putting in really hard effort and you’re doing a really good job, is there a way that you can earn more on top of the original salary. If it’s a great company…the answer would be YES!
Question Three. What is the vision and mission of the business? What are the core values?
Again, this is twofold. Does the company that you’re going to work at have a vision? Do they have a purpose? What are their core values?
Going a deeper level on all of these of, how are they doing? Is it just a statement that is written on the wall or are they diligently progressing towards their mission?
Are the values vague terms, like excellence, caring and supportive? Or is there actual behaviours and ways you can identify what the actual values are from day to day within the business? Lastly, can you identify the values from the other team members and the people interviewing you? Is there a match or is there a mismatch?
Question Four: What are the plans for the next 12 months, and how do I fit into that picture?
This is logical but often not asked! Let’s be real, you’re probably going to have about six months, maybe 12, to get up to speed and settle into the culture and be a great team member.
You also want to know what their expectations are because if they are wildly different from what you had in mind, it’s a great chance to discuss them and then look to work it out whether the company is going to be a good fit for you and whether you can actually achieve your career objectives that you have in mind.
Question Five: What questions haven’t I asked yet that I should have?
This question is a bit of a mind trick, but it’ll get the interviewers to think! I’d encourage to put a lonnnnggg pause (up to 7 seconds). If there’s silence, this is not because they don’t like you or they think it’s a dumb question, it’s more likely that they are thinking, so please allow them to think and respond appropriately without cutting them off. You might be surprised at just what questions they come up with. The best part is you get to answer and discuss the question you should have asked. It’s a catch-all and a clever question to see that you’re paying attention and that you’ve covered all areas of importance.
Question Six: How will I receive feedback on how I went in today’s interview?
This question leaves you with a clear next step and put a bow on that whole interview. You can look forward to knowing the next step, plus you’re showing that you’re willing to be vulnerable, open to feedback and have a growth mindset regardless of the outcome of getting the job, or not.
These questions put the odds, forever in your favour of you getting the job.
I hope you found that these six questions helpful for you at your first interview and I cannot wait to see you grow into a fantastic practitioner and get the jobs that you desire and become the person you wish to be!
If you found this helpful, please share it with any of your friends or someone you know that is about to go for an interview.
Your friend is helping you be healthy and active,
Ben Taylor
Mad Keen Golfer
Director of Tailored Health
Exercise Physiologist
