The Guru Nation Blog

How prepared are you for your next job interview? When we apply for our first job, we usually follow advice from a trusted professors, career counselor, on-campus career services leader, parent or good friend. Sometimes we read books that give us the basics. But today, no matter how many jobs you’ve had or how many times you’ve been on an interview, there is an uncertainty about the kinds of job interview questions and answers that everyone should be prepared to handle. Because there is a lot you can’t control, like the kind of day the interviewer is having, the culture of a company, the economic climate, the mood of the industry, or the internal politics around filling a particular job, job interview questions and answers should not be left open to someone else’s discretion. You should ask the questions just as often as the interviewer. It’s all about learning how to take control of your own career, and that means the interview process as well.

Here are the most important job interview questions and answers to ask and to get responses to:

1. Ask for a description of the job and what you would have to do to achieve results
2. Ask what the first 90 days would look like in this job
3. Ask about the person who held the job previously. What did they do well? Not do well?
4. Ask where the previous person in the job has gone
5. Ask what the time frame is for promotion. And where would this job lead?
6. Ask how the hiring decision will be made
7. Ask what the time frame is for making the hiring decision
8. More than a question, provide written references at the conclusion of the interview