Job interviews can be nerve-wracking experiences, but they are also golden opportunities to showcase your enthusiasm, preparation, and curiosity. In a recent episode of the “IT Job Coach Podcast,” host Frank DeMaio delves into the critical yet often overlooked aspect of job interviews: asking the right questions. DeMaio highlights that asking insightful questions can set you apart from the competition and leave a lasting impression on potential employers. In this article, we’ll explore the key takeaways from the podcast episode and how you can effectively master the art of asking questions during job interviews.

The Power of Asking Questions

As candidates, we often focus on preparing answers to the questions we expect to be asked during an interview. However, DeMaio emphasizes that the questions you ask your interviewer are equally important. They provide an opportunity to showcase your genuine interest in the company, its goals, and the role you’re pursuing. Thoughtful questions can reveal your engagement, enthusiasm, and preparedness, helping you stand out in a crowded field of candidates.

Crafting Strategic Questions

Demayo categorizes the types of questions you can ask during an interview into several key areas, each designed to provide insights into different aspects of the job and company. These categories include questions about the specific job, the team, your potential boss, the company, culture, and professional development. By tailoring your questions to these categories, you demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the company and a desire to ensure a strong fit between yourself and the organization.

Sample Questions for Impact

The podcast provides a wealth of sample questions that you can adapt to your specific situation. Here are a few examples from different categories:

• Specific Job: What are your expectations for me in this role? Can you describe a typical day in this position? What’s the most important goal to achieve within the first 90 days?
• Team: What challenges might I face in this position? Are there any anticipated changes to my responsibilities in the next six months to a year?
• Potential Boss: What is your management style? What do you enjoy most about working here? How long have you been with the company and in your current position?
• Company: What are the current company goals? How does this team contribute to achieving them? What excites you most about the company’s future?
• Culture: How do new employees typically onboard? How are remote employees integrated into the company culture?
• Professional Development: How does the team foster ongoing professional growth? What learning opportunities are available in this role? Can you provide examples of career paths starting from this position?
• Closing Questions: Is there anything I should have asked but haven’t covered yet? Could you outline the next steps in the hiring process?

Making an Impact

The podcast episode underlines that your questions at the end of the interview are your final chance to make an impact and gather valuable insights. Instead of hastily firing off a list of questions, be strategic and choose those that align with your aspirations and goals. Your questions should reflect your genuine interest, curiosity, and enthusiasm for the role and the company.

Conclusion

In the competitive world of job interviews, standing out requires more than just answering questions effectively—it demands skillfully crafted questions of your own. As demonstrated by Frank DeMaio in the “IT Job Coach Podcast,” asking insightful questions is a crucial component of the interview process. By leveraging the categories and sample questions provided, you can leave a lasting impression on potential employers and increase your chances of landing that dream job. So, the next time you step into an interview, remember that your questions are a powerful tool that can set you apart and lead to career success.

Episode Transcript

Hello and welcome to another episode of the IT Job Coach Podcast. I’m your host, Frank DeMaio, and today we’re diving into the crucial aspect of job interviews that often goes overlooked. And that is the art of asking questions. As exciting as it is to be on the receiving end of questions during an interview. And nerve wracking as well. Remember, you have the power to turn the tables and also ask some very insightful question. And that can really set you apart from the competition. So whether you’re a seasoned interviewee or new to the job, hunt is stick around because we’re about to unlock the secrets to asking the right questions and leaving a lasting impression on your potential employer before we get going. I just want to say interviews, right? What’s up with those? They can make us so nervous and so worried about what’s going to happen. And you know how many times do we get to the interview and we don’t get past that point because maybe we did something we shouldn’t have. So make sure your interviews go really well because they are super important and I want to take a minute to really tell you about my most popular free course, the IT job interview master class. Just head over to itjobcoach.com/interview at. You can get immediate and unlimited access to my free training. In the IT job interview master class, you’re going to gain a comprehensive understanding of the. Review process and you’re going to develop a personalized interview strategy and gain the confidence needed to impress even the toughest interview. The only way to make success for you is to take action, get started. So let me help you secure your dream job and get past. An interview hurdle. Head on over to itjobcoach.com/interview dot ITJOB coach.com/interview. There’s a link down in the show. Notes get started on your preparation today. The importance of asking questions. Picture this. You just ace the interviewer’s questions, and then they turn to you and ask, do you have any questions for me? This is a golden opportunity to showcase your enthusiasm and preparation. In fact, when job seekers have no questions, they might come across to the interviewer as disinterested or lacking in insight. So remember, be prepared, ask questions. It’s not just about whether the job fits you. It’s also about whether you’re a fit for the job. So to truly understand this, you’ve got to ask the right questions. Don’t settle for surface level information. Dig deep. Ask the company about the company’s mission, its strengths, its weaknesses and its management style. These questions not only provide you with the insights, but also show your potential employer that you’re not just in it for the title, you’re in it for. The long haul. Now this is where you can truly stand out by crafting killer questions. Think of this as the make or break moment craft questions that demonstrate your out-of-the-box thinking. Ask about the company’s future. Its challenge is how your role contributes to its success and show the interviewer that you’ve done your homework and. Don’t waste this opportunity to really shine. Of course there are few questions you should avoid. There are questions you should not ask. So first one is what does your company do? This is not the question to ask because what it shows the interviewer is that you’re really not prepared. You didn’t do any of your homework to figure out what the company does, and with today’s information at your fingertips, employers are expecting more. OK, so make sure that you don’t ask this question. You should already know what the company does. Also, stay away from yes or no questions, because those questions can kind of be anticlimactic, right? You’re asking a question that basically it’s a yes or no answer. So instead ask open-ended questions that encourage the interviewer to have a thoughtful response and. Leave salary and benefits discussion. For later stages in the process, don’t ask anything about those as well, so making your questions count. Remember the questions you ask are your chance to promote positive dialogue and truly connect with your potential employer. So the questions that you ask can really seal a deal. So before you step into your interview. Brainstorm some thoughtful, relevant, and engaging questions that showcase your interest in fit. And now the moment you’ve been waiting for some sample questions that I’ve prepared and I want to give you a quick rundown of categories of for these questions and some samples.
Here’s the rundown.
First category questions about the specific job. Ask about expectations. Key tasks, performance evaluations and immediate projects. OK, so those are some that’s a category of questions you definitely. Want to ask? Second one questions about the team. Learn about the team’s needs, right, their potential challenges and your future responsibilities. OK.
What else you?
Also, you want to find out who you’re going to be working for questions about your potential boss, right? Discovering their background, their experience, what they enjoy about the company, what their management style is. These are all really important things to know before you get yourself into a new job.
What else you got?
You also want to ask questions about the company, not just what do you do but understanding their current goals, their values, any changes that they’re currently going through, what their growth plans are and maybe prospects for the future.
What else you got?
The next category is culture. OK, culture is very important. The way that you. You are personally you want to make sure that that company fits your culture expectations, so make sure you ask about things like onboarding, remote work traditions, right, and unique aspects, especially if those things are. Important to you?
What else you got?
Also want to talk and ask about professional development. You know where you’re going with your career and how that company can help you get there. So inquire about learning opportunities, career paths and also promotions and how they’re handled. Right because you. Who are in this position for a career? Not just a job.
What else you got?
Also, last thing is closing questions, right? Covering any missed topics, offering more information about your skills. And one of the key parts is understanding the next steps in the hiring process. Some key take away here is that the questions you ask at the end of your interview are your final chance to make an impact and gather valuable insights. So it’s not just about firing off a laundry list of questions. Be strategic and select the ones that align with your aspirations. So let’s jump into some sample questions. So first category questions about the specific job. So here are some examples. What are your expectations for me in this role? Can you describe what a typical day for me in this role might look like? And also, what’s the most important thing I should accomplish in the 1st 90 days? Those are some really good examples of some questions that you can ask to get a better idea about the company. There’s some other ones as well, you know. Can you share insights on the most immediate projects I would take on how often is performance? Viewed what’s that process like? Things along those lines. Second category questions about the team. OK. What do you see as the biggest challenges I might face in this position? OK, that’s a great one. That’s a great that will give you some really good insight on what it is that you might face when you start this position. Two, do you anticipate any significant changes to my main responsibilities in the next six months? To a year. That’s an important one too. Right. You’re accepting a job position. You want to know if things are going to change. Could you provide more information about the team? I’ll be working with very open-ended question gives them a chance to talk about the team and what you can expect other questions who will I collaborate with most closely? What other departments or units will I interact with? And also can you tell me? About my potential direct reports, if you’re going into a management position, right? What are their strengths and the team’s biggest challenges? Getting to know your boss. OK, some questions about your potential boss. What management style do you have? What’s your favorite aspect of working here? How long have you been at the company and in your current position? Right. These are all some very good questions to help you. The next one is questions about the company. So what are the current company goals? How does this team contribute to achieve? Them what excites you the most about the company’s future? How would you describe the company’s core values? How has the company evolved over the past few years? Could you share the company’s plans for growth and development? These are all great ways to get around. Not just asking directly about the company, but to get their insight on how they see the company. As far as culture goes. One of the things you can ask about is how new employees are typically onboarded. That can say a lot about a company culture. Also, if this position allows for remote work, you could ask how are remote employees integrated into the company culture, right? Because that’s important, and when you’re working remotely. Sometimes it can feel like you’re segregated, and so if you are potentially working remotely, that could be an important question. For you to ask. What’s something new? Employees tend to find surprising after they start. I love this question. I think this is a terrific question about that because it really helps to maybe flesh out some of those surprises that might happen and you might get a surprising answer to that too. Another question, is there any recommended reading material to familiarize myself with the team’s culture and? Goals. That’s a a. Really nice question and it can really help give them insight on what they expect of you and where they think that their teams, culture and goals. Are and how you can get up to speed? With those. As far as professional development and future opportunities, you can to ask how does the team foster ongoing professional growth? You can also ask what learning and development opportunities will be available in this role. Could you provide examples of career paths that might begin with this position? That’s a really good one. Too, because that can help you figure out if this company has the right career path for you based on this position that you may accept. What are the common career progressions within this department? That’s a nice one too. How our promotions typically approached, that’s a really good question because sometimes that can be different and that that is different in a lot of different companies. So it’s important to understand how promotions are are considered and taken care of. Where have successful employees moved on to after excelling in this role? That says. Because if they say, oh, we haven’t had anyone. Move on to another position that could tell you something right? That could tell you that promotions really are difficult to come by. And then closing questions. You could come out and say what should I have asked about but haven’t covered yet, right? Be forthcoming in that way and see what they say. Also you can ask is there anything else I can provide you with that would aid in the decision making progress? I actually had this one happen to me recently. I was interviewing someone for a position and it was a for a leadership position and at the end they didn’t quite tell me everything they wanted to tell me about their management style and they asked. Is there anything else I could tell you about my management style that might help you make a decision and what that did? Was it kind of reopened the dialogue? And I thought for a minute I said, you know what, there is a couple more questions and I asked them and they were able to get out what it is that they were really looking. To tell me. And so that’s a really great question to ask. It could reintroduce dialogue and cover things that you might want to cover in the interview that weren’t covered. Also another question, is there any additional clarification I can offer about my qualifications? OK, that’s always a good one. It’s kind of a follow up to that and then also one that you should always ask is could you outline the next steps in the hiring process because you want to know when you will expect a call? You know when they might be making a decision, what the next steps are there going to be another interview, that kind of thing, things. So there’s a whole list of different sample questions you can look at, your personal aspirations and come up with some very strategic questions. I recommend sticking to those categories because those can really help you in defining what questions you want to ask that wraps up today’s episode of the IT Job Coach. Thank you for tuning in. I hope you’re now equipped with the insights you need to master the art of asking questions and job interviews. Don’t shy away from that. Make sure you’re prepared. They can be the key to opening doors and landing that dream job. So go out there, ask with confidence and make those questions count until next time. Keep reaching for those career.
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