The single most important question to ask in a job interview


job interview question

Job interviews are tough things to master, and in my opinion one should not spend too much time trying to rehearse and create a super-polished interview. This only detracts from the real you. This is essentially what interviewers want to see – the real you.

Moreover, it is even more difficult to perform well in a job interview if you don’t already have a job. Simply, because you have little bargaining power. The pressure is on! In addition to this, the competition for entry level/graduate jobs is presently very high. You have to offer something extra special that differentiates you from the rest of the pack. As I have mentioned in the previous post (here), building a personal brand online using social media is certainly one way to do just that.

But how can you differentiate yourself in the interview, and make yourself stick in the mind of the recruiter? The most common piece of graduate job interview advice is to ask well researched questions. Although this is no doubt a good tip, it will by no means separate you from the rest. You need to use a simple guerrilla job hunting tactic. Something which will grab the attention of the recruiter and make them want to hire you.

This is the single most important question to ask in a job interview…..At the end of the interview you need to ask the interviewer what the next steps are in the interview process as you are currently interviewing with other companies,and managing expectations all round is of importance to you. This reinforces the idea that other companies have shown an interest in you (creating perceived demand) and also demonstrates your level of professionalism by suggesting that you actually have the interests of the other companies at heart.

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    Hmmm, interesting advice. As an interviewer I’m all for candidates that can express themselves clearly and confidently. However, this smacks of desperation…

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