Ask, Not Answer: A Look Into Job Interviewing

By: Blaire Gunderson

Imagine, you are 10 to 15 years into the job force and you have the opportunity to interview an applicant for your company. What would the interviewee have to do for it to be considered a 'good' interview? A 'bad' interview? What would make this applicant stick out from the 50 other applicants applying for the same position?

In a recent article I read, a manager from a Fortune 500 company talked about the importance of asking questions within an interview setting. This is not just at the conclusion of the interview. He encouraged future applicants to treat an interview as more of a fluid conversation, rather than the typical "you ask, I answer" interview.

Here are a few reasons in which I believe asking your potential future employer questions during an interview is beneficial to you landing the job:

(1) It shows you are engaged in the conversation.

(2) It shows you have done your research on the company. This implies that you are asking specific questions pertaining the company.

(3) It shows you truly care about the company and what goes on on a day-to-day and large scale level.

(4) It shows you don't know everything, and that you appreciate gaining knowledge from someone at a higher level.

With these thoughts in mind, always remember that you must ask these questions in correspondence with appropriate dialogue and topics. Sneak these questions in where it is appropriate and where it doesn't diverge off topic.