December 15, 2015 | 5 min read
Three Interview Questions Guaranteed To Make You Stand Out

Catherine

A lot goes into interview preparation, from ensuring that you know your resume like the back of your hand to calculating how much time you need to get to where your interview is being held. However, one area of interview prep that often gets overlooked is assembling your own set of questions to ask the hiring manager. Bringing your own list of questions shows the hiring manager that, not only did you prepare beforehand, but that you’re committed to learning more about the role.

In an effort to anticipate what a hiring manager will ask you, the tendency to forsake brainstorming your own questions can become inevitable. To avoid this from happening, here are three questions that are bound to impress any hiring manager and put you on track for landing your next job:

From start to finish, what does a typical day in this role look like?

A hiring manager who is interviewing you wants to know that, not only are you familiar with the type of work you would be doing on a basic level, but that you’re committed to envisioning yourself as an employee within the company. By asking what would be expected of you on a daily basis, the hiring manager sees you are already thinking about how your skills and past experiences will help you in this role. Wanting to know what your typical day as a member of the company’s staff shows that you have already begun thinking about adjusting to a new opportunity and that you are envisioning how you can step in.

What is something you admire about the people who work for you?

A valuable piece of information you want to find out from a hiring manager revolves around how they envision success. Asking about this will show that you are invested in not just performing well within the role, but how you as a professional can be successful within the context of the group.

Asking the hiring manager about their employees is also a great way to get to know your potential co-workers without meeting them personally. The ability to anticipate how compatible a candidate is with an already established group is something a hiring manager has to place a large stake in, so showing that you are interested in the strengths of their employees will impress any hiring manager.

What do you hope I can accomplish in this role?

It’s important to ask what overall expectations the hiring manager will have of you should you be offered the job, but a smart way to keep the tone of the interview more conversational is to ask them how they will measure your progress and success. During the interview, you want to make an effort to put the spotlight on the interviewer and their own values. Though the interview is about you, it’s important to show that you care about the hiring manager’s own expectations and how you will help the company make an impact in the long run.

 

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