Asking Questions

IT Contractors often fail to appreciate the value of asking questions at an interview. But it is true that asking the right questions can swing an interview your way when you are pitted against multiple competitors.

Reasons

There is a definite purpose to asking questions at an interview. When too many candidates are vying for the same position, they will take the person that they feel will best fit in with the Project team.

Reasons

Some of the important reasons for asking questions are:

Knowing what the job entails, what skills and knowledge are needed may help you decide if you want to work there. Also, it gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the position and role and to steer the conversation to areas where you can hold your own. Thirdly, most importantly of all, it helps you to build a rapport with the interviewers by facilitating a discussion on subjects that they are keen on.

I remember going to one interview where they insisted that there was no point in giving me the technical interview as I obviously knew every bit what I was talking in the first round of interview.

What questions should you ask?
What skills does the job demand and what tools do they use?

This information will help you focus on those skills when selling yourself. You would select areas where you have good knowledge and get them interested in discussions and obviously leave out the areas where you are weak.

You may ask how they have used a particular tool and can also discuss a particular tool as you have seen it being used elsewhere.  This is bound to hold their interest as they would be interested to pick the brains of someone who brings a different perspective.

Ask them what methodology they use.

You can always broach a topic where you discuss the relative merits of different methodologies and how to use them. If you ascertain early on whether they like their current methodology, suggest others that you have seen used elsewhere successfully, if  they get a little excited about it.

Ask them about the organisation culture and especially the culture of the team you will be working with.

This is a great opportunity to bond with them and to show your eagerness to fit in with the Project Team. You should endorse their work values enthusiastically to be on an even keel with other candidates, who have equal, or even slightly greater, skills and knowledge to you.

Ask them what they are expecting from you and what type of person they want

Instead of foolishly trying to sell yourselves as this or that type of person without knowing what the interviewers want, isn't it a lot easier just to ask them what they are expecting from you and what type of person they are looking for?

You can use that information to show them that you are exactly what they want? Once you know that, you can work towards showing them that you are just the person they want.