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The interviewer’s most critical question in a job interview is often the last one

January 11th, 2009

There are great questions and dumb questions and, worst of all, no questions at all. This website prepares you for the most neglected part of the job interview: the opportunity for you to ask questions. Part I outlines some rules and principles you can apply in your questioning so that you ask more of the former and fewer of the latter. But first a quiz. Of the following five candidate behaviors in the job interview, what behavior do you think recruiters find most unforgivable?

  1. Poor personal appearance
  2. Overemphasis on money
  3. Failure to look at interviewer while interviewing
  4. Doesn’t ask questions
  5. Late to interview

The answer is number 4. Surprised? Candidates who do not ask any questions represent the number one behavior that causes recruiters to lose confidence, according to my admittedly unscientific survey of over 150 recruiters, job coaches, and hiring managers. Still, it’s not too bold to make this statement: You cannot succeed in a job interview without asking a number of wellconsidered questions.

Of course, even great questions will not get you a job offer if you come in with other problems. Here, in order, are the 10 attitude strikeouts that most often condemn job candidates:

  1. Doesn’t ask questions
  2. Condemnation of past employer
  3. Condemnation of past employer
  4. Poor personal appearance
  5. Indecisive, cynical, lazy
  6. Overbearing, overly aggressive, “know-it-all”
  7. Late to interview
  8. Failure to look at interviewer while interviewing
  9. Unable to express self clearly
  10. Overemphasis on money

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