The biggest interview mistake you can make

Jim went through two rounds of interviews for a tech support position, and the third and final round was with me, the COO. My goal was to check for cultural match and fit with our company values. Jim was confident and well spoken, with solid answers to my questions. He had clearly prepared well and wanted the job. With about 10 minutes left, I asked Jim, “Do you have any questions for me?”

“Well no, not really,” he said. “I asked all my questions in the previous interviews.”

And that’s it. Jim blew the interview.

Among all the things candidates need to do to “wow” a future employer and land the job, asking good questions is one that is most commonly overlooked. You should ALWAYS have a few questions ready to ask.

Why does it matter? Asking good questions is a huge indicator of intelligence — both intellectual and emotional. It shows that you care. It shows that you are curious. And it can give you critical information. Remember, you are also interviewing them. Do their values align with yours? Is this a place you want to spend the majority of your waking hours?

Ideally, your questions would be tailored to the person interviewing you and the context of the discussion you are having, but at the very least have “out of the box” questions ready to go. Even if you ask the same three questions of each person you interview.

Here are some examples:

• Why did you join [company name]?
• What is the biggest challenge your business if facing right now?
• What are the key things you’ve seen people do in this job to succeed?

Your interviewer might not ask you if you have questions, which is fine. But be ready in case they do!

Or you can use your questions as conversation post interview — maybe as they walk you to the elevator.

Don’t pull a Jim. Be ready with questions to ask…in every single interview!