Job interview in Friday. What question should I ask?

daveg

I have just found out I have a job interview on Friday . The role will be in an area completely different to where I work now (although I did work in this area about 5 years ago). I'm currently working for a large multinational and the company who are interviewing me are a small company.

As this will be a new role and a smaller employer, and a very different work enviroment, I'm wondering what questions I should ask to sound out their work ethos. Such as working hours, overtime, pension/VHi schemes but also to sound out if they are, for want of a better word, operating a sweatshop. I'm also studying for a part time BA. I'm wondering if they will give financial assistance (as my current company does). Should these questions be left until a job offer is given (don't want to be jumping the gun). Also, I'm conscience, that I don't want to put the employer off by asking lots of "me" questions.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not afriad of hard work or a challage. However work in Galway is scarce (to say the least) and I don't want to be jumping from the frying pan (current job) into the fire.

Any advice or opinions?

the_syco

daveg wrote:

I'm also studying for a part time BA. I'm wondering if they will give financial assistance (as my current company does). Should these questions be left until a job offer is given (don't want to be jumping the gun).

This sounds important to you, so ask about it. Last thing you want is to be in a company where you can't do your BA in comfortably.

WhiteWashMan

you should ask.
if you pose the question the right way, it will make you look like you are already looking ahead and thinking of ways to solve your problems if you get the position.

as for general questions, i think there should be a sticky with many questions that you could get asked, but i think there should also be something on questions you can ask.

however, from my experience, i always like to find out what the plans for the company are. what does the company want to be in a years time, in 3 years time, and how does it expect to achieve that.
aks the interviewer what they think of the company. ask them why theya re still doing their job, and re-enforce that marvelous 'arent we all great' feeling by saying thats its important that people enjoy their job, and the company, and this appears to be a company that employees are happy to be in.
if you have any specific job questions, ask them.


ask lots of me questions. its the only way you will know if its the job you want.

waht if they turn around and tell you that you cant do your BA, they wont support you and that you will be doing manual work.
you wouldnt work there, right?

well, sometimes, i f you dont ask, you dont get.
so ask.

the worse thing you can do is not ask questions. ask how much sense of achievement they get from their job, becuase thats important to you.
make lots of agreeing noises.
make eye contact.
use strong handshake. (but not bone crushing)
be honest. if you dont know something, say 'i dont know'.
youre not being tested on how much you know (well, ok, you are, but no one expects you to know everything, unless you are going for a consultancy position, in which case, you wouldnt be asking these questions here, and you wouldnt be doing a BA by night methinks )
you are being tested on being the right person for the job.
the right person for the job is one who can do it, or needs the least amount of training, is enthusiastic, will fit in with the team, and who makes an impression.

now.

isnt all that easy

daveg

Lads,

Thanks for the replys. WWM some very valid and usefull points. To explain more I have a diploma in Electronics and this qualifies me to do the job their hiring for. As I mentioned my career has taken a different path from 5 years ago (into training). As a result the the B.A. I'm studying for is in training and education. So I'm expecting many questions along the lines of why move from training now when your studying for a BA. I have some good answers but the truth is I hate where I'm working now. I have no motivation and Monday mornings are hell. This new role could be one I look forward to getting up for in the morning (well almost).

The problem with the (using a textbook question) "whats the best thing for you about working for this company" is I think it's the MD who's interviewing as it's a small company. So all his answers to these questions would be irrelevent.

From the advice above I've decided to ask all the sticky questions up front:

Studying for BA - Financial and time off assistance (I have approx 9 workshops per year which will run on work days).

Hours of work.

Specific technical questions.

Money - I'll leave this up to him tbh. Can always haggle this if we get to offer stage. This is gonna be tricky though. I don;t think they'll pay as much as I'm on now. I'll also have to pay back 2K to my current employer (for last years BA fees) and I'll have to pay this years fees (2K) if they don't support me

I'm going try and sound out the company's working ethos (ie is it a sweatshop) by asking questions along the lines of "can you describe, what would be, a typical working day for me" etc. Any other advice on these types of questions would be much appreciated.

Also, in reference to your sticky "what question should I ask in an interview". I did up a sample sheet for previous interviews listing questions you could be asked/what should I ask. I can PM them/post them if you wanna start a sticky?

WhiteWashMan

post them under the other sticky please, would be useful.

if you are being interviewed by the MD, then thats the perfect chance to really find out what the place is like and get a great idea of the company.

i would definately ask about the future of the company, and since hes the MD, ask about his vision, and where you fit into it.

however, i do have one word of warning for you.
if its so small that you are being interviewed by the MD, then be careful. your hours will be long.
you will be expected to work as though the company was your own. you may find that your workload is huge, becuase there is simply no one else to do it.
and this may affect your studies.
there is no such thing as 9 - 5 in a small company. its a case of you work til the job is done.

copacetic

would agree with WWM, have only ever worked in smallish electronics companies and your hours are however long it takes to finish what you have agreed to do by the deadline you have.
in general the pay isn't as good, the benefits aren't as good (you get your salary and a bonus no other fluffy gym membership type benefits) they prob don't even have a HR dept..

however you have no limits to what you can end up doing, if you are good at what you do you will move up and can move sideways also very easily. there are always projects to do that people haven't time to do, if you are interested you can run with them and get a lot of valuable experience very quickly. In a bigger company you tend to just be reusing what they already have..
if you get my meaning.

would love to type a lot more, but a gazillion things cal :-)

copacetic

oh also when we look for people we are very wary of people who sound like they aren't in to 'grunt' work.
as in, 'I'll design but prefer not to test' or 'I'll code it if I have a great spec to work on'. small companies want people who will do any and all tasks to get the job done.

so be wary of trying to impy you want at specific job spec that won't vary..