10 Entry-Level Interview Questions To Ask

When interviewing at any level and, especially entry-level, there are certain questions you can ask that will help you stand out from the crowd. Following these rules will boost your value on the open job market and result in more offers and, best of yet, less rejections. Before you read this, always remember that there is a direct relationship between the quality of questions that you ask and the amount of research you've done on the company in which you are interviewing with. 1. "I saw that your CEO came from (college, industry and location), your CFO came from here (college, industry and location) and your COO has something completely different, what types of personality traits make people so successful at this organization?" Believe it or not, countless studies at the nation's most prestigious universities have done analysis on hundreds upon hundreds of executives and none share all of the 6 or 7 common traits they were looking for. So, don't expect the CFO to be a numbers guy as the presumption would look awful foolish if he was the company's party animal. The Closing Technique That Wins, Gets High Job Offers And Turns Heads 2. "I can assure you that prior to leaving this interview, I know that this is the type of position I want because of x, y and z. What else can I do to make you feel more comfortable with bringing me on Company's XYZ team?" People Love Speaking About Themselves: 3. "Please, don't misconstrue this as prying, however do you mind me asking a little bit about you and, essentially how did you get into this business?" As a matter of fact, listening is one of the best forms of persuasive communication. If you have the ability to interject, ask how big marlin are. If you feel uncomfortable asking a potential obvious and elementary inquiry, say "This may be common knowledge, but..." Setting Up The Lob To Give You Match Point Slam 4. "As a whole, what facets of the job do the other employees my age most enjoy? How much of their time is spent is doing so? What don't they enjoy?" - Now, tell them how this is great and even more intriguing because, your skill sets are the ones he or she just listed. Maintaining and Building Relationships 101 5. "If for reason, I left the office and you found somebody who was a perfect, perfect match and decided to hire the person, can I keep this relationship active with a quick email every few months?" If the person is smart, they will be impressed. If Asked What You Are Looking For, Ask This Question Right Back 6. "Would what I'm looking for is a company that is looking for somebody like me count as an answer? The reason I say so is that I can't tell you what type of field I want to go into at this age. However, I can tell you that I want to be close to others who are young, intelligent, vibrant, passionate about becoming better and those who don't want to dump their load of work on others." Getting Them To Loosen Up On Compensation With A Sentence 7. "What is the range that you've budgeted for this particular role?" Most of the time, they will be impressed by a few other questions that they won't want to risk loosing you for $3,000. Take the firm salary out of the equation. You Should Know This Beforehand From Research, But Not Bad To Have In Back Pocket 8. "From my research, I have these guys as your main competitors (come w/ website print outs). Am I on point? Do you mind one more question? What are your strategic advantages and market positions?" Another Closing Tactic - Getting Commitment From The Other Side 9. "I would love to type up the notes that I took during today's meeting so I am able to gather my thoughts and wait accordingly. Is Monday afternoon around 3:30ish a good time to send the email? After that, I'll just wait for your response." Here's the fun part, if you pick 3:30, there is more of a chance of the person taking a few minute break and having a few minutes to potentially call you. Be prompt, concise, but thorough in your analysis. Remember, presumptions kill all persuasion efforts and can turn a meeting or hiring cycle right against you. Find Out Timeline For Hire, But Not Directly 10. "What situation currently arises and making the need for this position?" Let them say how they are bogged down with work and in your thank you email, reiterate how you would like to take some of that work from them. Situations You May Run Into With Questions If you're interviewing with people who do not know what they are doing, they are not going to like questions because they think your job, as a recent college graduate is to site there and beg for the job. If you find yourself at a good company and you're in front of one of these types of people, keep a zipper. However, the more seasoned decision makers will not only welcome these inquiries, but will be impressed by them.