Remember that an Interview is a Two Way Street

In a typical job interview, the interviewer typically approaches the task as the person holding all the cards. The pecking order between the hiring manager and job candidate us usually very clear, and communication is generally one-sided unless the interviewer opens up the door for the job seeker to ask questions. Savvy companies are beginning to realize that the candidates they want to hire are often already in a good job or have multiple job offers from a variety of companies. The revelation that companies should woo top talent the way job candidates woo employers has given rise to a new type of job interview known as the two-way street.

When you prepare for an interview, practice your answers to typical job interview questions and develop questions of your own, but then, take things one step further. Think about how you can bring conversation into the interview to help you determine whether this job is as right for you as you are for the job. This is not a time to simply sell yourself to the company, although that should be an integral part of the process. If you are a highly qualified candidate, the company should recognize and respect that and do everything it can to sell itself to you through the two-way interview process.

This new type of job interview is a paradigm shift for both the employer and the job candidate. It puts both parties on an equal footing, each with something of value to sell to the other. As a job seeker, you're well within your rights in this type of interview to ask pointed questions about both the job and the company as long as you keep the conversation balanced and don't try to take over the process. If you truly are the best candidate for the job, this is the time for the company to set expectations or even adjust the job responsibilities to suit your unique skills.

You can prepare for an interview of this type by thinking about what the company must offer in terms of culture, job responsibilities, and future advancement, and then develop questions that will help you get the answers you need. Prepare to ask those questions with confidence, but be careful that your manner doesn't come off as arrogant. Forget that you're going into a job interview, and think of it more as a meeting of potential benefit to both parties.

A two-way job interview is a relatively new process that greatly changes things for the hiring company as well as the job seeker. When done right, it becomes more of a conversation than an interview and has the best interests of both parties at the heart of it.

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