Asking too many questions at an interview?

[Matty from the Nati]

I was "Unmasked" by a potential employer yesterday and I thought our dialogue went great until I went home thinking, "Did I ask too many questions?" My question is, is asking too many questions during a job interview a detriment? I asked 12 questions. Thanks buddays!

[sr71blackbird]

I did the same thing and did not get the job. I found out it was a faux pas and they are suppose to question YOU. What you and I did was interview THEM and they do not like that. Sorry! Live and learn bro!

[Matty from the Nati]

:glurps:
Drats, well, I should know definatively by mid next week. They are looking to hire 12 people and this job is very simuliar to what I did in my previous job, so I'm banking on them needing peeps in a hurry.

[sr71blackbird]

Good luck, and I was a "shoe in" for the one I interviewed for and I assumed I had it in the bag. Some woman from a completely different area has the job now. :down:

[Mike Teacher]

I did the same thing and did not get the job. I found out it was a faux pas and they are suppose to question YOU. What you and I did was interview THEM and they do not like that. Sorry! Live and learn bro!

It's the opposite. If you sit there and ask nothing, the person thinks you've got nothing, that you're not really interested in the job, or else, youd have *some* question about it.

I've been at schools that train people for interviews. They MUST have at least two relevant Qs for the interviewer; for reason above. How are you gonna show some enthusiam for the job?

Its often a test to see if the person is for real or just going through the motions.

Whoever told you no Qs? Wrongy Wrongerton. No faux pas at all. Not asking anything and being a dead disinterested fish = faux pas

I just like typing faux

[cupcakelove]

You should ask a lot of questions. It makes you look interested in the job. Asking no or few questions can hurt you. Asking questions also makes the interviewers job easier. I have had the opportunity to to interview a couple people, and it is really awkward when the other person just sits there and stares at you while they wait for the next question.

[Matty from the Nati]

The questions were easy to ask because I am legitamately interested in the position and I really wanna know how the place operates, how they would measure my success and what resources they have available to get me and the company to the next level. I'm concerned that I asked too many. Probably worried about nothing but I am unemployed and can't live off of black beans forever. :)

[TeeBone]

Keep it to Five or less.

[Mike Teacher]

I did this. Twice.

If the interview is bombing and you KNOW youre not getting it...

Ask the interviewer; If I have a flashlight and I'm flying at the speed of light and I turn it on, what happens?

When they say they dont know, say 'I cant work in a place like this!' and walk out.

[TeeBone]

Those that can't, Teach.

[Matty from the Nati]

I did this. Twice.

If the interview is bombing and you KNOW youre not getting it...

Ask the interviewer; If I have a flashlight and I'm flying at the speed of light and I turn it on, what happens?

When they say they dont know, say 'I cant work in a place like this!' and walk out.

I think I may know what happens. Nothing happens. right?

[Dude!]

The questions were easy to ask because I am legitamately interested in the position and I really wanna know how the place operates, how they would measure my success and what resources they have available to get me and the company to the next level.

my sister works in personnel and i asked her
she said most employers love applicants who ask alot of questions about the place
they want a good fit just as much as you do
you should not ask questions in the first interview about salary and benefits and stuff
but ask all the questions you want about the environment there and job duties etc
they will like you for the interest you show

[Matty from the Nati]

my sister works in personnel and i asked her
she said most employers love applicants who ask alot of questions about the place
they want a good fit just as much as you do
you should not ask questions in the first interview about salary and benefits and stuff
but ask all the questions you want about the environment there and job duties etc
they will like you for the interest you show

Yeah, I would never think to ask about salary. Additionally, I'm not good at negotiating a salary because I have no idea what my professional value is. Probably the reason why I take jobs with awful pay. Does anyone else have the same problem? Not understanding what your total value is in the workforce?

[cupcakelove]

I'm going to disagree with the salary point. It is a 100% valid question to ask in an interview. Of course, you have to be careful how you ask about it. Do not come out and ask about that before anything else. You don't want to look like that's all you care about. Wait until the end of the interview. If they don't bring it up by the end, when they say do you have anymore questions, just say something like 'We never discussed compensation'. Its the hardest part of a job interview, nobody likes it (not even the interviewer), but it is something that you need to ask about.

[Thebazile78]

Yeah, I would never think to ask about salary. Additionally, I'm not good at negotiating a salary because I have no idea what my professional value is. Probably the reason why I take jobs with awful pay. Does anyone else have the same problem? Not understanding what your total value is in the workforce?

You can get help with that by using online resources and weighing your professional experience, the industry in which you're looking for a position, education and other skills that you bring to the position.

As a general rule, entry level positions pay a great deal less than mid- to senior- level positions because the company hiring you perceives a need to invest in your training and development to perform your job tasks.

With a mid- to senior- level position, a company is willing to pay more for your skills, experience and innovation.

I've been at my company for 7 years now. I started in the high-20K range, but now make in the upper 40K's. However, if I were to go to a similar company in a different market sector of the same industry, I might have trouble negotiating the salary I currently have because of the differences in salary scales in the other sectors.

I just entered "salary calculator" into Google; this is what I got. (http://www.google.com/search?q=salary+calculator&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) Salary calculators like these can be great tools to help you think critically and seriously about your overall professional worth.

Hope this helps!

[Thebazile78]

I'm going to disagree with the salary point. It is a 100% valid question to ask in an interview. Of course, you have to be careful how you ask about it. Do not come out and ask about that before anything else. You don't want to look like that's all you care about. Wait until the end of the interview. If they don't bring it up by the end, when they say do you have anymore questions, just say something like 'We never discussed compensation'. Its the hardest part of a job interview, nobody likes it (not even the interviewer), but it is something that you need to ask about.

I disagree that it's something valid to discuss in every interview.

Discussing salary at a FIRST interview is usually the kiss of death if you bring it up and there are clear specifications in the job description.

It's 100% valid to discuss at a SECOND interview, as you can be more confident that the hiring manager is expressing a serious interest in you.

If you needed to send salary requirements with your cover letter or resume, it might be OK to mention it in the first interview ... although, if you were out of their price rance, they likely would not have brought you in for the interview to begin with.

[Tall_James]

If I have a flashlight and I'm flying at the speed of light and I turn it on, what happens?


http://dc-mrg.english.ucsb.edu/WarnerTeach/E192/Images/SO.star.child.jpg

"My God....it's full of batteries!"

[sr71blackbird]

The guy that interviewed me the next day came up to me and asked me why I asked so many questions. I had a laundry list and he said that any questions I had should have been kept to myself until the next interview. The initial interview question barrage is a no-no I hear.

[cupcakelove]

I disagree that it's something valid to discuss in every interview.

Discussing salary at a FIRST interview is usually the kiss of death if you bring it up and there are clear specifications in the job description.

It's 100% valid to discuss at a SECOND interview, as you can be more confident that the hiring manager is expressing a serious interest in you.

If you needed to send salary requirements with your cover letter or resume, it might be OK to mention it in the first interview ... although, if you were out of their price rance, they likely would not have brought you in for the interview to begin with.

I've never had a second interview. I even got a call once from an HR person to offer me a job, and she gave me a hard time for not asking about salary in the interview. You're expected to talk about it. If they don't discuss it in the first in interview, then they will tell you that. Its only a kiss of death if you walk in there and start trying to talk about money before anything else.

[Matty from the Nati]

If you needed to send salary requirements with your cover letter or resume, it might be OK to mention it in the first interview ... although, if you were out of their price rance, they likely would not have brought you in for the interview to begin with.

That's a good point right there. I cringe when the application asks about my salary requirements. I never put down a number because I do not want to be tossed to the side. I usually write down negotible.

What's the thought there??

[Thebazile78]

That's a good point right there. I cringe when the application asks about my salary requirements. I never put down a number because I do not want to be tossed to the side. I usually write down negotible.

What's the thought there??

"Negotiable" can be read as "I don't particularly value myself, so I will take any pay."

Do a salary calculator for s's & g's. (Use that link I provided in my last posting.)

Meet with a career counsellor (if you went to college, you may be entitled to use the career services offices at your alma mater) or a headhunter to work this out. If you have friends in the industry or friends in HR, talk to them about how to feel more comfortable about asking for the salary you're worth. If you work with a headhunter, they tend to negotiate your salary higher than if you'd been doing it yourself because they have their commission at stake.

Currently, I make in the high 40K's, but just interviewed for a position in a different industry. When the interviewers brought up my salary requirements, I was vague, but gave them a definite range of low-to-mid 50K's. When I first started job hunting, I tried to figure out how much money I could live on and started with that number (mid-to-upper 20K's) ... when I was hired at my current position, my salary was $29,500 plus benefits.

Remember you don't have to put down a single number, but you do have to be comfortable with a range. And you have to be confident that you're worth what you're asking.

[Thebazile78]

I've never had a second interview. I even got a call once from an HR person to offer me a job, and she gave me a hard time for not asking about salary in the interview. You're expected to talk about it. If they don't discuss it in the first in interview, then they will tell you that. Its only a kiss of death if you walk in there and start trying to talk about money before anything else.

I suppose it depends on your industry.

Most career advice websites (and career counselling services at colleges) tell you NOT to discuss salary or compensation unless it's brought up by the interviewer first.

[Thebazile78]

The guy that interviewed me the next day came up to me and asked me why I asked so many questions. I had a laundry list and he said that any questions I had should have been kept to myself until the next interview. The initial interview question barrage is a no-no I hear.

If you're doing it like a laundry list, then, yes, it kind of comes off as a rapid-fire, third-degree.

The best interviews I've had were those that ran like conversations with people I'd met recently. We have a question-response, but sometimes I ask clarifying questions or make analogies to things I've got a familiarity with ... it really runs a lot better.

[MobCounty]

I've been on both sides a lot.

On the interviewee side:
Before going in, I usually research the company and see why they need me. I plan a couple insightful questions to show that I know the company and I am in the process of fitting in already. Every question is calculated to move my goal forward, and that goal is that I know what I am doing, and I am a great fit for the job.

On the interviewer side:
There is a difference between someone being excited and asking questions, and someone not knowing what they are getting into. If the questions are good and on point but there are a lot, it can make the candidate seem informed and energetic, and probably okay for the job. If the questions show the candidate does not know how to do the job listed, they may be a pass... or perhaps they are the perfect rube for the job :devil2:...


edit:
.. and the worst.. If the questions look like the candidate is not sure about the job, and they are trying to interview ME to see if we are good enough to work for, they are an immediate pass.

[Matty from the Nati]

Hey y'all. I got the job.

[Thebazile78]

Hey y'all. I got the job.

Good for you!

[Matty from the Nati]

Good for you!

I really appreciate your help, by the way. Thanks! :clap:

[Thebazile78]

I really appreciate your help, by the way. Thanks! :clap:

I'm elbows-deep in job hunting information right now, seeing as how I'm job-hunting myself at the moment.

I'm happy to hear that my input was valuable to you.

[A.J.]

Congrats on the job!

[sr71blackbird]

Hey y'all. I got the job.

Holy! Congratulations!!

I was just going to add that the interview I went on was for an internal job posting in my company, maybe it is different off the street. Good luck!