Asking the Right Questions to a Future Employer? 166
coronaride asks: "One of the things that always seems to leave me stumped in a job interview is the dreaded 'Do you have any questions for us?' question. I was always taught that while it's great to have the answers, almost equally important is to ask the right questions. When interviewing for a development position, what are some good questions to ask? For you employers, how much weight, if any, do you put on this open-ended question? A few obvious things come to mind regarding benefits, atmosphere, development style, etc., but I'm curious to see others' opinions on not only what is expected, but what is appropriate as well."
Point to the picture of his wife on his desk.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Point to the picture of his wife on his desk... (Score:2)
Re:Point to the picture of his wife on his desk... (Score:5, Funny)
"Who let you out of the kitchen???"
[FYI - it's *FUNNY* people... stop being so PC, no one's being serious here! Geez - I'm a woman!]
Re:Point to the picture of his wife on his desk... (Score:4, Funny)
Hi.
Re:Point to the picture of his wife on his desk... (Score:4, Funny)
After a long, tense interview? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:After a long, tense interview? (Score:4, Interesting)
Before you leave, ask to use the bathroom. Seriously. It's amazing how much you can find out about how an employer treats their employees by looking at their bathrooms. That's because it's the one area of the company that's generally available to employees but not the public. If the bathrooms are clean and neat, you can be sure that you're going to be working for a first class operation. If the bathroom is trashed and there's graffiti on the wall, you can be guaranteed that your future employer will screw you because they don't care about their employees. It doesn't matter how well manicured the lawns are, or how nice the front desk is - if the bathrooms are a mess then your employer is a bum.
Re:After a long, tense interview? (Score:2)
Re:After a long, tense interview? (Score:2)
Or simply that they contract a cleaning company, or rent space in a building that does. In many cases looking at the restrooms will only tell you about the building management company.
Be careful of... (Score:5, Interesting)
1) They don't want you to steal their job.
2) They need to fill a specific position and want to hire somebody that will be satisfied with working in that position for the next 15 years.
Re:Be careful of... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Be careful of... (Score:3, Insightful)
That depends. It could be good or bad. A "no" to "Is there any advancement?" means that the person is looking to go in some direction. If there is no advancement, and the person takes the job, they will leave the job to get advancement when the time comes. Sometimes advancement means "We like what you are doing, so here is a raise or bonus, thanks!" I've heard of that kind of thing, I don't have any advancement or pa
Ask away! (Score:5, Informative)
The primary reason is simply because I just want to make sure I answered any question the guy might have... Sometimes, the candidate's technical skills might be right, but there are other non-skill aspects to a job that makes it right for the person. Work hours, flexibility, friendliness, dress code, etc. So if there are aspects that matter, you should ask.
If you ask questions that are relevant to the company, it also shows that you've been paying attention, and that you're not just looking for a paycheck...
Ask about the business (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Ask about the business (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Ask away! (Score:2)
On the other hand, the environment matters to me too. I've met people who hated their new jobs so much they spent all their weekends looking around. Nobody wants to be in that position. Management style matters to many
Re:Ask away! (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, I might want to work for your company, but not necesserily for you
If I wanted to broaden my knowledge, work in pleasent enviroment, answer new challenges alone, I'd go to work as some sysadm at university, or IT consultant for some charity etc.
Just my
Robert
Re:Ask away! (Score:2)
Also, don't hesitate to ask the exact same question from different interviewers in the same interview series, especially questions about the corporate culture -- you may find you get different answers.
As an employer... (Score:4, Informative)
Of course, I'd probably be more likely to hire the one who asked what hours are expected vs the one who asked no questions at all, since at least the one asking questions is expressing interest in making sure that the position is compatible.
Good questions, IMHO, to ask are ones that indicate an interest in the company or the position.
Re:As an employer... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:As an employer... (Score:4, Informative)
Writing down useful pieces of information (proposed pay, dress code, benefit details, hours, time off, etc.) is fine. Writing down so much that I feel I have to slow the interview down to let them catch up is not.
In other words, I feel if you're going to take notes during the interview, it should be like a psychiatrist -- unobtrusive, and not disturbing your communication with the other person.
Re:As an employer... (Score:3, Informative)
I'm just chatting about past projects, past experiences and general development ideas, to try and get a feel for how well the person would fit the role we have.
The questions about start dates, pay etc all happen with HR after we've given the nod that we want the person.
So if someone brought a pen and paper along, I'd see that as a good thing - they came prepared.
But if they actually used it, I'd see them as being a bit anal - there's no point trying to t
As a potential employee... (Score:3, Interesting)
Did it ever occur to you that an interview is a two-way process? If my credentials have impressed you enough that I'm worth your time to interview and you're considering employing me, why wouldn't you want to impress me in return so I'd consider taking the job? I can and do judge prospective employers from the moment I arrive at the premises for a first interview. Many of the questions I'll ask silently, but I'll be asking them all the same.
For example, the first thing I check for as I walk up to the buil
Re:As an employer... (Score:3, Funny)
Expressing interest/enthusiasm is important (Score:4, Interesting)
Good questions, IMHO, to ask are ones that indicate an interest in the company or the position.
I interview a fair number of people at the company I work for. I always ask the applicant if they have any questions. If they don't, I'm usually not too excited about having them work for me. When I'm talking one-on-one with them, I'm trying to figure out their level of enthusiasm and interest in my company and the position I'm offering. Their resume and technical presentation already tell me about their intelligence level so I don't spend too much time asking them technical questions one-on-one. But all the smarts in the world doesn't do me much good if the person isn't interested in the work that I'd be giving them. The world is full of geniuses that don't amount to anything because they don't put forth any effort. I don't want them working for me.
I also want to see that they are starting to seriously visualize themselves working here. I want to know that they've done their homework and have some knowledge about type of work we do here. So I'd like to see them ask some questions about our technical work but also some questions about benefits, company culture, and other things that make me think that they are imagining themselves working here and staying for many years.
I just gave a talk to some students at the local university here about getting a job and the on-site interview. I told them to think about it as a first date. I realize the concept of a "date" may be a bit foreign to slashdotters so let me elaborate. You want to emphasize your good attributes but stay a bit humble. You also want to show interest without appearing desparate. You wouldn't go to a date and just sit there saying nothing. Similarly, you wouldn't want to monopolize the conversation. There should be an interplay and back-and-forth. You don't have to make the interview your best buddy, but when you leave the room you want s/he to not only respect your technical abilities but also desire to have you as a member of their team.
If you cannot think of some good questions to ask prior to the interview, then you should seriously question whether you are truly interested in the company. A little bit of brainstorming is necessary, but you shouldn't have to strain to come up with questions. If so, then your questions are merely for show and a keen interviewer will see right through them (much like the infamous "My biggest failing is that I'm a workaholic" crap).
Good luck,GMD
Re:Expressing interest/enthusiasm is important (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:As an employer... (Score:2)
So when the interview is ending, I'd look at my checklist of things I'd want to know; stuff like pay, hours, holiday entitlement, how often theres offsite visits, etc. I'd fill in any blanks, etc.
I'd also ask any pertinant questions as they occurred, such as who owns the code I'd be supporting (one site had consultants write the code, they were just a service outfit).
So when I was asked 'Any questions?' I'd just look at my checklist, e
Personal favourite (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Personal favourite (Score:2)
Re:Personal favourite (Score:2)
Remember your goal (Score:2)
I'm a programmer, not a member of human resources, so my advice may only be applicable when talking to another engineer. Whenever I have done interviews, I was looking for someone tha
Questions (Score:2)
Re:Questions (Score:2, Funny)
Positions Future / Your Future (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Positions Future / Your Future (Score:2)
I don't like hiring someone who is only using this job to get a better one - even if it is within my company. I want the person I hire to be committed to do the job I hire them for, to the best of their ability.
If they do a good job then we'll reward them.
A colleague recently conducted an interview where the applicant was over-qualified, so she asked "Why do you want this role?". His reply: "Oh, I'd do anything to
I used sort through candidates. (Score:2)
"What kind of versioning system do you use?" 10/10
"How are my chances? Think I'll get the job?" 0/10
"Do you guys have lots of girls in the departement?" 0/10
"Which Linux do you use for desktop?" 10/10
I have to say it's funny what they'll ask you sometimes.
Re:I used sort through candidates. (Score:2)
I gave an interviewee a little spook once. We bought the guy lunch, asked him questions. "Babylon 5 or Star Trek, answer quick!"
Well, okay, everybody else did the
Re:I used sort through candidates. (Score:2)
What about... (Score:2)
Re:What about... (Score:2)
Re:I used sort through candidates. (Score:2)
What not to ask... (Score:4, Funny)
That was almost as good as the guy who came in asked for a application then asked who the hiring manager was, I replied "I am", he replied "No who really is the hiring mananger", I just pointed to my nametag which said "manager" and said "No I really am". Sort of surprised he never came back with the application
What about... (Score:2)
In short - everything you might think that would have an impact on you liking or disliking the job...
The next month I'll probably have interviews for my graduation's internship, and that's what I'm planning to ask if I have an opportunity and there are questions like this on my mind. And no, I don't have a pet snake...
A couple of good ones (Score:2, Insightful)
If they did not give you a tour of the office, ask if you can have a tour. If not a tour, ask if you can at least see the area you'd work in. This'll give you a good idea of the office/cube size, how up-to-date the equipment is, and maybe even get you introduced to a few of the members on your future team.
Ask about the benefits if they were not adequately explained. Ask how much the benefits are per pay period.
Long Term Goals (Score:2)
Ask some long term questions about the company's goals and direction.
Maybe the reason the position is open is that the last guy realized there wasn't anything to be looking forward to x years down the road. Or maybe they're transitioning to some new/different stuff that will t
What hours do you REALLY expect me to work? (Score:3, Interesting)
"We're cool and reward you well" to "We make you work long long hours, but you don't have to really if you don't want to, but we just all do"
To me the message was mixed because one of the main rewards I want is to get to go home at a sane hour and have some time apart from work and sleep..
The company gave you breakfast if you were there at 7.00am and a cookied dinner at your desk if you were there at 6.00pm (or some such hour).
I liked the company and the ethos, or so I thought, I just needed to get them to say "9 till 5 is OK ! REALLY!"
For me, coding is a highly creative thing and productivity can't be squeezed out of me, I just end up wasting time; when its time to go, I need to go, and think about it on the way home, in the shower, during the blessing on the dinner etc. and I'm all the quicker the next day.
In order to show me how flexible they were they told me a story which went something like this: A coder came in at 3.00am cos he needed to do something important and by around 3.pm he said to the manager that his head was a bit cooked since he'd been in since 3.00am. The point of the story was to show me how generous mangement were when they said "Thats ok, go and drive around for half an hour to clear you head" !!
I asked "What if he'd said: "My head is cooked, I've been in since 3.00am can I go home?" HR in the inteview said "That would be OK, if it didn't keep happening" !! Darn right it would! I'd not come in at that time if I still had to work till end of play!
So I got the idea that they wanted all my time. Some of the "rewards" like karting or paintball you had to do in your own time too. *I* don't have much "your own time" it all belongs to my company or my family, then church and various community groups.
That, combined with the fact that they mislead the agency over the salary really closed it for me.
I since got a much nicer job only 10 minutes walk from home with an excellent boss and colleagues, all of whom have a life outside work.
Another thing my current boss offers candidates is a chance to call one of us so they can get our opinion of the place.
Sam
Re:What hours do you REALLY expect me to work? (Score:2)
Got docked 1/2 day pay for leaving at noon on Wednesday (no I didn't get paid overtime for Monday).
I didn't stay there long...
The argument was, while I *was* salaried, I did not pre-arrange the time off on Wednesday, so it was considered unpaid vacation.
Re:What hours do you REALLY expect me to work? (Score:2)
I just started looking for another job after that incident, and soon found one.
Besides, what would I sue for? A half day's wages? It wouldn't be worth the hassle. I suppose I could claim that I was being treated as an hourly and not salaried employee, and thus claim all prior overtime be paid, but at what rate? Certainly not my salaried rate, since I was not constructivly salaried.
It was easier to just f
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:What hours do you REALLY expect me to work? (Score:2)
Besides, what would I sue for? A half day's wages?
Make a complaint with the labor board for 1/2 days wages and get treble damages. Duh...
Re:What hours do you REALLY expect me to work? (Score:2)
And nobody in the room even flinched.
I should have taken that as a clue that the 40 hour work week was but a joke at place, but it was my first 'real job' and I wasn't
Re:What hours do you REALLY expect me to work? (Score:2)
That's what you get... (Score:2)
That's what you get when you try to work 168 hours in a week.
A couple of questions (Score:5, Interesting)
1. I always ask if the position is newly created or replacing a departed employee and, if so, what was the reason for their leaving.
2. I also will always ask what are their top 3 priorities for the next 6 months and what my role would be in realizing them.
Answers to these two questions are extremely helpful in finding out if you should accept an employment offer.
Re:A couple of questions (Score:4, Insightful)
The answer to the first will reveal if there are any systematic problems with the role likely to get you feeling disgruntled enough to go looking for another job.
The second does two things - it marks you out as a guy/girl who wants to align him/herself with the big picture (something that relatively few technical people care to do), and the answer to it will tell you to what degree your efforts in the role are likely to be seen as significant for the company's fortunes. That's important if you have any ambition to move up the management ladder because unless you manage to associate yourself with successful high profile projects you will be effectively invisible to those who control access to training and promotion.
Re:A couple of questions (Score:2)
Re:A couple of questions (Score:2)
Two steps down from CTO...either you are talking about a very flat management structure, which you can completely ignore as the same strategy applies in terms of gaining the required visibility to qualify yourself for increases in salary grade and learning opportunities, or you are really already quite senior in which case you'd hardly be asking this.
Re:A couple of questions (Score:2)
I go in with a checklist of questions, and openly consult it when my turn comes up. I like to keep the questions open-ended for the most part, since I'm probably going to learn more important things from how they answer rather than specific answers.
IMHO (Score:2)
If they tell you of a specific project that you will be working on, show your enthusiasm for seeing it hit the market. This shows that you will have motivation other than just the paycheck. While they understand that motivation, they are most likely
Where will I be sitting? (Score:2, Insightful)
The bonus for you is great. You get to see where exactly you will work, is it a cube-farm, office, middle of the center of a huge open room with loud fans blowing
Re:Where will I be sitting? (Score:2)
Everywhere I've worked, it's not management who does the dishes in the break room. It's s
Show Me Your Code (Score:3, Insightful)
Would you please show me a tour of your codebase?
This would have made a drastic change in which position I accepted. My new employer most likely would have willingly provided that tour since they were quite interested in hiring me.
Unfortunately, it wasn't until after I was hired that I realized exactly what shape it was in. Ten minutes of looking over someones shoulder probably would of had me running the other direction.
Of the four interviews I had that resulted in offers, one company most definitely wouldn't have shown me their code, one company showed me their code without my asking, and the other two most likely would have shown if I had asked.
I guess this question doesn't apply to open source companies though. :)
Re:Show Me Your Code (Score:3, Insightful)
I work in the finance industry, so if an interviewee asked to see code my (internal) reaction would be "do you think we're crazy?" and if you get that reaction from me, it tends to decrease your hiring chances.
It's not necessarily bad advice, but watch where you use it.
Re:Show Me Your Code (Score:2)
Basically, this question serves 2 purposes:
- find out how good/bad/high-maintenance the code base you'll be supporting is
- demonstrate to the interviewer an interest in and an awareness of the importance of code quality
There would be ways to find out something about the first concern even without seeing the code. If a techie is in the inte
Two catagories (Score:3, Insightful)
1)What will I be going?
Ask questions to figure out what you'd actually be doing at the job. Figure out how much is coding vs IT and support type work, how much is maintenance coding vs new coding, wether the project(s) itself interests you. If it doesn't fit you, you don't want the job.
2)Will this environment fit me?
Ask about anything in the work environment thats important to you. Dress code? Hours? Perks? If a teammate is interviewing you, try and figure out if he's friendly or not. Try and feel out if you'd enjoy working there.
Of course there's money and benefits too, but that to me is a side issue- if 1 and 2 don't work, I won't take the job. Those only matter if you the answers to 1 and 2 sound good, or if you're desperate.
My List (Score:5, Informative)
Is this a new position? How long has this position existed?
How many people have held this position in the last two years?
Who would be my supervisor? To whom would I report?
Whom will I supervise?
With whom will I be working most closely?
What do you like about working for this company?
What are the current plans for expansion or cutbacks?
What kind of turnover rate does the company have?
How financially sound is this company?
What projects and assignments will I be working on?
What happened to the person that held this position before? Was he promoted or fired?
What is this company's culture? (Ex: Is it rigid and formal or relaxed and flexible?)
What are the current problems facing the company (or my department)?
What do you like the most about working for this company? The least?
What is the philosophy of the company?
What do you consider to be the company's strengths and weaknesses?
What are the company's long and short term goals?
Describe the work environment.
What attracted you (the interviewer) to this organization?
Why do you enjoy working for this company?
Describe the typical responsibilities of the position.
What are the most challenging aspects of the position?
Describe the opportunities for training and professional development.
Will I receive any formal training?
What is the company's promotional policy?
Are there opportunities for advancement within the organization?
When can I expect to hear from you?
Re:My List (Score:3, Funny)
Simple answer (Score:2)
2) Check off all those that are clear to you after reading the provided material.
3) Check off those that become clear during the interview.
4) Ask the remaining questions.
As an interviewer, I have a much better idea than you what the culture in my company is, and what qualities we're looking for in our ideal candidate. If you're trying to pretend to be someone else for an interview, you won't be conv
If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:5, Insightful)
Questions similar to "What dress code will I need to follow?" can easily bump you up into the "you're hired" zone. When you ask questions like that, you are showing confidence AND you are acting like a fellow employee rather than a prospective one. (Salesmen will recognize this as "closing the sale/deal")
This can make or break you getting a job when there are many similarly qualified people competing with you.
Unless there isn't much serious competition for the job, DON'T ask questions like you are demanding things or expecting more than was offered very soon. Questions like "how long before new employees get an office?" or "how often are raises given out?" are very bad to ask if you really want the job. If the company gets the impression that the money they are offering is already bothering you, or that you're likely to bitch about your working environment, you're much less likely to get hired unless you don't have much competition.
Re:If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:3, Funny)
Re:If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:2)
Do you want to work some place that has a "dress code"? Look around and see what your future co-workers are wearing. Asking a question like that makes you look like a fool, or it shows that you don't care about meeting the company appearance standard and will only meet the written regulations.
Re:If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:2)
Well, of course. If there isn't a dress code at all (basics will do, it doesn't mean suits) that indicates that the company really has no idea of what they're doing. For example, it will have a serious impact if client visitors drop in and see (again, it's an example!) people with a bazillion piercings w/accessories attached. Sorry, but it looks bad very bad to clients when an employer appears to have Chaos reigning at his business. I'm not agai
Re:If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:2)
Well, of course. If there isn't a dress code at all (basics will do, it doesn't mean suits) that indicates that the company really has no idea of what they're doing.
Gee, I'd better go tell Jeff [mailto] and Bill [mailto] that they're doing it all wrong.
Re:If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:2)
In one post here, someone said that they know the bottom line you want the job is th
Re:If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:2)
I was speaking in general. That is what the submitter is looking for . In most (already) successful businesses, the employer wants people who not only qualify, but also those who will fit in and not complain all of the time.
OTOH, as you say, some business owners will accept that although it is not the norm. Try walking into work the first day for virtu
Re:If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:2)
Yes, I handle things quite differently. Basically, I want to scare off people that want the suit-and-tie environment where the boss is always telling them what to do. I like independent thinkers who will keep on top of what has to b
Re:If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:2)
So yeah, I want my freaking paycheck. But that says absolutely nothing about my ability or work ethic. And I expect to be fairly compensated for the quality of my work, as I imagine everyone does.
Re:If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:2)
Yes, people want a paycheck.
But there is far more to it than that. To be honest, this is one of those things that, if you don't get it, you never will.
There are people who love to work as volunteers because they like doing a particular thing or just want to help. They work for the satisfaction. I have a part time job I work in 2 days a month. It is rather unique, and I do it simply because I'm good at it and can do it well. The pay is so low I barely n
Questions not to ask/say (Score:5, Funny)
Funnily enough, not all of them are made up.
Don't ask (Score:2)
Ask about their development practices (Score:3, Informative)
Ask about their development practices. The Joel Test [joelonsoftware.com] is a good place to start, even if you don't agree with everything he says or all of his points. I definately make sure to ask about unit testing, for instance, without which you are wasting everybody's time, especially mine as a developer. If you're going to yell at me for that, I want to know up front.
To highlight the other things I consider a bare minimum: Source control is an absolute must, or again, you're going to have to pay me a lot more to deal with the stress. Bug databases of some kind are a must. In both of those cases, it is possible to deploy such things on your own initiative, as long as no-one is actively undercutting you. You'll also get a pretty good sense of what you're going into; if the answer is not just "no", but "why the hell would you want that?", then you're in trouble.
Of course, if you yourself don't use any of these things... well, uh, more power to you and, ah, good luck with that "programming" thing...
The good news is that this will tend to greatly impress anybody else who knows what you're talking about. I pretty much sealed my last two jobs with two little words, "unit test".
Re:Ask about their development practices (Score:2)
Regression testing is good, but it fails to capture the point about automation of the tests, which is critical. You can never automate 100%, but the closer you can get, the better.
While I don't agree with everything Joel says, I do know var
Interview list i use (Score:3, Interesting)
Here is my list of question i keep to use:
Position in the company
1) What role do you see me performing in the company?
2) Is it a client facing role?
3) what would be typical projects i would be doing?
4) what sort of department size is it?
5) What scope would there be for me to lead a project now/ in the future(sort of relates to 1)?
What the company does
6) Which kind of projects are your bread and butter work?
7) Do you have any major project (i.e. high profile ) jobs on the go?
8) who are your main clients - do you get repeat buisness?
9) which areas of the local region/world do you operate in?
10)Which parts of the buisness are you hoping to expand further (a good
question, which they shouldn't waffle on)?
General training
11) will they support you in your X institution training?
12) will they support you in your future academic / part time learning (then ask about course fees and time off, don't get too awkard about this in the interview)?
I sort of used them as bullet points, you tend to find a lot of them get
answered as you go through the interview, they tend to ask themselves two
questions:
i) can you do the job (with a bit of additional training)
ii) will you fit into my team
all the rest are nice to haves
other useful tips are to take a couple of pens/pencils and a pad of paper,
i used to take a copy of all my questions to ask and obviously look down
the sheet, when they ask you..'so do you have any questions?'
As i said easy to use and it shows preparation (you did find out what the comapny does didn't you?)
GOOD LUCK.
Well, here's what I look for when I hire (Score:4, Interesting)
When I interview candidates, I generally talk most of the time - in fact, it's about an 80/20 ratio of my voice to theirs in the first interview.
Why? Because the questions you bring up tell me more about you than any questions I could ask you directly.
What questions are good questions? Ask me how I got my job. Ask me (as another poster mentioned) what I like best about the work environment. Ask me what, if anything, ticks me off on a day-to-day basis. Ask me about the team structure, who you'd be working with and what happened to the guy before you.
What not to ask me: During the first interview, I don't want to hear questions about our family-leave or maternity policies - I am hiring you to work, not to hire on then take a bunch of time off.
Neither do I want to hear about your upcoming wedding/vacation/spiritual retreat "that's been scheduled for several months and can't be moved." Got one of those? Then bring it up during negotiations when I've decided you're the right candidate and you have some leverage... because I can tell you right now, in the first interview, it's all about me: My company, my leverage, my needs being met.
If you're female, don't wear an engagement ring without a wedding band, because I will think "OK, she's likely getting married soon and that'll chew up months of productivity." If you're male, don't mention to me that you coach your kids' soccer team because I'll have the same productivity concerns.
Again: You can be more human in the second and subsequent interviews, but the first interview is a screen, and the only criteria really come down to: Are you engaged and inquisitive? Are you utterly focused on showing me the value you bring to the table? And are you of lower risk/liability than other applicants?
Re:Well, here's what I look for when I hire (Score:2)
Shit I like you already.
Maybe you should set aside the interviewing for a while and start a cult following of no-nonsense, to the point, direct people.
It would be a refreshing change for the world.
Re:Well, here's what I look for when I hire (Score:2)
I just (seriously) got hired today for a hardware tech job at a venerable manufacturer here in my hometown. I told the guy in the course of the interview about:
a) My preference for second shift so I can spend mornings with my new daughter.
b) Old, worn-out crap that I nursed along for years at various places.
c) Scripts I wrote and
Re:Way to publicize your discriminatory practices (Score:2)
I do worry about the creeping notion that all discrimination is bad at all times; that's simply not the case.
Some people are better qualified -- not merely on technical skills but based on where they are in life, what they want out of the job and what they can bring to the table in terms
Ask to talk to other employees (Score:2)
A good company will encourage this. You're trying to get a feel for the real deal. A bad company will most likely hesitate because people know that employees will tell you about all the BS going on. If the interviewer presses you for a reason, be honest: You're tryin
Good One (Score:4, Interesting)
"Based on my resume, my experience, and my interview; are there any concerns that I will not be the right person for the job?"
Gives you a chance to head off any concerns or possible misunderstandings. I have never used it (same company for several years), but my wife has with great results.
Jason
Re:Good One (Score:2)
Re:Good One (Score:2)
Jason
my take (Score:2)
My point being that if you've been alert and more interactive in the interview you probably don't need to worry about if you had some awkward, canned questions f
ask technical questions about the product (Score:2, Interesting)
On the
Monty Python. (Score:3, Funny)
They responded correctly.
To be honest I thought it was the screw-off interview in which I got all the jokes and smartass remarks out of my system. Ended up taking the job. Whoops.
But... (Score:2)
here's a good one (Score:2, Funny)
So yes, make sure and ask if any additional skills and or resources you may have access to will be applicable to the job.
Any reasons why... (Score:2)
This then gives you the opporunity to address any problems they might see with your application and have no excuses for not hiring you...
Ask for references (Score:2)
"Would it be okay if I took a couple of my future coworkers to lunch to talk about their jobs? I'd be interested to hear the challenges they face day-to-day."
After the interviewer gets over the initial shock, their next reaction is a great measuring stick. Either they get it, and they hook you up with a coupl
Interview style (Score:2)
Maybe I've been lucky and not had incredibly stiff and formal interviews...
Easy. (Score:2)
Do you know what PC Load Letter means?
If you had a million dollars, what would you do after you did two chicks at once?
What is the minimum pieces of flair I have to wear?
Do i get my own stapler?