Homework will pay off

By STEVE HART

You have had a good interview and after an hour in the hot-seat you are feeling quietly confident. Then the tables are turned - your interviewer asks if you have any questions.

You're in trouble because the three questions you had cleverly prepared for just such an opportunity have already been covered.

So what do you do - make something up? Ask a question that's already been answered? Or commit the ultimate interview sin and promptly ask about the salary and holiday time.

These days, applicants are expected to arrive at interviews with a good knowledge of not only the job but the employer.

Information can be gleaned from the employer's website, annual reports and press releases. All these sources offer inside information that will help you.

Susan De La Vega, a consultant with Lewis & Associates, says that research is the key to topping off the interview with an intelligent question.

"Part of your preparation prior to the interview should include reading the job description and looking up the website of the company. This always impresses as it shows a real interest in the company and the job as well as great organisational skills.

"On a company's website you will often find press releases about developments for the company. You may find a point of difference in the company or something that they are especially proud of, such as values, new products, supporting the community, and so on."

But what if all your questions have been answered throughout the interview and you are at a loss for that intelligent closing question?

De La Vega says you shouldn't be afraid to say that you want the job if it is the right one for you.

"A way of phrasing this could be: 'You have certainly answered all the questions I had for you and this position seems to be exactly what I am looking for. I am really excited by the role and the company.'

"Employers want positive staff members who are 100 per cent committed to their job and company," De La Vega says.

Nick Verreynne, organisational development manager at Rodney District Council north of Auckland, says the last impression a candidate leaves is just as important as the first impression.

"The reason is that the first impression may not be not as solid as you'd like it to be. So you have the rest of the interview to recover from that.

"If in the last moments of the interview you create an impression that is not favourable, then that is it - that impression stays in the room when you leave.

"The interviewers need to be able to see that the candidate is really serious about the interview and the job."

Verreynne says the opportunity to ask questions is the candidate's chance to confirm the content of the job so they have a firm understanding of the position.

"It is best to find out now, rather than three months into the role when it becomes clear the position is not what you thought."

He says it is always impressive when people ask about the outcomes of the job. Candidates can read the list of responsibilities for the position but should ask what outcomes are expected.

"There is a difference between the job and outcome. For example, a person wanting to work as a receptionist could ask if the company wants happy smiling customers or the filing done twice as fast."

Of course, interviews are a two-way street. Candidates should pick and choose employers in a way comparable to employers selecting staff.

If candidates realise the job is not for them, the opportunity to ask questions is when they should make that clear.

"It is okay to say something such as, 'I have misread the situation' and to say you are not interested. That is much better than to have the job offered and then turn it down," says Verreynne.

"In six months' time the candidate may well be interested in a different position with the company. If they have messed the company around in an unprofessional way then, at a later stage - in an indirect way - it may go against them."

When it comes to asking about pay, Verreynne says that while there are no hard and fast rules, it is probably best to discuss it after you have been offered the job.

Do some research

* Visit the company's website and read about its products, history and where it operates in the world. Have a read of its press releases.

* Download or call in for a copy of the annual report so you can find out who's who in the company and the industries in which it operates.

* Search for independent sources of information from the news media, libraries or by typing the company name into a search engine.

* Take a list of questions with you and take a note of the answers given

Questions to ask could include:

* What are the growth opportunities for your employees?

* What sort of initial training do you provide?

* Are there further training opportunities?

* What is the future direction of your company?

* Do you have any key goals for the next 12 months?

* Ask why there is a vacancy. Is it a new position. Did the last person resign or were they promoted. If that person is still with the firm, you could ask to speak to him or her about the job.

* Ask about the rest of the team - your future colleagues.

* Ask what the company expects of you if you get the job.

* Ask your prospective manager about their management style to make sure there is a close enough alignment between you both.

* Ask about the company culture. Is it a good fit for you?