If you've ever walked out of an English job interview and thought,
did I do enough to stand out? This lesson is for you.
Whether it's in-person or remote,
the questions you ask at the end can make or break your chances of
landing the job. In this video,
I'll uncover the power of five smart questions that will
not only show your interviewer that you're highly engaged,
but also that you're a thinker,
someone who anticipates challenges and someone who is
strategic about the future.
So rather than settle for being just any candidate,
instead you can be a candidate that they remember.
I want you to think about it for a moment.
Every question you pose at the end of an interview is an opportunity to
demonstrate your knowledge, your commitment, and your foresight.
That's why in this lesson today,
we're going to take a look at these five questions.
We'll talk about what they are, why they matter,
and how you can effectively use them to enhance your professional image
in an English job interview. So if you're ready to elevate your English job,
interviewing skills, be sure to keep watching.
If this is your first time here, welcome. I'm Annemarie,
an English confidence and fluency coach.
Everything I do is designed to help you get the confidence you want for your
life and work in English. If you'd love to find more free resources for me,
including years of Confident English lessons and more lessons on
job interview skills in English,
you can find that and more at my Speak Confident English website.
While you're there,
you can also get my in-depth masterclass on how to
respond to the most common job interview starter: Tell Me About Yourself.
And now let's dive right into the first question you might ask at the end of a
job interview, because most of the time the interviewer will finish with,
do you have any questions for me and you want to respond with Yes,
I do. Here's the first one.
What qualities or skills do you believe are necessary to be successful in
this position?
There are three reasons why I love this question at the end of an interview.
First of all, when the interviewer answers this,
it will give you an idea of how the company measures success for this particular
role. Second,
you'll also learn about some of the expectations and perhaps more
about some of the primary responsibilities of this position.
That information helps you determine if this is a job you really want.
And lastly,
it gives you another opportunity to connect the qualities and skills that
you would bring into this position.
And if in the process you discover that you don't meet all of this suggested
characteristics,
you could also discuss how this skillset you do have can compensate.
And now question number two, what does a typical day look like in this role?
Here's why this is a great question. Number one,
it shows that you are thinking ahead and you're willing to be prepared for this
position. Moreover,
the response to this question will likely include additional information about
responsibilities, expectations, and even challenges for this particular role.
The more information you have about this job,
especially if there's information that wasn't included on the original job
description, the more empowered you are because it's a two-way street.
Yes, you're interviewing for a job,
but you also wanna make sure this is a job you truly want.
The more information you have, the better decision you can make. Now,
if the job that you're seeking is a hybrid job or a remote position,
you might adjust this question slightly.
You could use something like this on in-office days.
What does the typical schedule look like?
Or how does the team collaborate when working remotely? For example,
do we have set times for meetings or do we work asynchronously?
Question number three, what opportunities are there for job growth,
professional development, and progression?
What makes this a great question is that it's future focused and it
indicates that you have a long-term commitment to your career and potentially to
this position you're looking for something permanent.
It also demonstrates your willingness to work hard for that
professional growth and development. Lastly,
I highlighted earlier that the more information you have about the position,
the more empowered you are.
You might discover that there aren't opportunities for growth here in the way
that you expected, and again, the more information you have,
the more empowered you are in your choice. Now,
let's say that at some point during the interview earlier,
there was already some discussion on opportunities for professional development.
In this case, you could use a slightly different version of this question.
For example,
you might ask about existing training plans or whether there's a professional
development stipend.
Now a stipend is a set amount of money offered to employees for
learning opportunities that lead to development and growth.
Question number four on our list is one of my favorites.
What do you like about working at this company?
Or what do you love most about working at this company?
The reason I like this question is it changes the dynamic of the interview in
a positive way.
It aims to create a more personal connection with the interviewer.
In other words, rather than this one-sided interview,
it becomes more of a dialogue between the two of you.
And if you're able to have a more personal connection with the interviewer,
it certainly makes you a more memorable candidate. Now,
in addition to all of that,
this question allows the interviewer to share his or her personal
insights and experiences in a more intimate or less formal way.
So you get a different perspective on the company's culture and work
environment,
and that helps you gauge or have a better sense of the company's values,
its culture, and whether it's the right fit for you. Lastly,
as you listen to an answer to this question,
there may be some red flags that come up as well.
We use this expression,
a red flag to mean a sign of danger or warning.
You might discover that there are aspects of this position that do not
align with your values, and as a result,
you may discover that this is not the position for you. Lastly,
number five on our list of five smart questions to ask in an English job
interview is,
do you have any concerns or questions about my qualifications for this
position?
This question may sound like you're putting your neck on the line.
To put your neck on the line means to do something that might lead to failure or
is of great risk,
but the truth is this question is powerful for several reasons.
First,
it shows confidence in the skills and qualifications you do have.
Second,
if there are any areas in which you don't meet the suggested characteristics
or requirements for the job,
it shows that you're dedicated to learning how you can acquire what is needed
and that you're willing to work hard so that you can fulfill this position.
And lastly,
it gives you one final opportunity to demonstrate your unique
qualities, experience, skill sets and strengths,
and how the company might benefit from all of that.
By choosing you for this position.
Once you've asked your five smart questions at the end of your English
interview,
you can wrap up by simply asking them about next steps and when you can expect
to hear from them. And now I've got a question for you to finish up.
Are there any questions that you've asked at the end of a job interview in
English that I didn't mention here?
This list is not an exhaustive list. These are without a doubt, smart,
powerful questions to ask at the end of a job interview.
And there are more that you might consider as well.
If there's a question that you've asked previously,
I would love for you to share it down below.
It can help someone else who is preparing for an upcoming English job
interview. With that, thank you so much for joining me.
If you found today's lesson helpful to you,
I would love to know and you can tell me in a few simple ways. Number one,
give this lesson a thumbs up here on YouTube. And while you're at it,
you can also subscribe so you never miss one of my Confident English lessons.
Number two, you can share a comment or question with me down below. And finally,
you can jump on over to my Speak Confident English website to get previous
lessons on job interview skills in English,
and my masterclass on how to respond to Tell Me About Yourself.
Thank you again, and I look forward to seeing you next time.