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Traditionally, it has been suggested that a job candidate should spend the last few minutes of an interview asking questions. This is a practice I highly encourage. It is important for a job seeker to fully understand what they need to know in order to make an educated assessment of the employer and if that is where they want to work. But is it the only appropriate time to pose questions?

A good interview is usually a give-and-take exchange between a job candidate and one or more inquisitors. It doesn’t matter if the questions are coming from someone from human resources, department heads or senior management. For the most part, the ritual of “they ask, you answer,” is how most participants on both sides of the desk expect things to go. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. In fact, I suggest you flip the script.

Unless an applicant is trying to take full control over the interview (not recommended!), there is nothing wrong with asking questions throughout the proceedings. The difficulty, however, lies in the candidate’s ability to ask questions in context. This is particularly true when an interviewer is posing questions in rapid succession, making it harder for the applicant to respond with questions for clarification or more detail or to interject something they believe is important to know.

Although it’s never a bad idea for the interviewee to have a  ...  (read more:  https://hanklondon.com/flip-the-script/)

Every few weeks we pose a question you might get asked during an interview and a suggestion on how you might formulate your answer.

This week’s question:

Be careful how you answer this question. Avoid going into specific detail about why you would make certain changes on your last job so as not to disparage your former employer or any of its employees. Keep in mind that in many industries, everyone knows everyone else, so if you’re looking for a job in the same industry and you say something inappropriate, there’s a strong likelihood your comments could get back to the wrong person. Do not say things like, “I’d fire my boss.” Or, “My manager was always filled with anger and hard to be around.” Make constructive comments only, such as “communication could have been improved.” Or, “Production processes could have been streamlined.” “Equipment could use an upgrade.” “A coffee maker would have been nice.” “The vending machines could have provided healthier options.” The less negativity you express can convey a lot about your integrity and recognition that working in less-than-optimal circumstances is frequently the reality.

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To see previous installments of

Tough Interview Questions and Answers,

click here

(Most recent are at the Bottom of the list.)