5 confident interview questions that will make you stand out

 “The sooner you understand what it is that you want to do, the faster you can get there.”               - Jeff Weiner, CEO of Linkedin

Preparing intelligent interview questions to ask won’t get you the job, but they will make the interviewer sit up and take notice. However, your (new) manager will also want to know that you are interested in the position for the right reasons.

Quality matters, not quantity

Your questions should demonstrate good preparation, and that you are looking to add value to the company, as well as developing your own set of skills. However there is a fine line between confidence and cockiness, which of course comes from what you ask – and how you ask it.

What matters is not the quantity of your questions but the quality. An interview is not a box ticking exercise, it is a two way conversation and a personal sales pitch. The wrong question may be the one that makes you nervous, or makes you look pushy and demanding, not interested and engaged.

Asking, show yourself

Indeed, you should present the best possible version of yourself throughout the interview, showing that you want to thrive and add value to the company. This comes from asking follow up questions about critical feedback and challenges in the job/role. Also, by asking about promotions, developments in the company, and your team, you show that you are ready to hit the ground running and adapt to your new responsibilities.

Feel free to ask why your desired position is open, because it’s important to highlight that you want to learn from previous mistakes made in the role, and improve results in your new job. Don’t show any doubts if your new boss points out that the turnover is relatively high. Instead, be confident that you are the one the company needs and who is in line with business goals.

Prepare specific questions about the company itself. Showing interest in the company culture highlights that you are engaged and want to integrate yourself into the business with a view to the long term.

You would like to find out if you are well prepared for leaving an excellent impression on your future boss? Try to answer to think about whether the following questions are appropriate for your interview.

After your job interview do not passively wait to receive feedback. Find out here how you can follow up your interview and possibly accelerate the process in your favor.