In-person interviews are the most critical step in job hiring. If you have made it through the initial screening and shortlisting stages, and you’ve got invited for an interview, you’re in a good place. It doesn’t guarantee that you will proceed any further, but it certainly is an opportunity that you should take very seriously.
Being prepared is a no-brainer. You should do everything to present yourself as a perfect match for the job opening. But you also should take the time during and after the interview to review whether you’re really the right fit or not. Vetting an employer objectively is your task during an in-person interview. Asking the right questions and observing the dynamic in the office and among your interviewers can help you decide whether a job is right for you or not.
Why? Because with your resume probably tailored for the job opening, there is always a margin of uncertainty of how far a particular job fits your ambition and next-job aspirations. You may not want to pass on a good opportunity, but if there are many signs that you’re making the wrong decision, you should pause and reconsider the move — if you have the luxury to do so. After all, the various phases of the hiring process are also meant for you, the applicant, to get more information about the job and whether it meets your requirements or not.
Here are a few points that you should keep in mind through the hiring process.
Clear job duties
Do you know what the job requirements and duties are? In addition to the information that you have from the job post, you should be able to get more clarity during your interview regarding the exact job duties. For new positions or evolving roles, you should at least get an overall idea of expectations, daily tasks and future responsibilities.
It is a major oversight to ignore the details of the job duties, even when you’re familiar with the job title. Different employers have different expectations. And if you’re looking for a job where you can use your current skills and build on them, ensure that your next job bring a mix of opportunity and challenge.
Hierarchy
Titles are just titles, and may not mean much — except when they do. If you’re at a critical stage in your career when you’re trying to move, for example, from being the entry-level employee to a senior person, look closely at the organisational structure of your future employer and where your job is likely to fall.
Don’t assume that a job title necessarily will mean a particular set of duties, however. It all depends on how many tiers are higher — or lower — than you. This question can be asked and answered during an in-person interview. Instead of asking to whom you will be reporting, you could simply ask where the opening falls in relation to other team members, how big is the team and who are the others with whom you will be working.
Corporate culture
Can you imagine being in this office and with this team for at least eight hours every day? Does the corporate culture agree with you? At a certain point of your career, you should have the luxury of having a career-life balance, for example, or an investment in your professional development, or an opportunity for growth and advancement. Whatever your priorities are, you must be sure that you’re walking into an environment that support them.
If your goal is to find a job that helps you build yourself professionally and advance, these considerations should be high on your verification list. It is easy to get carried away with the enthusiasm that a new opportunity brings, even when you have a good job. If you move is matter of choice rather than necessity, take your time to interview the employer while you’re being interview and decide on whether the company is a good fit for you or not.
The writer, a former Gulf News Business Features Editor, is a Seattle-based editor.
How to vet a future employer
Verify job duties and expectations
Know the company structure
Match culture with expectations
Ensure the job is a step forward
— R.O.