Tuesday, December 10 - "How Do I Ask Engaging Questions?"

Happy Tuesday!

Here’s what’s on the job description for today:

1. New roles from a fintech scale-up based in Germany.

2. Martin asks, “at the end of interviews, I always ask questions that have worked in the past but they seem to be falling flat. Are there more engaging questions I could be asking?”

IN HIRING

Payrails

• A Germany company with their main office in the metropolitan city of Berlin, Payrails is growing quickly and has some interesting roles available.

• For those open to moving, my experience has been that German companies are much more open to visa sponsorship than other countries making this an interesting option for those requiring sponsorship.

• Here are a few of the most interesting roles available

  • Senior Product Manager - Click here for full details

  • Director, Product Design - Click here for full details

  • Performance Marketing Specialist - Click here for full details

Click here for the company’s career page

TODAY’S QUESTION

Martin asks, “at the end of interviews, I always ask questions that have worked in the past but they seem to be falling flat. Are there more engaging questions I could be asking?”

Recommendation: I recently had a client get to a point where she won a lot of points in interviews from asking good questions. Here’s what I’ve seen work well:

• First, start the question period off by asking a question about them. It’s best to have done some research in advance of how long they’ve been there and where they came from as those are easy places to start.

  • An example would be why they decided to move from consulting to this industry or what has kept you at this firm for over 5 years.

• Second, have a technical question prepared. Show that you’ve done your homework, understand the goals of this role and make it appropriate for the person interviewing you.

  • For screening rounds, this can be more strategic referring to goals of the company or team over the next few years. Include what you’ve learned about the company to show you’re on another level.

  • An example might include recent news and how the company plans to rebound or continue to grow after the event.

• Finally, the best interviews are where interviewees feel confident enough to make it a conversation.

  • To do this, ask questions during the interview. If you’re asked an interesting question about how you might solve a specific problem, ask them what they would do after you give your answer. This makes the conversation much more enjoyable for both sides and reduces the intensity from a one-way grilling closer to a conversation among equals.

Conclusion:

Questions are clearly a key part to interview or networking success. The major win is in the preparation you do beforehand but some strategy makes a big difference as well.