10 Jun The 1 Question You Need to Ask in Every Interview.

Posted at 05:06h in Interviewing by

Since I’m an independent consultant I find myself speaking with hiring managers often. My first goal in every conversation / interview is to find out what they need help with and how I can help.

The one question I ask every single time is: Based on our discussion so far, where do you think I would fit in your organization?

This is a loaded question, but I find that every single time the feedback that I get is extremely valuable and allows you to have a natural conversation with the interviewer.

It forces the interviewer to do 2 things:

  1. Give you direct feedback on how the interview is going and hint if another interview will be granted or if an offer will be given.
  2. Give you insight on what other positions might be available within the organization or career trajectory within the organization. You are empowering the interviewer to give you advice on where you would be a fit within the organization.

Often times you will interview for a position knowing that you actually want to do something else, but it’s hard to tell the interviewer directly that you would like to interview for a separate position within the firm. You can ask, but it depends on your risk tolerance. It will most likely blow up in your face.

This question allows the interviewer to suggest open positions to you. If the interview really went well and they want to keep you in the company, then they will go out of their way to see where you would be the best fit.

If you didn’t ask, they would never tell you because they would assume you didn’t want another position within the company.

It’s also possible that the interviewer will say that you aren’t a fit for any open positions and that way you can thank the interviewer for her time and go on your way.

I can’t tell you the last time I left an interview unsure about how it went. I knew if I didn’t have the job, or if I did within the span of our conversation. I never had to wait for a rejection letter or email.

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