Durkin’s Getting Hired at a Startup Series (9 of 10): Ask ?’s

February 10th, 2012

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#9. Ask questions. Make sure the company and position are a good fit for YOU, TOO!

I’ve always lived on a two-way street.  Give and take. And in an interview, remember that the two-way street principal applies. You’re going to be asked a lot of questions by the interviewer. But you should also ask questions in return to help you see if it’s a good role for you. If you’re great at what you do, then people should be DYING to hire you. Literally DYING. Like sticking knives into their heads. Or shooting themselves in the kneecaps. Or… well, you get the idea.

If you’re a great candidate for a position, remember that great companies and great hiring managers are looking for great hires to someday lead their great business. And you, in the same way, are looking for a GREAT job, with GREAT people, in a GREAT positive work environment, with the opportunity to LEARN, LEARN, LEARN as much as you possibly can. So make sure that before you leave the interview, you ask questions that you want answered.

Here’s questions I think are fair game that you can ask to the interviewer (especially if it is the CEO / member of the exec team):

1. What is your vision for the business? Where do you see it in three years?

2. What do you do here? Are we ever going to work together? Doing what?

3. What do you look for in a new hire?

4. Do you have any recommendations for me that I can do to improve my standing in the application process? (This is another way of saying: “Is there anything else I can do to put me in better position to get this job?”)

5. Do you have any good books you suggest I read related to your business?

6. What would I be doing on a day-to-day basis if I’m hired?

7. How would you define the culture of your business?

8. How many teams are there within the company? How big are they? Who leads them? Can I meet them, too?

Make sure that the job is a great fit for you. Ask questions. If the answers you get back from everyone really suck, or if you are not believing the people there, or if there are contradictions, or if you’re getting weird vibes… Prod more. It’s far better to walk away than accept a job that you have a really shitty feeling about before you get the job, only then to realize that it’s not a fit for you down the road. Don’t settle on something you don’t believe in. Ask questions so that you know what you’re walking into.