Interview the interviewers
October 31, 2011 12:49 PM Subscribe
I work at a community college in the financial aid office. Next week, I have an internal interview for the Secretary to the Governing Board. My interview committee will be made up of executives from the college. While I generally feel confident in interviews I always struggle coming up with questions for the interviewers. Can you help me come up with questions for the interviewers that are “executive level” and that might help demonstrate my dedication to the college?
I do not want to ask questions that seem to challenge their authority or the college's recent projects. A couple of questions that I have gleaned from previous threads are:
"What do you perceive to be our greatest weaknesses going into next year? How are we going to address them?"
“I have been working on ways to contribute to more effective means of communication on campus and to facilitate bridge building between faculty and staff. As executives, what activities or groups do you think are under-utilized by employees?”
What else would you suggest?
I do not want to ask questions that seem to challenge their authority or the college's recent projects. A couple of questions that I have gleaned from previous threads are:
"What do you perceive to be our greatest weaknesses going into next year? How are we going to address them?"
“I have been working on ways to contribute to more effective means of communication on campus and to facilitate bridge building between faculty and staff. As executives, what activities or groups do you think are under-utilized by employees?”
What else would you suggest?
Response by poster: Thank you, LN! That was helpful advice and I'll use it.
posted by omphale27 at 3:16 PM on October 31, 2011
posted by omphale27 at 3:16 PM on October 31, 2011
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For example, a good question is: "What are some strategic issues that the Governing Board has their eye on this coming year?" As the Secretary to the Board, you may be called on to keep tabs on those sorts of things on their behalf, provide updates, or coordinate with various groups within the college for information.
Bonus points if you can do a little digging on the side, maybe make a few phone calls, and find out if the Board has one particular area of focus, and make your follow-up question about that particular area of focus. It's a softball question, I know, but it demonstrates to the Board that you do your homework, and know your way around the backdoor accesses to information. Exceedingly important for someone doing the job of Secretary to the Governing Board.
I'd avoid questions that look like you're raring to go on some initiative of your own. While it will definitely send the signal of "I have initiative", it will also send the signal of "I do my own thing without consulting others!"
Best of luck!
posted by LN at 1:00 PM on October 31, 2011