Ask questions with confidence

- Too many of my private clients, undergrads through C-suite executives, spend too much time on the wrong job-seeking activities. They work hard, but not smart. David, for example, was a recently laid off COO. He had an excellent story and the resume and references to back it up. He had a big network and was making networking calls and had a few interviews, but he had no real momentum and no bites. I had David create a spreadsheet of his activity. We reviewed it together. And, yes, David was working hard and a lot, but the spreadsheet revealed what I had suspected. He wasn't asking the tough questions to propel him forward. With proper technique, you can prevent yourself from this outcome. It starts with developing and practicing good questioning techniques to ensure that, number one, at the end of every networking call, you gain key actionable insights or access to another better connection. And number two, at the end of every job interview, you know exactly where you stand. Good questioning techniques for networking are a bit more nuanced, so we'll start there. As I mentioned, you're either going for information or connection. Now, information may include things from insight into the hiring process or details on the daily responsibilities of the job or what makes a candidate successful in it. And connections can include a specific person or hiring manager at the organization, names of other people in the company or industry, or an introduction to a specific contact of theirs that you'd like to meet. Take time to identify your specific goal for each networking call. Set up a call or appointment and then ask your questions and apply what you've learned right away. You are never contacting someone to pick their brain. As someone who gets daily networking requests, I say on behalf of busy professionals everywhere give us a specific, actionable request, and we'll be far more likely to respond to you. Now, onto those interview techniques. Your mindset is never more important than when you're interviewing. Here is the best one to adopt. Number one, an interview is a conversation, not an interrogation. Number two, the recruiter or hiring manager is looking for the right candidate to fill an important role. Number three, you are looking for the right organization to bring your valuable skills and experience. And number four, you both have something to offer and something to gain from the interaction. Why is it, then, that precious few interviews feel like a conversation? Well, it's because so few candidates adopt this critical mindset. They provide thoughtful answers to questions. They might ask a few good follow-up questions about the culture or the next steps in the process. But in my 30 years of interviewing candidates, maybe 2% of them ask the most and, arguably, only important question, the closing question. The closing question is your payback for all of the time and money you put into preparing for the interview. It's your chance to change the power dynamic and ask the interviewer a direct and sometimes disarming question, and the only way you'll know for sure how you did. Courses and global training programs are built around the art of closing. But I'm going to make it really easy for you with a simple two-question model. At the end of every interview, ask the interviewer to explain the next steps in the hiring process. And then ask them, "Based on our conversation today, "will you be, or are you comfortable, "recommending me for the next round?" A hard no frees you up to take this opportunity off your list and move on to the next one. A soft no gives you a chance to answer some questions or handle objections and win them over. And a yes tells you this is one to keep on your list. If you were in the last round of interviews with someone who has the power to offer you the job, then simply ask, "Based on our conversation today, "will you be making me an offer?" There is great power in knowing and great vulnerability in asking. So most job candidates choose to live in the dark to avoid the potential bruising. By practicing these direct questioning techniques, you'll get knowledge and power and, at the same time, you'll show your audience that you are a confident, resilient, and damn good hire.