By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
EP 3128 The single most important part of your job interview happens after you think it’s over. Learn how to turn the “Do you have any questions for us?” moment into a high-impact investigation that ensures you’re joining a winning team, and not walk into a trap.
Timestamps
00:00 – The “Secret Weapon” hidden at the end of the interview.
00:50 – Flipping the script: Moving from candidate to investigator.
01:27 – The 30-60-90 Day roadmap question.
02:01 – Gathering intel on your predecessor.
03:09 – Decoding the team’s actual reputation within the company.
03:55 – The Manager’s Playbook: Questions for leadership roles.
04:54 – Motivation vs. Inspiration: The difference that defines great leaders.
When Following Up Backfires
Okay, so what if I told you that the single most important part of your next job interview actually happens after you think it’s over? Yeah, I’m serious. We’re about to turn that one moment into your absolute secret weapon for landing the right role, not just any role. Oh, you know the moment I’m talking about.
We’ve all been there, right? The interview feels like it’s winding down. The hiring manager kind of leans back in their chair and hits you with that classic line. For most people, this is just a throwaway moment.
But for you, after this, it’s going to be the main event. Trust me. Because look, this isn’t just about ticking a box to show you’re interested.
No way. This is your one golden opportunity to pull back the curtain to really peek behind the scenes and find out what the job, the team, and yeah, the manager are actually like before you commit. It’s all about flipping the interview script.
The core idea here is super simple, but it’s a game changer. You’re going to completely flip the script. From now on, you’re not just the one being interviewed.
Nope. You’re the one doing the interviewing too. You’re an investigator trying to figure out if they are a good fit for you.
Okay, so let’s start with decoding your role. How do you uncover what you’ll really be doing? Because let’s be honest, job descriptions can be so vague, right? They’re full of corporate speak. Well, these next few questions are designed to slice right through all that noise and give you a super clear picture of what you’d actually be doing day-to-day.
Okay, let’s kick things off with this first one. It’s so simple, but so powerful. You’re basically asking for a roadmap.
You’re not just asking, what’s the job? You’re asking, what does this job look like in action? From the moment I walk in the door, it’s brilliant. And here’s why that question is so effective. It’s like a truth serum for your potential boss.
First, it forces them to define your actual duties, not just some vague list. Second, it makes them tell you exactly how they’re going to measure your success. And third, bam, you’ve got a solid benchmark for every single performance review.
No more guessing games. All right, next up, we’re putting on our detective hats. This one is all about asking about the person who had the job before you.
It sounds simple, but trust me, this question is a masterclass in subtlety. You can learn so much from the answer. And look at the payoff here.
Just like that, you get a playbook for success. You learn what to do more of, and just as importantly, what to avoid. And here’s the kicker.
You can usually read between the lines to figure out if your predecessor got promoted. That’s a huge green flag. Or if they ran for the hills, which, well, that could be a major red flag.
Okay, this next one might just be my favorite. I call it the time travel question. You’re literally asking the hiring manager to fast forward a year into the future and tell you what an absolute out-of-the-park home run would look like in this role.
You’re getting them to define what A plus work really means to them. And here’s the most crucial part. While you’re sitting there listening to their answer, you might just uncover some, let’s say, wildly unrealistic expectations.
And wouldn’t you rather find out that a manager is setting you up to fail before you take the job? Absolutely. Okay, let’s move on to reading the team’s reputation. So you’ve got a pretty good picture of your role now.
It’s time to zoom out a little bit. Because you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a team. So what’s the reputation around the company? How are they really perceived? Now, pay attention to the little bit of genius in this next question.
LinkedIn’s #opentowork Post
You’re not asking the manager for their opinion. That’s too easy. Instead, you’re asking them to speak for their customers or their users, the people the team is supposed to be serving.
It’s a very clever way to get an honest answer. And what does that do? It tells you everything you need to know about the team’s reputation. Are you walking into a team that’s loved and respected? Or are you going to be spending your first six months cleaning up somebody else’s mess? It literally shows you the brush you’ll be painted with from the moment you start.
Okay, for our final section, let’s get into the manager’s playbook. So if you’re interviewing for a leadership role, any job where you’ll be managing people, listen up. These next couple of questions are, in my opinion, absolutely non-negotiable.
Think of this first one as your leadership recon mission. Before you ever accept the job, you’re gathering intel. You need to understand the landscape of the team you’re about to inherit.
Who are the rock stars? And just as important, where are the potential landmines? Getting this information up front is huge. It lets you prepare your game plan. Maybe you find out that the team hasn’t had a real manager for a year and they’re desperate for leadership.
Or you might find out that the interim head is a little territorial. You know, forewarned is forearmed. And now for the final question.
This one, this one is next level. It shows a really sophisticated understanding of what it means to be a leader. Why? Because most people think motivated and inspired are basically the same thing.
They are absolutely not. And this really breaks it down perfectly. See, motivation, that’s external.
It’s about lighting a fire underneath someone to get a task done. But inspiration, that’s internal. That’s about lighting a fire within someone so they actually want to do it for themselves.
So when you ask that question and maybe even briefly explain that difference yourself, boom, you instantly set yourself apart from every other candidate. You’re not just another manager. You’re a strategic leader who gets the real psychology of a team.
So what’s the big takeaway from all this? It’s really a total shift in your mindset. You’re not just showing up to answer questions anymore. You’re going in as an investigator on a mission to gather the intel you need to make the absolute best decision for your career.
So just remember, your next interview isn’t a test. It’s a conversation. It’s a two-way street.
And with these questions in your back pocket, you’re ready to take the wheel. The only real question is, are you?
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