By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter tells you 5 questions to NEVER ask at a job interview if you want to get a job offer.
Hi, I’m Jeff Altman, the Big Game Hunter. I’m called the Big Game Hunter because I coach people to play their professional and personal games big. And I’m coming to you today to talk with you about, you know, some of the top questions to not ask at the end of an interview. Why do I raise this? Because someone asked one of these stupid questions on an interview recently. They were doing well, but, you know, once they got to a couple of the dumb things, or once people come to a couple of these dumb things that are asked, it’s like knocking yourself out of consideration. So, you know, I don’t think most of you at a professional level are going to do this, but I’ve got to cover it.
So, let’s just start off by saying the worst question or thing to say at an interview is, “I don’t have any questions.” There’s got to have been something that got raised in the discussion, you know, in the interview that you have questions about. “Tell me what a typical workday is like” is a great question, you know, especially if you’re at a non-managerial level, or a non-staff level if you’re an hourly worker. “Tell me what a typical day would be like in this role.” I’ve got a couple of others that I’ll give at the end of the interview that you should ask instead, but let’s start off with “I don’t have any questions” as being the dumbest thing you could possibly ask.
Other than, here’s the next one: “Can you tell me about the company?” You know, it’s one thing back in the stone ages if you had to go to a library to research a firm, not the case anymore. Just do a quick web search, find out about the organization, what they do, how business is for them. It’s not difficult. So, you know, spend a little time researching in advance instead of talking about the company, asking them about the company.
Another thing never to talk about is vacation time, sick time, holidays, paid time off, you know, things along those lines. You know, “When can you take lunch during a day?” Trust me, there’s going to be time to have lunch. But, you know, all this other stuff is extraneous. It’s going to be in a brochure that you’ll get later on. If they don’t want to send it to you until you accept the offer, just simply say, “I just want to check this stuff out. You know, can you just give me a rundown on what the benefits are, including vacation time, sick time, PTO, holidays that are recognized, things along those lines, just so I’m aware of it, so there’s no surprises.”
Here’s another stupid one: “What’s the salary for the job?” Now, trust me, if you’re hitting the wrong number, if you’ve come up too high, they’re going to try and talk you down from it. So don’t worry about it. You know, at the end of the day, remember, the job ad probably covered it, the recruiter probably covered it. Why do you think that’s the wrong information? Be aware of it when you walk in the door instead of asking it on the interview.
This one I like in particular, and I’ll simply say, any question beginning with the word “why.” You know, “Why do you do it that way?” Instead, “Can you tell me more about…” is a better way to phrase it. “Can you tell me more about the way you handle this kind of situation?” or “Why you chose this approach?” instead of “Why?” “Why” is a confrontational question. Any question beginning with “why” in an interview makes them think like you think they’re stupid or mindless or… You have to sound curious instead of confrontational.
Last thing, and this wouldn’t be an executive level, but it tends to run into in staff and hourly workers: “Tell me about your disciplinary process.” You know, like, let’s not invite the follow-up question of, “Okay, perhaps this person’s had a discipline problem before.” They’re not going to raise it as a subject, they’re just going to assume that’s the case and that’s why you’re asking the question.
So, I’ll simply say, these are some of the things not to ask on an interview. I’m sure you don’t, but just in case you’re dumb enough to do it, stop it! Stop it, I tell you!
I’m Jeff Altman. Hope you enjoy this video. My website is thebiggamehunter.us. There’s a lot there to watch, listen to, and read to help you find work more quickly. And if we’re not connected on LinkedIn, send a connection request at linkedin.com/in/thebiggamehunter. If you have some questions about job hunting, reach out to me through my website instead of asking your stupid friends or maybe a former manager who knows as little as you do. You know, I’m an expert, I’ve done this for more than 45 years, over 90,000 hours of work. It takes 10,000 to be an expert and I’ve got nine times that in the way of experience. So let me help you instead of asking dumb people. Again, you can find out more at my website.
Hope you have a great day. Take care.
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS Career Advice globally because he makes many things in peoples’ careers easier. Those things can involve job search,
hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, career transition, as well as advice about resolving workplace issues. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 3100 episodes.
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