Questions to ask when Interviewing for an Entry-Level Position

Congrats on the interview! One question I like (and one that has worked for me in the past) is to ask ‘what are the main projects in the pipeline that I could expect to be working on?,’ which is a polite, wholly acceptable way of asking ‘why are you bringing on a new person?’  This simultaneously invites the interviewer to expand on a topic they like talking about (upcoming work the firm has won-even if you know about it, they will enjoy talking about it so let them) and gives you a good idea of what to expect day-to-day if you are offered/accept the position, all without having to ask the awkward ‘what would an average day look like’ type of question.

To further address your legitimate economic concerns, you might probe further with follow-ups about what sort of time frame is anticipated for the upcoming projects they mention, and also what ongoing contract work you might also be assigned (pre-quals for large agencies, long-running project/clients, etc).   Best of luck to you!

You definitely need to know the structure of the company and how the ‘ladder’ works.  Don’t be afraid to talk money, benefits, or how often you are up for a performance review.  Ask if they had to let anyone go in the last downturn (if they saw one), and what types of positions were eliminated.  Ask why they like living there.  Ask why they got into the profession.  Ask if you can talk with some of the other employees.

Normally, I would not suggest you be so brazen but to pick up and move cross-country is a major life change and a good firm will understand that.

Good Luck to you.

If you are to move so far, be sure to ask about the stability of work. In this economy, it is very dangerous to risk an expensive and disruptive move if the firm only has three to six months guranteed work. I know people who had gotten jobs only to have them disappear less than a year later. I had interviewed a few places myself, and several of the employers were very upfront about concerns over future contracts. There is so little work now, this should be the first question, not salary/benefits.

Be sure you understand the cost of living of the new city and how your new salary will fare there. It might be quite different from what you expect. You can discover that on-line. For example http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html

It probably makes sense to try (I have no idea how though) to gauge the market for L.A.s there so that you are not making this move entirely in the hopes of succeeding at this one firm. If you can’t move up in the new firm, are there others to move to? I think you might ask how competitive the field is in the new area. I have moved across country for an opportunity only to discover I hated it and in the end moved back three months later.

The two best questions a job-seeker has ever asked me:

1.  At the conclusion of the interview, I thanked her and let her know I had several more people to interview and would get back to her blah blah blah. She said that she understood and thanked me for the opportunity, and then she asked “Is there anything from this interview that you think I should read or work on in preparation for this position”   She was not the strongest candidate I interviewed that day, but she got the job.

2.  Toward the end of an interview, I had some reservations about the candidate–he had most of what we needed but not the whole package.  Apparantly sensing this he asked”  I believe I would like to work here and I know I could make a valuable contribution, but we don’t really know how this is going to work out– what if come to work for you for a couple of months and we see how it goes?  He got the job, and at the end of two months I gave him more $ than I offered him during the interview, and he stayed with us for 8 years.

I hope this helps.  Congratulations and good luck!

Hi Amy, Great advice… I hope you are still enjoying NY! Happy Holidays, Lorna

great input….good to hear from actual interviews that went well.