Cultural fit is one of the reasons many cube monkeys stay where they are - unengaged in what they do but at the end of the day it pays the bills. During your interview, the interviewer did their best to make it seem like this would be the greatest job in the world. And you oversold yourself - as the eager employee ready to take on any challenge they threw your way. When the all important “Do you have any questions for me?” portion came up, your lips were sealed as tight as Katie holmes’ were.
And then you started the job and not long after you hate it. Maybe the team dynamic is off, you’re having trouble fitting in, or the role just isn’t what it was made out to be. Before you’re 3 months into a job you’re already itching to leave, there are ways to do more digging around during the interview process to make sure that the company is right for you.
Many things can get in the way of fitting in at a new job. A mix of tradition and habits that you can’t easily pick up can be a roadblock. Even worse, you could be replacing a former employee that everyone really liked - Now you’re just the FNG. What ever the case, ask yourself a few questions during your job search process and then turn those questions into the ones you ask everyone you interview with to better gauge if a new job could be right for you.
Asking yourself the right questions
When looking for a new job, ask yourself what are your deal breakers, what’s negotiable, and what doesn't matter. Once you know exactly what you’re not willing to deal with, you can use this to frame the questions you should be asking your potential employers.
Asking them the right questions
Usually during interviews you ask too few questions because you were focused on selling yourself as a candidate and not finding out if you would even like working there. Avoid superficial questions like those about corporate values because you will just get a scripted response. You’ll more than likely be on a series of interviews with different members of your team going all the way up to the MD - ask them the same types of questions and compare everyone’s answer. This will give you a top-down picture of how different people see the organization. Try a few of the following on your next interview:
- Ask the interviewer what a typical work day for them is like?
- How much time are they working independently vs teams/group projects?
- How they would describe their team dynamic or company culture in a single sentence?
- What would a successful candidate have completed in their first 30, 60, 90 days?
- What do they like about working there? What might they change?
- Are you replacing someone - or has anyone held this position in the past? What could they have done better? note this one is a bit unorthodox and should only be asked if the interviewer is comfortable going into detail on this
- How difficult is it to get new initiatives/ideas picked up?
- How does the company support and encourage personal training, additional training courses, and certifications?
At the end of the day, most people think of concern over being a good fit as just another case of Gen Y’ers being overly entitled. Most people say “if you can pay me enough, then I’ll get the job done”, but that will only last for so long (took about 7 months for me). Soon enough, you’ll start complaining that they aren’t paying you enough to deal with the bullsh*t and you’ll wish for death by stapler the next time you have to prepare yet another powerpoint for someone who will spend a quarter of the time reading it as you spent cutting and pasting it together.
So to all those interview experts, what questions have you asked during an interview?
Q1) Related to something I heard earlier in the interview Q2) Culture / office life / business model related Q3) What traits do the most successful [position title] possess?
Question 1 shows that I was listening during the interview.
Question 2 addresses a legitimate question I have and implies that I'm not desperate. (need to know more to make a decision).
Question 3 three was always a "How can I succeed at your firm" type question. I would usually frame it as if I already had the job too.
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I really like this question "What traits do the most successful [position title] possess?"
Totally going to use that one.
I did this in an interview last week and the guy actually leaned back in his seat and went "Damn, that's a good question."
if you were in my shoes, what are some reasons you wouldn't take this position if you were offered it?
you gotta genuinely believe u a baller with some stones to use this particular gem, cuz it will make the interviewer sweat a little, it's a legitimate question tho. i used a variation of this a few years ago when i was an undergrad and was bein given an offer from an internship to come back. the manager hesitated and said some bs, don't recall exactly. i did not end up coming back.
Definitely agree. I've also always liked the "What is your typical day like?" question.
Intervieweree Interviewer: 8 Questions You Can Ask in an Interview (Originally Posted: 11/09/2013)
We spend a lot of time focusing on behavioral and technical interviews on this site, preparing, prepping, watching how-to videos, reading tutorials, and even buying guides to follow in an effort to maximize the most out of your interview. All of that is fantastic, you want to be prepared. You want to walk into a situation knowing you cannot be asked a question that will throw you off or make you look like an unprepared jackass. One portion of interviews I feel that go largely ignored is your opportunity to cross interview the individual from the company. In my opinion, this portion of the interview can be just as important.
Most people feel that, given the current economy, they should feel lucky to be interviewed by any company. Fuck that shit. Stop acting like a sniveling little bitch, grow some balls, and realize that an interview is a two-way street. You have just as much right to find out if you want to work for them as they do to find out if they want you working for them. That being said, you should go into every interview prepared to asked questions not only about the company and the team you will be on, but also questions geared towards the interviewer on a personal level, to find out what type of person they are. Here is a quick list of questions I default to when I step into an interview:
1. How do you like Company X? Pretty basic question, it will allow you to begin your interview process and gauge their tone and demeanor towards the company. Typically everyone will say they love Company X. Watch for body language and tone of voice here. You can tell when someone is lying through their fucking teeth, which could send up a red flag.
2. What is your favorite part of Company X? Another straightforward question. This will give you some insight on what actually makes Company X a great place to work. I have had some pretty sweet answers, such as beer carts, happy hours, golf outings, etc. This is a great question because it can provide insight to the inner workings that aren’t available on the job req.
3. What is your least favorite part of Company X? I love this question because they never expect it. They always have to take a moment to think about it. Anyone that says “nothing” is a fucking liar and should be poked for a real answer. Depending on the person you are speaking to, you can get some serious insight as to whether or not there is any bullshit you should be aware of in the company, division, or org.
4. What is the biggest problem facing Company X? Not only will this question provide insight into some possible day to day challenges you may face, but it can allow you some time to formulate possible game plans to this problem that you could provide in later rounds of the interview process. It will also allow you to understand if the company is in any serious trouble, facing growth issues and layoffs, etc.
5. Who is Company X’s biggest competitor? This question allows you to see who the company views as a threat to their growth and revenue generation. I like this question because it can be used in a different way – if you don’t get the job at Company X, now you know a few companies comparable to it that you can try and land a job at.
6. What is Company X’s biggest strength? This gives you a chance to see what they do best and where they believe their strengths are as a corporation. Pretty straight forward.
7. What is Company X’s biggest weakness? This is a great question because it lets you see where they believe they are vulnerable. Again, this question can allow you to start formulating possible answers or solutions to their problems to use down the road in interviews.
8. If you were given $10,000,000 today, would you stay with Company X? This question is geared towards the interviewer. It allows you to gauge if he was given a massive sum of money, would he still keep the job that he has or would he high tail it the hell out of there. Sometimes you are going to get lied to, but again, watch for tone and body language. I have had very genuine people say that if they were rich, they would still stay. I have even had one individual tell me he has a trust fund set up for him from his parents and he still works at the company. You never know what answer you will get, but the point is, if the individual didn’t have to work, would he, and would he work for Company X?
So there you go, a quick and dirty rundown of some questions I always like to ask. Feel free to get more specific with questions about your possible division and team, questions geared towards co-workers and your possible management, as well as more personal questions such as the $10,000,000 question. Remember, don’t be scared to ask these questions, they are your right, and more often than not, you will get bonus points for taking the time to ask them.
hmm anyone ask some of the ballsy ones before? idk if it'll make you look bad and get you dinged or put you a step down compared to other candidates, at least in a typical IB interview
These are great, thanks. However I agree with zeroblued above, particularly with #8... obviously you couldn't ask a stiff MD that but even younger/more friendly guys might be uncomfortable with answering that one.
All questions, specifically personal ones, should be asked at your discretion after gauging what type of person the interviewer is; however, if you were going to get dinged for asking number eight, it probably isn't a place you would enjoy working at anyway.
Totally agree with you, if you get dinged for asking questions that help determine if YOU want to work at the company. Then that is probably not the right company to work for.
I really like biggest challenge facing the company question. Especially if you dig a little for a non-macro outlook (i.e. M&A market, slowdown in government business, etc.) answer. Can very easily turn into a good discussion that makes a part of the interview that is usually a formality memorable for the interviewer.
I'm not a fan of trying to figure out whether its a decent place to work until after they give you a job offer. Especially if the industry/firm is known to not be a easy place to work / do well. Generally once you have an offer, you will be able to talk to anyone you want to in detail about any concerns you may have.
You always gotta ask them exactly how much they made last year. That way when you are higher in bonus pool than they are you can find them and rub your nuts in their face.
I'm sorry, but you better fucking LOVE what you're doing if you don't leave the company after being handed $10,000,000.
I always like to ask, "Is there anything on my resume, in my character, or during the interview that would prevent me from being offered this position?"
Honestly, those sound like terrible questions
Some of those questions are good, some are very basic in my opinion.
I had a couple IB interviews last week and asked every interviewer at the end of our talk, based on my interview and my resume in front of them, what my biggest strengths and weaknesses for the job were and if I looked the part. I completely pulled that question out of my ass but I got some really good feedback and a couple of the "interviewerees" squirmed a little in their chair and that made me feel good.. I really didn't get any negative feedback, most said I have all the tools for the job and I followed that up with "that is great news, I hope to hear back from you guys soon. I want this position very badly." Maybe a little arrogant looking back, but I have both of the offers now and am weighing my options. I think that question made them think about me a little more when they made their decision. JMO of course.
Asking questions 4-7 would in my opinion suggest that you haven't done your homework on the company.
For those of you who doubt what @Nefarious- is saying here, get on board. I know more than my fair share of managers who will straight up ding candidates who don't ask questions. Doesn't matter what's on their resume, if their answer to "do you have any questions for us?" is "no, I think I'm good" or some rendition of that, ding. Those that don't outright ding candidates for not asking questions will at least rank them below those that do.
Why you may ask? Because the candidate who asks questions, even if they're boilerplate questions like the ones above (there are no questions in this post that will get you in trouble, they're all tame), shows to the interviewer that they care about what's going on, the culture, the work, the whole kit and kabootle. In other words, it's the easiest way to show that you actually give a shit about the job you're interviewing for.
I personally would not ask 5 for sure. I feel like that's something you should know beforehand. Might reflect poorly on you not knowing much about the company. Just my thoughts though.
Who the public view as the company's biggest competitor and who the interviewer views as their biggest competitor can differ.
It seems like these questions apply to someone with a more strategic outlook on the firm and their business. I often wonder if I would get interesting, conversation-starting answers to some of these from IB analysts.
What career paths have people who started in this role taken?
Hopefully, this eliminates what is possible vs. what people have actually done. Also, you will get a sense of whether most people move up or move on. You can decide if you like what some people have done after this position. This question works best for slightly off the beaten path jobs and for relatively early career jobs.
What will be a good question when they ask you " do you have any question?" at the end of interview. (Originally Posted: 11/25/2016)
Hi, I am a new graduate want to break into IB. I am always wondering what should ask interviewer at the end of interview. I don't know if you guys mind can share some sample question?
Google, there's too many ...
shoe size and handicap are my go-to questions --- under or over 11, respectively, and I know I am the alpha in the room
"Can you teach me how to use Google or a website's search function"
Ideally, a question about the role that shows you've been listening to what they have been telling you, which will depend entirely on what they have been telling you.
Don't ask dumb arse questions like "What is your view of Stock X?" or "What do you think the Fed will do?". That's a dumb arse waste of time question that smacks of you trying to show that you're knowledgeable, but too stupid to realise you've burned up valuable time in an interview making your interviewer speak about something which is pretty much irrelevant to the question that most concerns him/her at the time, which is "should I make this kid an offer".
Also don't ask dumb arse questions like "You asked me about X. How would you have answered the question?". When kids ask me this (normally when I've asked them a technical question or logic problem in the interview), it also demonstrates that the kid has no sense of value of his/her limited time in the interview room.
If you have nothing else to ask, ask the usual wrap up question: "What is the process following this interview?"
max bench
when youll hear back best method to contact them training you will receive mentor program offered
Exit opps, comp, hours
I always asked different questions based off of who is interviewing me.
Analysts: ask about what made them choose that bank over others, ask about how many analysts are typically staffed on deals, ask how they get along with associates, ask how frequently analysts interact with senior bankers and clients, etc.
Associates: ask what their relationship is like with their analysts (this was always my go-to question), ask how the bank feels about promoting analysts after two years (if that is of interest to you), ask the associate what kept him/her at the bank (if he/she started as an analyst), etc.
VPs & up: ask about what their relationship is like with their analysts, ask how frequently they interact directly with analysts, ask some broad market questions (only if you truly care...it's easy to tell when you're asking a question to show off), ask about how staffing works, ask how the bank feels about promoting analysts after two years (if that is of interest to you), ask for advice (this always got the best response from MDs...sure, it's not really a question, but it shows that you're humble), etc.
Always, always, ALWAYS finish up with asking about next steps and if you can touch base with them at a later date. ALWAYS get a business card (especially if their bank uses a weird email address format...that's you, JP FREAKING MORGAN).
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