Interview Questions You Can Ask

By Ford R. Myers President, Career Potential, LLC

The most important questions of your interviews might be the ones you ask. In the interview, don’t think you’re the only one who is “on the spot.” It is perfectly acceptable for you to ask questions of the interviewer and to take notes throughout the meeting (which will help you to formulate your questions). When an interviewer asks, “So, do you have any questions for me?” the worst thing you could possibly say is “Nope.” In some cases, you’ll be judged more on the questions you’re asking than the answers you’re giving.

After all, you might wind-up working for this individual, so it’s important for you to find out as much as you can about how he or she works, thinks, and communicates. Additionally, asking smart questions will help you sound like an articulate, savvy business professional. You’ll seem well-prepared and genuinely interested in working for the organization.

Take a look at these questions that you can ask the interviewer, and then feel free to come-up with even more of your own:

(1) Can you give me more detail about the position’s responsibilities?

(2) Where do you see this position going in the next few years?

(3) What are two or three significant things you would want me to accomplish in my first few months?

(4) How often has this position been filled in the past two to five years?

(5) What would you like done differently by the next person who fills this position?

(6) How can I most quickly become a strong contributor within the organization?

(7) How will my performance be evaluated, and at what frequency?

(8) What are the most challenging aspects of the job for which I am being considered?

(9) How are loyalty and hard work rewarded at this organization?

(10) How would you define or describe your own management style?

(11) What are the strengths and weaknesses of my prospective subordinates, as you see them?

(12) With whom will I be interacting most frequently, and what are their responsibilities? What will be the nature of our interaction?

(13) What would the limits of my authority and responsibility be?

(14) What particular things about my background, experience, and style interest you?

(15) What makes you think I’ll be successful? What causes you concern about my candidacy?

(16) What freedom would I have to act and what budget would be available to me for: (a) changes in staffing, promotion, salary increases; (b) use of consultants, requesting or purchasing software and hardware systems, capital for new ideas and approaches; (c) changes within my area regarding policies, procedures, practices, performance, and expectations?

(17) How do you like your people to communicate with you? (verbally, in writing, informally, in meetings, by phone, voicemail, e-mail, only when necessary?)

(18) What are some of your longer-term objectives?

(19) Why did you join this company? Why have you stayed?

(20) Now that we’ve had a chance to talk, how does my background measure-up to the requirements of the job? To the other candidates?

(21) Am I being seriously considered for this position?

(22) Where are you in the process? What’s our next step?

(23) If I don’t hear from you within (time period), would it be okay to call you?

Prepare thoroughly for your interviews by studying and practicing both your answers and your questions. The time you invest in this process will definitely pay-off with more – and better – job offers!

Copyright © 2010, Career Potential, LLC. Reprinted by permission of Ford R. Myers, a nationally-known Career Expert and author of “Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring.”

For information about career services and products, visit www.careerpotential.com and www.fordmyers.com.

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The 20 Most Outrageous CEO Parachutes

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$35 million for bogus expense reports? Mark Hurd’s H-P payoff was just another routine day in the life of corporate America. How his parachute stacks up against 20 all-time malfeasants.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd may be hurting from the media swirl around his alleged relationship with a contractor and false expense reports, but his wallet will stay fat thanks to a severance package valued at $34.6 million in cash and stock.

And how’s the man Hurd succeeded as America’s favorite entitlement whipping boy, BP CEO Tony Hayward? He was exiled to Siberia and will leave his post in October—but not without a severance and pension package reportedly worth $17 million.

But Hurd and Hayward are hardly the best-paid paragons of corporate misfires. The Daily Beast inspected news reports and Securities & Exchange Commission filings spanning more than 25 years to find the 20 titans of industry who, despite very public professional failings, walked away with tens, even hundreds of millions in cash and stock.

To come up with our list of 20, we separated the leaders of industry into two groups—those who resigned or were fired under the taint of ethics scandals, and those who left because of professional failings. We then combined the 10 highest paid from each group—reflecting the total value of the exit packages—into our final list of 20.

#1, Michael Eisner

Company: Disney

Total Value of Severance Package: $220 million

#2, Henry McKinnell

Company: Pfizer

Total Value of Severance Package: $213 million

#3, Robert Nardelli

Company: Home Depot

Total Value of Severance Package: $210 million

#4, Bruce Karatz

Company: KB Homes

Total Value of Severance Package: $175 million

#5, Stanley O’Neal

Company: Merrill Lynch

Total Value of Severance Package: $161.5 million

#6, William McGuire

Company: UnitedHealth

Total Value of Severance Package: $161 million

#7, Franklin Raines / Fannie Mae

Company: Fannie Mae

Total Value of Severance Package: $148 million

#8, Michael Ovitz

Company: Disney

Total Value of Severance Package: $140 million

#9, Douglas Ivester

Company: Coca-Cola

Total Value of Severance Package: $120 million

#10, Philip Purcell

Company: Morgan Stanley

Total Value of Severance Package: $113 million

#11, Kenneth Lay

Company: Enron

Total Value of Severance Package: $81 million

#12, Steve Hilbert

Company: Conseco

Total Value of Severance Package: $72 million

#13, Frank Newman

Company: Bankers Trust

Total Value of Severance Package: $55 million

#14, Mark H. Swartz

Company: Tyco

Total Value of Severance Package: $45 million

#15, Kerry Killinger

Company: Washington Mutual

Total Value of Severance Package: $44 million

#16, Angelo Mozilo

Company: Countrywide

Total Value of Severance Package: $44 million

#17, Harry Stonecipher

Company: Boeing

Total Value of Severance Package: $44 million

#18, Carly Fiorina

Company: Hewlett-Packard

Total Value of Severance Package: $40 million

#19, Mark Hurd

Company: Hewlett-Packard

Total Value of Severance Package: $35 million

#20, Martin Sullivan

Company: AIG

Total Value of Severance Package: $19 million

source: TheDailyBeast

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Career of the week: Surgical Technologist (Scrub)

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When you land your first surgical technologist job you can expect your salary to reflect your entry-level position. As you gain experience, however, there is plenty of growth potential. As in most professions, a surgical technologist salary depends heavily on factors such as geographic location, education level and experience. You’ll also find that earning your surgical technologist certification will increase your salary and improve your chances of receiving a promotion.

A recent Salary.com survey showed the middle 50 percent of surgical technologists earned a yearly salary between $36,053 and $44,028. The top 10 percent earn salaries of $47,874 or more. You can increase your value as an employee—and boost your surgical technologist salary—by specializing in procedures such as open-heart surgery.

If you live in a large city or work in a health care facility that can treat large numbers of patients, you are likely to earn a larger surgical technologist salary than you would in a small town or facility. If you’re willing to relocate to a new city, or narrow your job search to larger medical facilities, you can earn at the higher end of the surgical technologist salary range.

Surgical Technologist Salary Data

Wages by City

City Median Hourly Wage
Atlanta $14.59 – $20.45
Dallas $15.94 – $20.02
Houston $15.77 – $20.76
San Diego $18.03 – $24.15
Seattle $17.03 – $23.26

Wages by Experience

Years Median Hourly Wage
0 – 1 $12.00 – $16.85
1 – 4 $13.74 – $17.82
5 – 9 $15.82 – $20.41
10 – 19 $17.55 – $22.34
20+ $19.30 – $24.62

Surgical Technologist Benefits

One of the advantages of becoming a full-time surgical technologist is that your employer will usually offer benefits in addition to your normal salary. These benefits can include health insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays and retirement options. Some employers also offer tuition reimbursement programs, so you can go to school or renew your credentials and surgical technologist certification at little or no cost to you.

Earning your surgical technologist degree is the first step to starting an exciting career in this field. With the willingness to start at the entry-level and work your way up, and a little knowledge about how to command higher pay, your surgical technologist salary can quickly become a very attractive part of your new job field.

source: alliedhealthschools

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