Congratulations!
After carefully updating and submitting your resume and cover letter, you’ve been invited to an interview.
You’re not quite in a zen state of mind, but you’ve researched the department, business unit or organisation and secured insights into its people and operations. You’ve picked apart the position description to try and anticipate questions the employer or interview panel may have of you, and developed answers to showcase your fit with the role.
You may be preparing to interview by phone, GoToMeeting, Skype, Teams, Zoom or even in person. You’ve done your homework, so all that’s left to do is hover between anticipation and stress, right?
not quite. you also want to consider that the interview represents an opportunity for both parties to mutually assess fit.
First, the employer needs to determine whether you have what it takes to help them succeed, and how you compare with other candidates. This applies whatever the interview format, and however many people are interviewing you.
You, on the other hand, need to determine if the position, compensation package and organisation align with your aspirations. Will there be a good fit between you and the person to whom you’ll report?
Both parties are seeking confidence in the potential for a good working relationship.
With this in mind, be prepared to take advantage of an invitation to raise questions of your own. If you’re not invited to do so, graciously ask if the interviewer is open to your questions.
Then, raise only a limited number of questions when invited. Select them on the basis of what you learn before and during the actual interview. Remember, you want to leave a positive, professional impression; you don’t want to inundate people with questions.
this is one more opportunity to distinguish yourself from other candidates.
You want to be thoughtful. Raise only a limited number of questions.. Select them on the basis of what you learn before and during the actual interview. Remember, you want to leave a positive, professional impression; you don’t want to inundate people with questions.
begin with a question reflecting the discussion.
.You’ll demonstrate both engagement and listening skills when you raise a question based on the conversation that’s unfolded during your interview, and/or when you frame one of the following questions in the context of the discussion preceding this portion of the interview.
consider adapting one or more of the questions below.
Have a look at the lists below; I’ve grouped them by themes for you. Give thought to which of these themes and questions you may want to incorporate into your interview. Tailor your questions to the role and what you know of the employer.
Priorities
- What are your key priorities or deliverables over the next month / quarter/ year … and how can the incoming assistant support success on this front?
- If I was to start in this role tomorrow and develop my initial “to do” list, what would you recommend as my top three priorities?
- What skills or traits are most critical to you in an assistant? How can I best support your success?
Working together
- What are a couple of key qualities or personality traits your assistant will need in order to succeed in the job? This is another way of phrasing the previous question.
- How much time do you and your assistant spend together on a given day or week? Do you tend to touch base in person, or by other means (phone conversations, virtual meetings, email, text, WhatsApp/other messaging)?
- What’s your preferred approach to your assistant managing your email and calendar? Once you’re hired, build on this information in an early conversation. Discuss colour coding appointments. Will the assistant have primary responsibility for the calendar, and/or does the principal [boss] like to control or tweak the calendar? Who has authority/privileges, and to what degree? Be prepared to propose recommendations for both calendar and email management; also be prepared to listen.
- What business practices have you and your current assistant established that you’d like to ensure are maintained?
- Are there any changes to practice that you’d like your new assistant to incorporate? Be thoughtful in how you phrase this. While one assistant’s departure often marks the ideal opportunity to incorporate change, you want to broach the matter in a respectful manner.
The opportunity itself
- What does a typical work week, if there is such a thing, look like in this role?
- How did this opportunity come about? (Is the incumbent moving elsewhere within the organisation, or is this a new position?)
- Are there opportunities for growth and assumption of additional responsibilities/career development?
- What’s one challenge you routinely face in your role?
- While I’ve researched the role, will you please give me a sense of who our (note the inclusive language) key stakeholders will be if we begin working together? … or … When it comes to building relationships, can you ID any colleagues and external stakeholders I should particularly focus on in early days to ensure a smooth transition for the people you deal with, and our office/team?
Workplace culture
- What do you particularly enjoy about working here?
- What advice would you give someone stepping into this role?
- I understand that the organisation prides itself on “A” and “B” (here’s where your research kicks in); can you tell me a bit about the office culture, and how I could be a good fit?
- What are the greatest challenges and opportunities you see for the successful candidate?
- Do you anticipate there will be opportunities for the successful candidate to take on stretch assignments that support development and use of additional skills?
- What onboarding and continuing training does the organisation make available to employees?
Key contacts and working style
If we decide to work together, I’d appreciate an early conversation to learn about some of your key contacts and preferences.
- Which people (family, other contacts/stakeholders by role) shall I put through/connect with you even if you’re otherwise engaged?
- Which meetings should I ensure remain uninterrupted except in case of an emergency? – meetings of specific bodies and/or meetings with specific people
- How do you like to plan your day? Where possible, do you prefer to schedule meetings in the morning/afternoon, and build in dedicated blocks of work/focused time in the afternoon/morning, or – ?
- Are there any blocks of time/days that are untouchable, and during which I should avoid committing you to meetings or events?
Support decision making
Support the employer’s decision making.
- Is there anything else you’d like to know about my skills and experience to support your decision making?
I have more articles to help you prepare for interviews …
A new resource for you
I hope you’ve found these questions helpful, and wish you well with interviews.
I’m preparing to launch another resource, EA ACCELERATOR, that can help you with interviews, public speaking, presenting yourself with confidence and much more. Other courses include minutes, business communications, governance/board support and courses for discerning assistants who want to elevate your acumen and career currency.
Bookmark and keep an eye on my new EA ACCELERATOR page, as I’ll soon be offering both on demand courses and quarterly live sessions. You’ll find EA ACCELLERATOR a wise investment.
