A tip you hear from a lot of recruiters is that at the end of the interview you should “Ask for the job!” You know, when the person interviewing you says “Any questions for me?” you say stuff like: “ Do you think I’m a good fit for this job?”, “Are there any concerns with my background relative to this role?”, “What would keep you from hiring me?” there are a million of them but you get the idea...ask for the job.
The real question I have...is this a good idea? Should you “ask for the job”?
Honestly, it depends. Sometimes I like it and think it’s great. Other times, it’s obnoxious and totally out of line. I think “asking for the job” is a great tool to have in your interview toolbox but not something you want to do with every interview. If things are clearly going well, it’s great. You’ve killed it with the hiring manager and you ask for it....boom! you’ve got the job. Interviewing for a sales or recruiting role....again, feeling it.....rocking it....boom! you’ve got the job.
BUT! Wait a minute!! Interviewing for an engineering job and you ask the recruiter...um, I don’t know and won’t know until I talk the folks who did the technical evaluation. Interview going terrible (hopefully you realize it) and you ask.....um, you’re obnoxious. True story - I interviewed a person one who had a lie on their resume. Obviously didn’t like the answer and ended the interview in about 15 minutes (it was supposed to last an hour). This person then “asked for the job”....I was shocked. Horrified even. And responded “um, no, I don’t think you’re a fit, not at all.” Not the answer this person was looking for to say the least. So, you’ve got to be careful if you’re going to be aggressive and ask for the job...you might not get the answer you’re expecting.
So, like all things interviewing you have to use your judgement and if things are going well (and you are talking to the final decision maker) I don’t see any harm in asking for the job. But if you aren’t sure or you’re not talking to the final hiring manager....let it slide and follow up a few days later for feedback.
Enjoy the week and happy hunting!
great post as usual..
ReplyDeleteWell, at last both sides must be polite and realistics. It's difficult but in my opinion that's the key. Asking when you've lied o when things have gone horrible should be a reject issue. isn't it?
Yeah, lying and being rude are pretty much automatic outs in my book!
ReplyDeletePersonally I would not do that. It feels obnoxious and really feels like you're putting the person in a tough spot. End the interview with a couple of really good questions (appropriate for the person you're talking with) and leave them with a positive impression that way. Let them have time to reflect and talk with others.
ReplyDeleteThis feels like one of those questions where all too often it could be a disaster while only rarely might it pay off.
thanks for the advice sir...
ReplyDeletegood one.
will certainly think upon that.
:)