Questions YOU Can Ask at an Interview!

I am excited to share this Thanksgiving with my new Hofstra family as I begin my role as the Director of Career Development and Assessment in the Career Center.

I have felt so welcomed in my first week and a half that I know I’ve made the right decision in coming to Hofstra. As you are contemplating potential positions be it internship, full time, or part-time work, you may wonder, even after you’ve accepted a position, if it was the right decision. The good news is that you can gather information during an interview to determine if the position is the right fit for you.

You already know to ask questions at the end of a job interview, but do you know why?  An interview is a two way street! The organization is interviewing you, but if you get the job offer, it’s you who gets to decide if you would like to work for them.

Here are a few questions that you can use in the interview process to help you determine if you would like to work at the place where you are interviewing:

1. How does the team (staff) work together at this organization? 
2. What do you like most about working here?
3. What is the culture of the organization?  
4. How does this organization invest in its people? 

Then, look for red flags. Once in an interview, I asked what the staff loved about working for that organization. There were 13 people around the table, and it was crickets, total silence, for over 30 seconds. A few people didn’t even look up from the table. No one was excited about working for that organization! Fortunately, at Hofstra, it was a different experience entirely.

As a recent interviewee candidate, I know how easy it is to only focus on our own performance. But remember, if you are offered and accept the position, you will be working with the people you interview with on a regular basis. Make sure it’s a place where you want to be, where you feel you will excel doing what you want to do!

I look forward to meeting you, our Hofstra students, around campus!

Lisa Tandan,
Director of Career Development
and Assessment