As both someone providing career counseling through Career Counseling Connecticut and as someone running a larger company in The Learning Consultants, I have become immersed in job interview strategies as both an advisor and as an employer.
One mistake that many job interviewers make is missing on the easiest pitch provided: “do you have any questions?” “No” or “not really” is rarely a good answer (the exception – if you have had a comprehensive interview and the interviewer is clearly rushed – then perhaps saying: “you have been wonderful in answering all my questions and I know you are very busy. Would it be ok if I e-mailed you any questions that come to mind?”)
Indeed, you shouldn’t even have to come to the point where the interviewer asks you if you have any questions. Ideally, your interview has become a conversation and you have already asked questions within the interview. This technique is perhaps the biggest one that we teach in our interview prep. Interview ping-pong (question, pause, reply, pause, question, pause, reply…) is the sign of a bad interview. Conversations where both speakers are asking questions of one another is a sign of a great interview. We train our career counseling clients how to master this simple but highly effective.