What will help you ace job interviews

FEW applicants are thrilled at the notion of being grilled in a job interview.

Men fare worse, according to a Canadian study, but any anxious job applicant fares worse than candidates who have a good grip on their nerves, who get more job offers and can even get more money.

A great way to calm yourself before sitting down for a job interview is to be as prepared as the manager who’s vetting you. More specifically, knowing the right questions to ask can make a huge difference in getting the job.

Human resource managers love job applicants who ask good questions. It shows passion for the job and a keen interest in the company you want to call home. It also shows hiring managers you’re prepared, a major selling point for job applicants looking for any edge they can get when trying to get ahead in their career.

“Asking smart questions will help the job-seeker sound articulate, wellprepared and genuinely interested in working for the organization,” career coach and author Ford Myers says.

So what are the best questions to ask?

Myers has a Top 10 you should make sure to ask some or all of on your next job hunt:

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. How can I most quickly become a strong contributor within the organization?

4. What are the most challenging aspects of the job for which I am being considered?

5. How will my performance be evaluated, and how often?

6. What particular aspects about my background and experience interest you?

7. What makes you think I will be successful in this job? What causes your concern about my candidacy?

8. 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?

9. Where are you in the hiring process? What’s our next step?

10. May I get back in touch with you for an update if I don’t hear back within a certain time?

The idea with each of the above questions is to show a potential employer that you’re engaged in the job and as interested in them as they are (hopefully) in you. In particular, the final three questions are open-ended by design, to leave you an effective path to the all-important “next steps” in the hiring process, including a job offer.