Just one more thing: supplemental questions

Supplemental questions are like the Lieutenant Colombos of the job search process. Remember that detective show starring Peter Falk? The confused-looking police inspector in the rumpled raincoat was famous for leaving the room and then coming right back with “just one more thing” — usually a question that tricked suspects into revealing their guilt.

For those not yet familiar with this aspect of a candidate search process, these are just what the name implies — additional questions. As a rule, you’ll see the questions after the initial application, but before an interview. They might be sent to everyone already scheduled for interviews, or they could be part of the selection process.

One variation to this rule is when you see a simple checklist titled “supplemental questions” with the original online application. This is usually a series of three or four yes/ no questions pertaining directly to the job duties.

Check-boxes aside, supplemental questions are more commonly presented as a list of five to 10 queries where narrative answers of several sentences are expected. They might arrive in your email as a pdf or Word document, or as a template document with text boxes where the answers go.

So what might these questions identify about you that you didn’t intend to reveal? The content itself, of course, but also your logic, your writing ability, and even your attention to detail in terms of spelling or punctuation.

If this sounds stressful, that’s probably good. You want to take this seriously, as if this step were a minior pre-interview. With that in mind, these 10 guidelines should prove helpful.

1. Read (and follow) all the instructions,

whether they cover word count, formatting or the content of the answers.

2. Read all the questions before diving in. This helps you avoid repetition in your answers, and lets you be more strategic about examples you might use.

3. Be alert for themes.

Do most of the questions deal with a single issue, such as supervisory style or marketing experience? You may be getting clues about the main concerns of the job.

4. Speaking of themes — the answers might come more easily if you

follow a key-message strategy.

For example, if your primary assets for an education leadership position are your knowledge of the school district, your background as a teacher, and your skills as a leader, each answer can be structured to refer to one or more these strengths.

5. Control of the format. If you receive a document that offers only a couple of lines between each question, don’t assume you have to keep your answer short. Check the instructions for word count or other restrictions, then modify the form to fit your answers. Do this even if the questions are presented in a grid format, and don’t hesitate to break long answers into paragraphs or bullets.

6. Draft your answers elsewhere before transferring them to the document. This allows you to write and edit more freely. This tip is especially important if the questions are part of an electronic application, since you don’t want to risk losing your work or hitting send before you’re ready.

7. Allow time to set your answers aside for a day before making final edits.

This fresh perspective can make a big difference in the finished product.

8. Solicit editorial help.

Unless the position itself involves proofreading, it’s fair (and smart) to have someone else review your answers and suggest corrections.

9. Be timely. Absolutely return your answers by the deadline. If possible, earlier is better, in case the interviewers are reviewing responses as they come in.

10. Keep a copy of your finished work.

Your answers could be helpful as you prepare for interviews, or you may even discover that similar questions are asked as part of other application processes. When this happens, you might start look- ing forward to be asking “just one more thing.”