Ask Yourself the Right Interview Questions

Most job candidates know the importance of asking a potential employer the right questions during an interview. But as you prepare for an interview, it can also help to ask yourself the right questions.

How we talk to ourselves matters. Research shows that positive self-affirmation can improve self-perception and well-being while helping reduce psychological barriers, with some benefits lasting over time.

When self-talk turns into questions, it can have an even greater impact.

Fundraising coach Marcy Heim teaches clients to become "Artful Askers," and some of the practices she teaches can apply to job seekers as well.

In her blog post, "Are You Already Behind?," Heim writes about overworked clients who ask themselves, "Why am I always behind?" Instead, she suggests asking empowering questions such as, "Why do I most often finish what I start?"

According to Heim, "Your mind will 'Google' all the times you were successful now instead of providing you a list of past failures. You become what you think about."

Ask Better Questions of Yourself

Even as people increasingly turn to AI chatbots to ask questions, the content of our inquiries can influence how we think about a problem.

Job candidates can use artificial intelligence and large language models to practice interview questions, identify potential gaps in their candidacy, and test how effectively they are presenting themselves to employers.

But AI should be a tool for preparation, not a substitute for self-reflection. You want to be hired for who you actually are and what you do well, not simply because you found a clever way to cover your weaknesses.

If you're preparing for an interview and asking yourself, "Why am I not published?" or "Why is my portfolio so weak?" try reframing those questions.

Ask instead: "How did I help so many of my students get the internships they needed?" or "What makes me an effective lecturer?"

AI tools might not be able to answer those questions with specific evidence, but asking the questions of yourself can prime you to recall the examples and the positivity you need to succeed in a job interview.

And if the answers to your empowering questions don't align with the job description, that might tell you something important: You may not be interviewing for the right job.

Change the Conversation

Corporate public relations experts often advise clients in the midst of an online PR crisis not to spend all their energy refuting negative claims. Instead, they can change the conversation by emphasizing positive aspects of the organization and creating new, relevant content.

The same principle can help during a job interview.

As a candidate, you're better off talking about what you're passionate about and what you do best than defending yourself against your idea of another "perfect" candidate who probably doesn't exist.

Remember, institutions rarely find a candidate who exactly meets every requirement in a job description. To employers, a job description is often a wish list. So focus on your qualifications and the value you can bring rather than dwelling on the experience or skills you lack.

Put on Your "Scientist Hat"

This doesn't mean completely ignoring past rejections or potential failure.

In her book "Body of Work," author Pamela Slim suggests developing what she calls a "mastery mindset." One way to do that is to think like a scientist, which means asking the right questions.

Instead of thinking, "I knew that grant proposal wouldn't be approved. Why did I even submit it?" change the conversation and put on what Slim calls your "scientist hat."

Ask yourself: "Hmm, I really thought I'd get that grant. The project was perfect for it. I wonder why I didn't get it?"

The difference is subtle but important. The first question closes the door on learning. The second opens it.

Build the Story You Tell Yourself

In a previous article for HigherEdJobs, we discussed questions from Slim's book that can help you build the story you tell employers.

But before you can tell that story to an employer, it helps to understand the story you're telling yourself.

Here are five questions to consider:

1. What skills, strengths, and ingredients am I really proud of? 2. What are the threads and themes of my life experience? 3. What big gifts have I received from the challenges I've faced? 4. What is my hero's journey? 5. What is the soundtrack of my life? Is it one of the most depressing country songs of all time or an uplifting anthem?

The Questions You Carry Into the Interview

The goal isn't to convince yourself that every weakness is a strength or that every rejection was secretly a victory. It's to approach your experience with enough curiosity to recognize what you have learned, what you do well, and what you can contribute.

The right questions won't guarantee you the job. But they might help you walk into the interview with a clearer, more confident, and more authentic story to tell.

Disclaimer: HigherEdJobs encourages free discourse and expression of issues while striving for accurate presentation to our audience. A guest opinion serves as an avenue to address and explore important topics, for authors to impart their expertise to our higher education audience and to challenge readers to consider points of view that could be outside of their comfort zone. The viewpoints, beliefs, or opinions expressed in the above piece are those of the author(s) and don't imply endorsement by HigherEdJobs.