This best job interview question is one that can be used to great success by younger people looking to show enthusiasm, graduates looking to make their first steps in the working world and those chasing progression. When looking for job interview questions to ask, this question probably is more suited to younger people trying to break their way into an industry or applying for entry-level positions.
When asking this question it shows real enthusiasm in the job role you are interviewing for and gives strong indications of the commitment you are prepared to make.
This isn’t a question observed on other job websites and blogs, if you are reading this, you might just have found yourself a competitive edge in your upcoming interview.
“If I am successful in the job interview process, is there anything you could recommend I learn or could send me before starting the job role so that I can hit the ground running when I start?”.
This might sound like a mouthful and you may want to phrase it differently, but at the core of this question is demonstrating a desire to succeed in the job role from day one.
Past experiences of asking this question have seen hiring managers keen to give supportive answers and recommending resources to learn from, or an offer of an email post-interview containing information.
If you have a notice period between leaving your current employer and joining a new one, offering to utilise this time wisely shows a real sign of intent and commitment to making a real success of your new job role.
Even if you are not successful in the job interview, the learning resources recommended to you could be invaluable and give you a significant advantage if interviewing with that same company again in the future or for a similar job role elsewhere.
Understandably the more experienced and senior job hunters reading this article might not find this question right for you. If you are interviewing for senior positions in an organisation and higher paid job roles, asking what you need to learn might come across as naive and show you as inexperienced.
If you are interviewing for a job role similar to your current job or have done similar roles in the past you may want to consider tweaking the question to ask for information more specific to their business and industry.
For a sales role for example this could be learning the finer details of their products and services where learning about them beforehand would give you a significant headstart when starting the job role.
For a marketing role, for example, you might be able to learn about past marketing campaigns, what has worked well for them and what are their plans for the current year.
Any information a company can send you prior to starting with them is an advantage. If you can start a new job role with a greater understanding of not only the business but combine that with fresh ideas of your own, it could help you achieve a great start and really impress those around you.
Asking questions at the end of a job interview is always advised. If you have read our article on the best job interview tips, you’ll know that we are a fan of asking questions all throughout the job interview, but keeping this one in your back pocket gives you something good to ask at the end and hopefully leave the interview on a high note.
