Aspiring MSL Insights: How to Ensure Your Questions Aren't Taken the Wrong Way

The better the questions job candidate's ask during a job interview, the better hire they are perceived to be. But some questions in the interview deserve a preface before you ask it. Without a preface the question could be taken the wrong way. So let’s go over three examples of questions that can be taken the wrong way and that deserve a well thought out preface.

The first question is, “How will I be evaluated?” It’s a fair question, you need to know the answer. But the hiring manager COULD think, “Are they worried they’re not going to meet expectations?” So instead of allowing the possibility of the hiring manager thinking that, put a preface to your question that eliminates the possibility. Something like this, “it’s very important for me to strive to not only meet expectations, but to exceed expectations. So, how does someone meet expectations and then how would someone exceeded expectations?” By asking the question that way you will be perceived as a superstar trying to strive to be your best, and in the process, you’ll also find out how you will be evaluated.

Another question that can be taken the wrong way is, “How much overnight travel am I expected to do?” This is the fair question, you’re gonna wanna know the answer, but it could raise some major red flags that travel may be is an issue for you. To avoid that misconception, put this preface on the question, like this, “I’ve been mapping out all the key centers in the territory and thinking about how often I would be going to those places. How often is too much to visit the centers throughout the territory?” By asking if that way, you’re going to find out how often the hiring manager wants you to be there, but they will not be thinking that you’re worried about how LITTLE to go to those accounts, but how much is too much. By putting a preface like this first, you allay any concerns about travel.

A third question that could be taken the wrong way is all about your on-boarding and training. You may want to ask something like, “Is there going to be extensive training at the beginning?” The hiring manager receiving that question could possibly start to think that you would need extensive training to get up to speed, hurting your candidacy. You want them to think that you would hit the ground running with minimal training, but still, you want to know the answer this question because you’re going need training. So add a preface like this, “I love to learn and am eager to sharpen my skills by learning all the tricks of the trade, so can you walk me through the on boarding and training process?” By adding the preface, you come across as someone eager to learn, someone who will hit the ground running, not someone who is worried about how long the road is.

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