Do you remember back in primary school when during class the teacher would ask questions? I remember some children would race to be the fastest to raise their hand, others would look around at their friends almost searching for assurance that it was okay to do so, and some would never raise their hands at all. Regardless of which type of student you were though and which questions you chose to answer or not as an individual, you were able to learn as a group; if you didn’t raise your hand, you were going to learn the answers anyway. In class though you are covering the same topics and searching for the same answers that in this instance the grading system deems correct. When it comes to your job search and finding your new ‘classroom’ to continue learning and building on your professional knowledge to develop your career, there is no way of finding the right answers for you personally unless you ask them yourself.
“He who asks a question remains a fool for five minutes, he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” – Mark Twain
Ask your recruiter
If you didn’t already know, good recruitment consultants are also great market experts and part of a team that together has a huge amount of combined knowledge and experience of helping other people like you. They will have also well understood their clients and their values and they might already have a successful track record with the employer that interests you most. They are extremely well equipped to help you succeed with the right people and whilst they will likely offer you a huge amount of voluntary advice and tips, think about what you might be able to ask them that will benefit your personal experience and position during your job search.
Ask your interviewer
I’ve written an article specifically on this topic as tragically far too many candidates forget to ask questions during their interviews, preferably at the end and given a cue however there might be other instances and opportunities where the set up is a lot more conversational too. These candidates are missing out on a huge opportunity to make a great final and lasting impression, so long as you ensure that you ask the right questions. And before you excuse that the interviewer “covered everything already” or “answered all the questions you had in mind”, take a minute and a sip of your water and really think because I do not believe that any interview, regardless of how long it lasts, could possibly answer all your questions about your future nor take away your opportunity to intellectually impress.
Ask yourself
Gentle reminder here and not to offend but you are not the only person looking for a job and it is unlikely that you are the only person interviewing for the role you might consider your dream career. I say this because you must make the experience worth it in order to do yourself justice and to demonstrate why it should be you. Consider your strengths, your weaknesses, your achievements and your goals and align them with employers and opportunities that match. If you are looking for a fresh start, don’t throw yourself in the deep end whilst trying to impress but if you are eager for a challenge and you express that to the right employer, they will want to help you swim.
So, if you are looking for the answer which I presume you were if you’ve read this far, I would suggest you think about the questions that you personally need answers to first and then just ask them yourself!
Get in touch with our team today if you are looking for a new job in the property sector, we recruit into Residential Estate Agency, New Homes, Development, Project Management, Property Management, Building Surveying, Marketing, Finance and Office Administration at all levels across London, Manchester and the Greater Home Counties.
