Gerrard Kaonga
Job interviews can be a minefield, but one woman has said she has a strategy, and it hasn’t failed her yet.
When it comes to nailing a job interview, you would be a liar if you said you have never checked online for some tips and tricks.
Of course, it also makes sense to have done your homework, know the role well, and the company.
Buuut all the same, it would help to leave the room knowing you smashed it out the park because of a great interaction you had with the interviewer.
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Catherine Lockhart from Texas shared one question on Instagram which she claims has never failed her when it comes to interviews.
It might be worth adding it to your list of questions to ask, if her confidence in it is anything to go by.
Picture it: you've answered all the questions the best you can, and you get to that final question - 'do you have anything you'd like to ask us?'
It's probably a good idea to have something prepared for this one. After all, they've been questioning you for the last half hour or so; why not turn the tables for a moment?
The question that Catherine says has never failed her aims to give her some further insight into what exactly an employer is looking for.
So, what is the question?
Well, drumroll please: it's 'what does excellence look like in this role'?
"It gives the interviewer an opportunity to explain a little bit more about the day-to-day functions of the role," she said, adding: "It lets the interviewer know that you're serious about performing and exceeding their expectations."
Another suggestion could be to ask the panel what it is they enjoy most about their jobs, to show a bit of curiosity and get a discussion going.
But what about red flag questions to avoid?
Well, Catherine's advice was basically anything about additional benefits or time off.
So, things which indicate to the interviewers you're more interested in the benefits than the job itself.
Let's be real, even though that may well be true, it's probably not a good idea to show it in the interview!
Catherine said: "Do not mention PTO (paid time off) - do not ask if they have any other benefits."
People took to the comments to share their views on the suggestion.
One person wrote: "Another great question to ask at the end is ask the interviewer 'what gives you the most satisfaction in your role?' (or something like that! They love to talk about themselves!)."
Another disagreed with the assertion that you shouldn't ask about PTO.
They wrote: "I am a recruiter and I'd have to disagree that you shouldn't ask about PTO, this is an employee's right to know and part of the compensation package."
A third replied: "I always ask this and what their favorite thing about working there is, there's a big difference in how they answer depending on their job satisfaction."