Second Interview Questions

It's not the most common scenario, but some hiring managers break up their interview process into two parts. This is commonly the case when there are a lot of candidates to be interviewed for a certain position, especially when there is going to be an entire team hired, for example a retail team. Sometimes your second interviewer will be the same person as your first, but sometimes two different members of the management team will speak to you, compare notes, and hire whomever they agree upon. Some of your second interview questions will be identical to the questions you answered during your first interview in this case. Others may be more specific, since passing the first tier of questions without rejection means you've moved up to a second level of questioning.

Here are some examples of possible questions you could be asked at your second interview. Some of them may be very generic:

• Why would you like to work for our company?
• What qualities make you suitable for this job?
• What is your experience in this field?
• What will you bring to our company if we hire you?
• Why are you the best candidate for the job?
• Why should we hire you for this job?
• What salary do you expect if we hire you?
• What are your career goals?

Other questions may be very specific. Having already figured out that you're qualified for the job, a hiring manager is trying to figure out how to integrate you into the workplace and whether your schedule is going to be compatible with their needs:

• How soon can you start if we hire you?
• How many hours a week can you work?
• Are you okay with a flexible schedule?
• Can you work different hours each week?
• What days and hours are you available or unavailable?
• What area of our store are you most interested in working in?
• Do you like to work as part of a large team or by yourself?
• How much supervision do you need?

The questions above are questions you'd be asked if you were applying for a retail job. The questions you're asked in a second interview will depend largely on the particular job you're applying for, so there may be very different questions for someone interviewing for another job.

As with your first interview, your second interview is another chance for you to ask questions. If you realize you forgot to ask a question during your first interview or you want to follow up on information you received during your first conversation, this is your best opportunity. You can also ask more specific questions during your second interview concerning scheduling or other matters which weren't discussed in detail during your first interview. As with your first interview, make sure that you remember to be cordial and say thank you by sending an actual thank-you letter via email or snail mail. That way the employer knows that you valued his or her time and that you really want the job.