Health and Human Services Professional Development

To Ask or Not to Ask THEM by   Jill Bowers   on   July 6, 2013   When preparing for a job interview, you may generally think of how you will answer questions you will be asked by the interviewer(s). Yet, it is just as important to think of what questions you will ask THEM. Asking them questions about the agency/company or position to which you are applying for can help you to know if the job is a good fit with your strengths, interests, and career goals. Asking good questions can also show the interviewer the level of insight you have or that you have done your homework and came to the interviewer prepared. See the  Forbes article, “30 Questions You Should and Shouldn’t Ask in a Job Interview”  for more information and examples of good/bad questions. *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

Professor and Supervisor Fraud?! Yes, there are Stupid Questions. by   Jill Bowers   on   August 26, 2013   When teaching classes or leading groups, I often say, “there is no such thing as a stupid question.” I say this to make sure that everyone feels comfortable, and I very much appreciate questions that imply that students or members of the audience are critically thinking about what I have talked about, that they want to learn more, or that they want to ask one more burning question so they can take the information I have discussed, research some on their own, and go out and solve the problems of the world! Yet, please know that there are, in fact, many stupid questions. I walk into every new class with the utmost respect for students and enthusiasm for getting to teach and work with them. At the same time, there are questions that kill me and I want to say, “Of course, you did not miss anything because I don’t generally prepare for this class and we also ...

Future Employers are Interviewing You: Are you also Interviewing Them? by   Mikki Sherwood   on   November 17, 2013   There are so many places to get information about answering questions asked of you in a job interview. However, have you ever considered the fact that a job interview is also YOUR opportunity to ask questions of a potential employer? The job interview offers you the opportunity to find out about the position to which you are applying, gather information about the expectations of those in charge, and determine whether the job would be a good fit for you. You should be comfortable using some of the time at a job interview asking your own questions. Think about the following questions: What is the style of leadership I would find here? Could you provide some examples of projects on which I would be working? What specific skills would you say are needed for this position? What types of opportunities are available for advancement? What is y...