The Top 10 Questions You Should Ask At A Job Interview
When an interviewer hits you with, "Do you have any questions for me?" at the end of your job interview, you have two options. You can nervously blurt out the first random question that pops in your head, or you can confidently pull out a list of carefully curated questions that you prepared in advance. Because, girl, nobody has time to waste.
Remember that a job interview is a two-way street. While the interviewer may be the final decision-maker for employment, you have equal power to curve an offer if it doesn't meet your desires. Factors like salary, responsibilities, and benefits should naturally be part of your conversation, however, it is essential to dig beyond the surface level, sis.
Getting to the bottom of a company's culture and expectations during the interview process will help you hit the ground running with information that will make you feel like you made the right decision.
So, what questions do you ask to make sure a company is a winner? Keep these 10 in mind the next time you're in the interview hot seat:
1.What kind of duties can I anticipate that are not listed in the job description?
"Other duties as assigned." What does that really mean? Ask this question to avoid taking on annoying additional responsibilities. A study from Paychex shows four out of 10 workers take on more responsibilities outside of their work scope. Having this info upfront can help you figure out if the pay and benefits are worth taking on fifty 'leven extra tasks.
2.How did the company adjust during the pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the way that people work. It is important to understand how a potential employer reacted to the changes, how they made the transition process smooth for employees, and what to expect if another future crisis occurs.
3.Why is there a need for this role to be filled right now?
A role may need to be filled for multiple reasons. It can be brand new, past employees may not have been a good fit, and so on. Learning why the role is open can tell you if a company is growing or having a hard time keeping employees.
4.Who would I be reporting to directly?
An employee-supervisor relationship can make or break the office vibes and affect the flow of getting ish done. Learn who you are reporting to regularly to decide if the working relationship will be good for you.
5.Based on my background, how do you think I can add value to this role?
This question puts pressure on the interviewer, but it can be a sign that they believe you are a good fit for the role based on their response.
6.What key performance indicators (KPIs) are most important for this role?
KPIs are your best friend. It is important to know how your performance will be measured. Knowing upfront KPIs can help you see if the company is realistic about what can be accomplished based on your previous experience.
7.How is the company committed to diversity?
As a woman of color, it is essential to know if your presence will be valued in the company. Knowing if a company is truly down for diversity may be a deciding factor of whether you want to be there.
8.What initiatives are in place to promote employee wellness?
Forty-eight percent of Americans consider themselves workaholics, and this stat is bad for business. Understanding a company's position on work-life balance can give you peace of mind that they value their employees' well-being.
9.What milestones will the company achieve in the next three years, and how does my role support them?
Where a company is going in the short-term can help you see a future with them. Their plan can give you an idea of how you will be a part of their evolution and opportunities to grow within.
10.What would NOT make a person a good fit here?
This question can expose your incompatible traits with the role or the company. Understanding what a company doesn't want can help you determine if you are the best fit.
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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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The Champion's Path: How Cari Champion Is Redefining Roles For Black Women In Media
Cari Champion has had many dream jobs. All of them have helped inform what she does and does not want for herself moving forward. “I get more and more curious. My dreams evolve. My desires change,” she said. “And I feel sorry for people who can’t experience that because it’s a beautiful feeling, it’s a beautiful challenge, and it makes you everything that you are.”
When we speak in late April, the journalist and media personality is preparing for a visit to Atlanta for The Black Effect Podcast Festival. The trip would allow her to spend time in a city that she said taught her a lot about herself and working in the media industry.
Champion was still early in her career when she worked for Atlanta’s CBS affiliate news station, where she was fired, reinstated, and subsequently quit after being accused of accidentally cursing on air in 2008. (“I didn’t. They knew I didn’t. I said ‘mothersucka,’” she said of the hot mic incident.) Still, the Los Angeles native insists she only has the fondest memories of her time in the southern city.
“I grew up in West LA, then moved to Pasadena, and those kinds of familial, tight-knit Black groups just didn’t exist. LA is spread out in a lot of ways,” she said. “To me, Atlanta ultimately built this woman that I am today and [is] why I speak so comfortably for us and for Black people. I had to have that entire experience.”
"To me, Atlanta ultimately built this woman that I am today and [is] why I speak so comfortably for us and for Black people."
It’s been 16 years since Champion moved from Atlanta and her career, as well as her desire to center Black voices in her work, has soared. After working as an anchor and court-side reporter for The Tennis Channel, she spent nearly a decade working as a host and anchor on ESPN for shows such as First Take and SportsCenter.
By the time she began hosting Cari & Jemele: Stick to Sports, on Vice TV with Jemele Hill in 2020, Champion had increasingly become determined to shun the notion that only sports reporters and athletes could credibly discuss sports. The Vice show featured guests such as LeBron James and Magic Johnson, but also Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Sen. Cory Booker.
At a time when America was reckoning with its racial history, Champion solidified herself as a trailblazer for Black women in sports media, as well as a crucial voice for cultural commentary. Today, she regularly appears on CNN discussing sports, culture, and politics.
Champion is now hosting the fourth season of the podcast Naked with Cari Champion on The Black Effect Podcast Festival, which is a partnership between iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God, a media personality and a friend. “We kind of grew up together in this game. And when we first started figuring out or getting attention on a different type of level than we were used to, we learned a lot together,” she said of Charlamagne. “He put this network together for people who are beginning [and] people who are old-heads in the business. He wanted to make sure that all of us had a voice.”
It’s been an adjustment for a traditional TV reporter to transition into podcasting, but Champion said she’s found the medium to be a “much more freeing world.” When she’s speaking to guests such as talk show host Tamron Hall, singer Muni Long, or retired athlete Sanya Richards-Ross, she can “get lost in a conversation” and embrace a more casual environment than the structure of a cable TV show would allow.
Behind the scenes, Champion’s still doing her part to make sure there continues to be a pipeline of Black and brown women in journalism and beyond, too.
In 2018, she launched the nonprofit Brown Girls Dream and enlisted her celebrity friends to help mentor young women in a way that she felt she was never able to receive in the early years of her own career. “When I was at ESPN, I used to get all these emails from different Black and brown girls in the business. They wanted to talk to me about how they could [have the opportunity to] do the same thing [as me],” Champion said. “It fills my heart to see somebody actually get an opportunity to talk to somebody who can guide them through their career.”
Current Brown Girls Dream mentors include journalists Jemele Hill and Nichelle Turner, marketing executive Bozoma Saint John, and more. “These women are just the dopest ever and they take time out to give back to brown girls,” Champion said. “It’s special.”
When she reflects on representation in sports media roles, the Naked host said she’s inspired by the women of color she sees on television today. “I think women of color are doing great. It’s become more and more common to be on air and be Black girl magic,” she said.
“I think that the next level for us, in terms of Black and brown women in this business succeeding, is having true power over what our words are and what the content is,” she added. “Because, when push comes to shove and we want to really tell a story, we sometimes have to acquiesce, and we can't tell the story the way we want to. The next level is that we actually do have editorial control.”
"I think that the next level for us, in terms of Black and brown women in this business succeeding, is having true power over what our words are and what the content is."
Ultimately, Champion is still dreaming and looking to make an impact. She said she wants to eventually launch her own Black news network. “I would love to have a huge platform that focused on the stories that I think Black and brown women care about,” Champion said. “There are so many stories that are being missed.”
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Featured image Emma McIntyre / Staff/Getty Images