In my business career I interviewed hundreds of people, and as a teacher at Carnegie Mellon University I have mock-interviewed students to help them prepare for job interviews. On almost every occasion I found these interviewees to sit quietly, not engaging me or participating in the interview. They simply sat in front of me prepared to answer my questions but not to ask any of me.

This kind of response in an interview doesn't help. A successful interview requires a dialogue, not a monologue. This means that the person being interviewed for a job must also interview the organization that is hiring him or her. Both parties are looking for information about the other.

Every time I have said this to a CMU student, they have asked me, "Well, what questions should I ask?" After repeating myself so many times, I decided to write the questions in book form, "Ask the right questions; Get the right job". I found a New York agent who helped me format the book and, after a year, she found a publisher, but the publisher wanted 20,000 more words (to make the book thicker so as to raise the price). I had no more energy to give to the project and decided to give the book away on my website.

So, I offer you here, free of charge, my insights into the kinds of questions you should ask when you go to a job interview. The questions will help you as you decide, not just to accept a job, but whether you really want to work there. Let me know if this book helps you and let me know if you have any suggestions for improving the advice I offer.

Ask the Right Questions; Get the Right Job

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I wrote a love story as a Valentine's Day gift to my friends. I hope you enjoy it, especially those of you who are stuck in the house, unable to move because of the load of snow in Pittsburgh and the Northeast. Anyway, Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you find love, recognize it and cherish it.