Second Interview Questions You Can Expect

You just got the triumphant phone call … no, you haven’t scored the job yet, but they want you to come in for a second interview. That’s great news! Clearly, the company likes you; now it’s your job to convince them that they love you. The process for a second interview is most often a little different than the first, so make sure you come in prepared. Review the common second interview questions below so you can ace your second interview the same way you did in your first:

“Tell me about yourself.”

Chances are you won’t be meeting with the same person who interviewed you when you came in the first time; in fact, there’s a good chance you’ll be meeting with multiple people during your second round of interviews. Which means you’ll still have to have your elevator speech down pat. But to really shine during your second interview, try to tailor your opening introductory lines to the person(s) you’re interviewing with. When you set up the second interview, ask for the names and titles of the person or people you’ll be interviewing with when you come in again for round two, then do your research. Try to find out more about each person you’re meeting with and what their primary responsibilities are, and then try to fit in a tidbit about yourself that will pique their interest specifically. For example, if you find out that you and the department head you’re interviewing with graduated from the same college, be sure to mention it! It’s an easy way to establish instant rapport with your interviewer.

“Can you give me an example of a time when you …”

During your second round of interviews, expect to do more of a deep-dive. The first interview was most likely with an HR person weeding out candidates who are bad fits for the company overall — now you’re likely to meet with higher ups within the actual department you’ll end up working with, so they want to know how you’re a good fit not just for the company but for the department and specific position itself. Which means you can expect to get fewer questions about your general background and skills and more questions that are meant suss out your personality and problem-solving skills. Don’t let these behavioral questions catch you off-guard; check out Ploymint’s guide to behavioral Q&As to bone up before the second interview.

“Do you have any questions for me?”

You probably came to your initial interview armed with questions to ask, and you’ll have to do it all again during your second interview — but make sure you come with different questions in mind this time! Remember, you’re most likely going to be meeting with several key members of the department, so you can tailor your questions to each person after you’ve done your research about them. Your interviewers will be able to tell that you’ve done your homework, and you’ll get more interesting answers in response, too.

“So, what are your salary expectations?”

Ah, yes, the end of the second interview is a prime time for bringing up the salary question, so don’t let this blindside you. Before your second interview, research salary ranges for positions at companies similar to the one you’re applying for so you can get a good idea of what a reasonable salary for the position would be; job review sites like Glassdoor make it easy to compare salaries across different fields and companies. You can counter the question above by asking the interviewer what the salary range for the position is. If you’re disappointed by their answer, then you can confidently say, “That seems a bit low. Based on my research, the salary for a position like this for someone with my experience and skill level would be somewhere around X.” This lets the interviewer know that you know what you’re worth, and you didn’t just pull a number out of a hat. Now the conversation can continue to whether that salary range is flexible (yay!) or firm (boo!); either way, both you and your potential new employer will leave the interview on the same page.

First impressions are important, but the impression you make during your second round of interviews is what’s going to determine whether you get the job offer or not. Come prepared, refreshed, and confident, and you’ll ace this second round, too. Good luck!