3 questions you're allowed to ask before a job interview

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When I was a recruiter, I was surprised by how infrequently I'd hear from candidates before an interview. I assumed they'd have tons of questions about a variety of different things, and in all honesty, I was prepared to answer a lot of them. And yet, once interviews were scheduled, I didn't hear from most people until they stepped foot in the building for the first time.

This made no sense to me at first — until a few of my friends explained to me that when there's a dream job on the line, they assume that the wrong pre-interview question will ruin their chances. If you're like a lot of my friends and are unsure about what you can and can't ask, know that these three are not only allowed, but expected.

1. You can ask for more specific directions to the office

I'm a firm believer in the fact that if someone isn't explicit about how to get to the office (or in larger buildings, what to do once you get there), you should be proactive and bring it up. And yet, I know a lot of people who are afraid to ask for additional directions or instructions, even though they understand they're running the risk of getting lost and being late for the interview. So, if you look the office up on Google and literally can't find it (this does happen), or know it's in a big, fancy building with security, don't be scared to reach out.

How to ask

Unless you're meeting with a company that has a huge neon sign glowing from the roof, many offices have unique quirks that can make it tricky to find them. It might be a weird highway exit, or a door that requires a code to get in, or a security desk that'll take 15 minutes to process you — whatever the case may be, use the template below to get the information you need.

Dear [Hiring Manager],

Thanks so much for scheduling my upcoming interview. I'm excited to speak with you in more detail about the position. In order to be as prepared as possible, I wanted to reach out and ask [what floor your office is on/if there's a security desk/the best place to park/where the building's located in the complex].

Best,
[Your Name]

2. You can ask who you'll be meeting with

It's important to know who you're meeting in each interview. And not only when it comes to having enough copies of your resume. Part of your pre-interview work should include researching everyone in the room (in a non-creepy way, of course) so that you can come up with relevant questions, understand personalities, and sound as informed as possible.

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