Читать книгу Professional Practice for Interior Designers - Christine M. Piotrowski - Страница 154

You too will have questions when you interview. Some of the ones you initially planned to ask may have been answered during the interview discussion. There might not behave much time to ask your questions, so use the time to help you better understand the company and show the employer that you are the right person for the job. Questions you might ask include:

 Can you describe your expectations of me during the first year?

 What are the job responsibilities of this position?

 Will I be working with only one designer or several (for an entry‐level position)?

 How many people work in the company?

 What are the company's plans for growth or expansion?

 Are many other people being interviewed?

 How will I be evaluated for raises and promotion possibilities?

 When will you be making a decision?

Salary discussions might occur during the course of the interview or more likely near the end. Employers are going to want to know what kind of salary you are looking for. Be prepared to give a salary range, but if possible wait to do so until the employer has indicated what the salary will be. If you are already employed in the profession, they will ask what you are currently being paid. If you ask for too much, you probably won't be given an offer. If you ask for too little, they may believe you don't have any confidence in your skills and thus drop you from consideration.

Employers, of course, want to hire you at as low a salary as is reasonable for the position. But do not sell yourself short. If the salary offer is way below what you need to live on or is way below what you understand the competition is paying, say so. Compensation levels are often based on several factors. Most commonly, compensation is based on years of experience in the profession, along with other beneficial and relevant experience. Education and technical skills also affect compensation.

Benefits are also part of compensation. Benefits such as health insurance, reimbursement of professional association dues, and employee discounts are important parts of the compensation package. If it is not brought up, ask about benefits like NCIDQ fees and professional dues payments. You should read the section in Chapter 29 on compensation and benefits.

Finally, if you are interviewing in a city with which you are unfamiliar, research the cost of living there before you go for an interview. Investigate costs of housing, food, gas, and other items of daily life. You might be able to get this information from a local bank or the chamber of commerce. These costs can have a major impact on the actual salary level.