Remember an interview is a two-way street: this is your chance to get to know people you will work with as well as a chance for them to get to know you, so come prepared with questions.

Below are some sample questions to get you started. Feel free to include these or add some of your own.

From prospective boss you want to know:

•What their managerial style is like •How long they have been with company •What are expectations for role •Are there a staff, budget and timeline in place to meet those expectations

From people on your team you want to know:

•What they like about their job and their manager •How long they have worked with company •What other industries, if any, they’ve worked in and how this company’s culture compares to their previous employer

You will want to send a thank-you note to members of interview team, so make sure to get a business card or email address of everyone you met with so that you can send notes later that same day or very next day at latest.

While it is helpful to discuss interview with close friends and family members, only you can decide whether or not this is right job for you. Has your current company grown so large that entrepreneurial spirit you originally went there for disappeared? Is there better opportunity for advancement at this new company? Are you making move because of a change of lifestyle (recently married, new baby on way) and if so, how will one more big change affect already delicate balance of work and home life you’ve set up for yourself? Armed with answers to these questions, you will be better prepared to decide whether or not this is really dream job you want in a company you can call home.

Their passion about their work and its message kept them going. Passion kept Disney and Einstein and Kipling going, too. That's because passion is most powerful self-motivator any of us can have. It's what drives us to use our talents and abilities. It's one criteria I've found most helpful when selecting people in my twenty years of management. You can teach most skills. But you can't teach passion.

People who are winning at working believe in themselves and their dreams. They're not likely to view setbacks as failures, roadblocks as dead-ends, or negative critique as fatal. It's their passion that keeps them going when others give up. It's their passion that provides strength of purpose, resilience, persistence and confidence to keep trying. It's their passion that helps them differentiate between opinion and fact about who they are and what they can do with their life. It's their passion that guides them.

Like Babe Ruth said, "It's hard to beat a person who never gives up." When you are passionate about your work, your dreams and your life, you don't give up.

(c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.