Dear CareerBabe:

I have an interview for an executive assistant position with a software company this week. I really would like this position. I never seem to be able to come up with questions for my interviewer.

I need help with what I should ask him. He has written 5 books, and travels quite extensively. The company opened this office a few months ago, it is a Chicago-based company.

Please help me....

Dear Hopeful:

This is really quite an easy exercise because I'll bet that anyone who has written five books has a fairly large "ego." I would go to a great bookstore and look at each book he has written. Be sure you look at the publication dates, earliest to most recent, so you know what subjects interested him early on and then now. There's sure to be biographical information about the author in these books; be sure you know it COLD.

When you meet him, ask these questions:

• How does your business generate revenue? From the books? From consulting? From the software?
• How closely related are your books to your business?
• What area of your business do you want to grow?
• What does you need done so that happens?
• If there is a headquarters in Chicago and another office in Florida, is this a sales office? Customer support? How often will he be down there?
• What activities will occur from the Florida office?
• What exactly does he expect you to do Day 1? Within 30 days? Within 3 months?
• and then a year?
• Where does he see your position growing?

I have a hunch if he is in the software business that these books help him sell software but are really an offshoot . . . If that is true, you'll need to find out how he expects you to help him enlarge his revenue stream. If you can, call into the software company and talk to someone in technical/customer support BEFORE your interview.

I'll bet you become not "Hopeful" but "Happily Employed" in Florida quite soon.

Best of luck,