Questionnaire Questions for Pastoral Job Applicants

Over the past two decades, I have entered a few application processes for pastoral employment. Many local churches, and some other faith-based organizations, like to use questionnaires in weeding/screening out prospects. They will receive resumes (and sometimes applications) and compare applicants. Then they rank them and send a questionnaire to their top prospects. In some cases a follow-up questionnaire is sent after the first round of cuts and the list of prospects is narrowed down. These steps often occur before a phone or in-person interview. It is common for these personnel staff groups to take their time and have quality prospects move through several stages of the applicant-candidate process. Each ministry organization varies in how they carry this out but be sure of this, if you ever seek a job as a pastor or ministerial staff person in a faith-based organization, like a local church, you can expect many relevant questions will come your way.

Over the years, I created a master questionnaire reservoir on my computer. This personal resource included all of the questions I received and my responses to those questions. This way I could tap into any previous responses and update them accordingly as needed and as the Lord led.

The people on the employer/organization side of the process seek to learn more about the applicant, especially as it relates to the specific job responsibilities that person is applying for. During the applicant process, they are pondering (hopefully prayerfully) whether that person can do the job well, fit in their organizational culture, and should they move forward with the applicant. It is not all about them, though. The applicant should also be prayerfully asking questions and learning more about the ministry organization and its people, but this write-up is about questionnaires given to pastoral applicants.

Below are examples of questions, and subjects to respond to, that I have personally received as an applicant for various pastoral job positions in a variety of churches the past twenty years.

Personal & Family:

- Contact information

- Marriage, divorce, separation history

- Children names, ages, genders; salvation? baptized?

- Please describe the social/cultural setting in which you were raised.

- How do you function as the spiritual leader of your family?

- Briefly describe your salvation testimony.

- Briefly describe your baptism testimony. When were you baptized? By immersion?

- Briefly describe God calling you to ministry work.

- Spouse saved? If yes, when?

- Spouse baptized? If yes, when, how?

Education background:

- College academic programs/degrees completed, working toward, …

- Certifications, special training credentials

Ordination, licensing information

Experience background (especially ministry related but also transferrable skills from other experiences):

- Name of organization/ministry.

- Location, contact info.

- Role/responsibilities.

- Noteworthy accomplishments, achievements.

- Duration.

- Why did the experience/job end? Or why do you desire to leave?

- May we contact your former/current manager?

Experience and vision related:

- Philosophy of ministry (your priorities, key strategies).

- Describe your experience/training and vision for ministry in each of the following areas: Christian Education, Family Ministry, Discipleship Development, Small Group Development, Assimilation into Church Life

- What role does discipleship play in your life?

- What activities characterize your evangelistic interest?

- Briefly summarize some of the spiritual milestones in your life.

- What is your missionary vision for your role in the church?

Strengths, Weakness, Abilities, Personality

- What are your special talents and abilities?

- Your spiritual gift(s).

- Your personality type. What personality type do you best work with and what type do you struggle with?

- Strengths overall. Strengths in ministry.

- Weaknesses. Personal and ministry areas where you need to improve.

Challenges and Conflict:

- Describe a failure, a disappointing or difficult season, in your ministry and how you grew from it.

- How do you respond to criticism? Please give us a personal example.

- Have you and the Lord been able to remove a bad habit from your life?  If so, briefly explain.

Spiritual Disciplines:

Please comment on the significance of the following in your spiritual walk:

- Prayer, witnessing, fellowship, giving, Bible study, learning, stewardship

- Please provide information regarding your daily quiet time.

Doctrinal Questions:

Briefly summarize your views on the following:

- Holy Scriptures

- The inerrancy, authority and infallibility of the Bible

- God the Father

- God the Son

- the Virgin birth

- the Atoning work on the cross

- the Resurrection

- the Present work of Jesus Christ)

- God the Holy Spirit

- Sin

- Nature of people

- Salvation

- Election/Predestination

- Free Will

- Eternal Security

- Baptism

- Lord’s Supper

- Angels/demons

- Church

- End Times

- Signs/Miraculous Gifts,

- The Lordship of Jesus Christ in one’s life

- The cultivation of holiness in the church

- Baptism of infants

- Creation

- Do you believe the Bible is God’s revealed Word to man, inspired by the Holy Spirit in its entirety without any error?

- Could you explain your opinion about the Calvinism vs. Arminianism, reformed, debate and which school of thought or variations do you adhere to?

- Do you believe that Adam and Eve were real historical characters?

- Do you believe the miracles described in the Bible actually occurred as they are recorded in the Bible?

- Do you believe Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life and died on the cross taking upon him the sin of all mankind?

- What are the ways that you understand an individual can obtain eternal life in heaven?

- Describe your image of the ideal disciple.

- What is the relationship between faith and good works?

- Do you feel that you meet the qualifications for an elder as identified in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9 & 1 Peter 5:1-4.  Yes or No

- Which are your strongest qualities?

- With which requirements do you have the most trouble?

- What do you believe is the role of an Elder? 

- What do you believe are the roles of the Pastors?

- Having examined our doctrinal statement, do you find yourself in total accord? Yes or No.

- Do you adhere to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000?

Other Questions; statements to respond to:

- Which version of the Bible do you prefer and why?

- What’s your favorite Bible verse? 

- Why are you interested in being considered as a candidate for the role of ? at ?

- What contribution do you feel you could make at ??

- Co-habitation (living together outside of marriage)

- The issue of abortion

- Financial management

- Tithing

- Are you excessively indebted?

- Please explain what accommodation the church should make regarding the issues of

- homosexual behavior

- premarital cohabitation

- social drinking

- The use of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs

- How do you practice hospitality?

- What are your views on courting vs. dating?

- Tell of a time in your life when you lived by faith, totally trusting God.

- What are your convictions in the area of personal separation from the world?

- Questionable practices/organizations like secret orders, ecumenical movement

- What is the health status of you and those who would be coming with you?

- If you lack experience or feel unqualified in any of the areas related to this job description, describe how you would compensate or overcome weakness in that area.

- Is there anything you can think of that would keep you from giving at least three years of service to our church? (e.g., Health of parents, children’s plans, etc.)

- Are you aware of any reason that someone may have to question your suitability to serve as ? at ?? If so, please explain.

Leadership, teamwork, administration:

- Have you demonstrated an ability to lead and motivate people to love and serve the Lord?  Please explain.

- If you were supervising someone who had your temperament and your level of experience and education, how would you do it? In other words, what would help a supervisor bring out the best in you?

- If a volunteer under your supervision was not doing the job you expected them to do, what are some things you would do to address the problem?

- How do you delegate responsibility?

- How do you achieve accountability?

- Administrative accomplishments.

- Have you had any background in evaluating and recommending improvements to ministries, procedures, and ministry space? If so, describe your experience.

- How do you supervise, motivate and develop staff, interns and lay leaders?

- Oral and written communication.

- Computer skills.

Music/Worship Style:

- What are your convictions and preferences in the area of music?

- How are you musically?  Instruments? Vocals?  List any musical talent and any ministry experience in the area of music that you or your wife have.

- What are your views on the “seeker” sensitive approach to ministry?

Learning, reading, pastors/speakers:

- If you have read a book or attended a conference that was particularly meaningful to you in the last year, tell us about it, and tell me why it was meaningful to you.

- Who is your favorite Christian author? 

- Are there any preachers, writers, and organizations that you particularly admire?

- Have you ever read Rick Warren’s book Purpose Driven Church?  If yes, what did you think of his approach?

- List any periodicals that you are currently reading.

 

Age, Gender, Niche related:

- Do you have a specific age group that you are most comfortable with?

- What do you believe to be the greatest needs of youth today?

- What curriculum and materials have you used for music, Bible study, and

evangelism in working with youth or singles?

- Explain your views on the role of women in the local church.

- What do you believe to be the greatest needs of singles today?

- Outdoor activities, camp management and/or experience.

Spouse related:

- Please explain your wife's attitude toward your ministry and your expectations of her involvement in the church.

- What plans would your spouse have regarding employment?

- Does your wife currently work outside the home?  Has she worked outside the home in the past?

- In what church-related activities has your wife participated?

Personal Time:

- How do you like to spend your leisure time?

- If you had several months of free time, assuming adequate funds, what would you work on?

- What television shows and movies do you like to watch?

- What is one of your favorite family activities?

References: name, contact info, your relational context

- If selected as a candidate, do we have your permission to perform a child abuse/criminal background check? If so, please initial here:

Attestation

If you affirm that you have answered all questions honestly before the Lord and desire to be considered for the position of ? of ?, please sign below.

Candidate’s Signature:          ?                                                              Date:  ?                      

Wife’s Affirmation

Do you believe that your husband is qualified to serve as ?or at ??

Xm Yes    m No  

Do you have any reservations or concerns about your husband serving as an ? at ?? No

As the candidate’s wife, do you fully support him in this decision?      Xm Yes    m No  

Wife’s Signature: ?                                                                              Date:  ?                      

If you have any questions for the Search Committee, please submit them on a separate sheet.

Along with this questionnaire, please submit a recent photo and a CD or DVD of a recent sermon that you have preached.

*******************************

Wow! There were many examples of actual accumulated questions I have received from churches, over the years, as an applicant for a pastoral job position.

From the perspective of the hiring ministry and/or pastoral applicant side, what are your thoughts on these questions?

And do you have any suggestions for additional pastoral applicant questions?

Mike

Do I Need a Cover Letter?

Some people on the hiring side of the job application process (i.e. hiring managers and search committees) desire and request cover letters while others do not. Recruiters for large contemporary companies are not so likely to want or read your cover letter. A supervisor in a smaller professional department is more likely to read your cover letter.

For some job application processes, the cover letter is definitely not needed. For example, if the job is an entry-level hands-on job like in the food, retail, or construction industry then a cover letter is not likely to be requested or even read. In the professional business world, however, cover letters are still being used, to a degree. You probably cannot guarantee it will be read on the other end, but then again, your cover letter may push you through to the interview stage.

Cover letter necessity is not always an exact science mostly because some professionals in the hiring channel are not into reading them while others are and you may not know which camp they fall into. An important rule of thumb when it comes to an application process is always read, understand, and follow the instructions. If the instructions note to NOT include a cover letter then do not include it. If a cover letter is requested, be sure to include it. This is all part of the screening process. When you do not follow instructions, it does not reflect well on you as a job candidate. Even if requested, the cover letter still may not be read, but that is not in your control, just be sure to share a quality brief relevant cover letter. That is your responsibility. If the cover letter is not requested and not prohibited, I suggest including it with your resume if the job position is professional.  

The truth is cover letters are not always read. Some consider them secondary or optional in comparison to the resume even though its name inherently points to it coming first. I personally prefer to read a resume before someone’s cover letter because I am initially wondering if this candidate has a concise, organized, professional, and relevant summary of his or her qualifications. If I like what I see in the resume, then I will read the cover letter. The resume may be read first and someone on the hiring/screening side decides you are not moving forward with them, so there is no need to read the cover letter. Also, if your resume data file is run though the organization’s scanning program (i.e. ATS is becoming more common among larger innovative places) and does not make the cut moving forward, human eyes may not ever look at your resume or your cover letter which decreases the odds of you moving forward with them. This could be overcome with networking or some divine grace which I have seen happen.

What is the cover letter anyway? I was learning about cover letters thirty years ago while in college and now I am in a higher education counseling role where I coach students and alumni in developing professional documents like the resume and cover letter. I see the cover letter as a personal communication tool that pairs well with your resume to help you move forward in a job application process (or graduate school admissions). Can you write well; at an adult, professional, educated level? Can you be creative in introducing yourself, why you are interested in the organization/position, how your passion/values match up, how you are qualified, and how you can contribute value to them and grow and learn with them moving forward? The cover letter is a writing assignment to be taken seriously in this context.

The goal/purpose of the cover letter is similar to that of the resume, to help you gain an interview, to move forward in the process. The cover letter is different than the resume; in that it is a brief quality letter about you (i.e. backstory, what you bring to the table, goals, etc..) and about them (i.e. organization/position; what their main thing is, what they are good at, etc..) and you connecting dots to and with them and their position. Connect your story (past, present, and future goals) to the job you are seeking with them. The cover letter is a professional writing assignment that builds a bridge from you, along with your resume, to their organization and the job role you are applying for showing why you are a good fit. And remember, every step of the application process, including the cover letter, is part of their screening process. No pressure. You can do this. Combine some faith, due diligence, research, and assistance.

Here are some specific tips.

Basic Structure of a Cover Letter:

Name/Contact (yours)

Business Heading

Contact Name/Greeting

Opening Paragraph

Middle Paragraph(s)

Closing Paragraph

Final Salutation

Name/Contact:

Include your contact information, once on the cover letter; name, email address, phone…. Consider repeating the content/look of your name/contact from the top of your resume.

Business Heading:

Date

Organization name/address

Contact name/greeting: Ideally, you address the letter to the recruiter or hiring manager contact name, the person who reads your resume and cover letter and considers whether you move forward with them or not. If it is not clear who this person is, do some research and consider contacting them for the name otherwise go with something like “Dear Hiring Manager”, ‘Dear Director’, ‘Dear Search Committee’.

Note: include blank rows before/after the above three entries

Opening paragraph:

Catch the reader’s attention early and draw them into your writing. Introduce yourself professionally in a way that is relevant to them. Answer questions like why you are writing to them, why are you interested in this organization and in this particular job role. Convey your passion and heart toward their main thing and be enthusiastic about the potential of working with them.

Middle paragraph(s):

Describe how you are a great candidate for this specific job and how you believe you can benefit the company. Mention how you can contribute to their mission and help with their needs. Point out your relevant academic background, specific achievements, and/or experience that is applicable to the job position but do not copy/paste or repeat chunks of your resume. Include examples of your energy, initiative, and eagerness to learn from them. Mention some transferrable/soft skills that you would bring. Note some key words/phrases from the job description that you match up with well.

Closing paragraph:

Reiterate your interest in the position and your enthusiasm for using your skills to contribute to the work of the organization. Indicate you are enclosing a copy of your resume. Be very gracious and thank the reader for his or her time and consideration, and end by stating that you would like the opportunity to talk with them about this position and how you believe you are a match and you plan to follow up with them soon (like within one to two weeks).  

Final Salutation:

Write something like “Sincerely,” followed below, after a blank row, by your typed name.

Tips on the positive side of cover letter writing:

- Stick to one page, 3-4 paragraphs, and no more than 3/4 of the page

- Use a font size around 11 or 12

- Use an easy-to-read conservative font like Times New Roman or Calibri

- Be consistent with formatting

- Avoid using bolding or underlining

- Avoid beginning too many sentences with “I”

- Always be honest/truthful with your cover letter content

- Left-justify the paragraphs, instead of full-justification, because it is usually easier to read quickly

- Include some conversational tone in your writing and come across friendly and likeable, someone they would want to meet and join their team. Put yourself in their shoes as to the type of person they would like as a new employee with them.

- Indenting paragraphs? Yes, if you have no blank rows between paragraphs. If you include blank rows between paragraphs you can skip the indented first lines.

- Use excellent grammar. In my higher-education counseling role, I often notice grammar problems like a missing word, the wrong word, too many words or not enough words in a sentence, and poor paragraph and sentence development. Perhaps writers rush through it and/or they need to develop quality writing skills.

- Proofread, over and over again, looking at formatting, spelling, grammar, any mistakes, etc.. and ask someone else (i.e. a professional with cover letter writing/reading/critique experience), to look over it as well. Remember, if your cover letter is read and it is poorly written or looks unprofessional, it will decrease the likelihood of you receiving an interview.

- Combine self-confidence with humility. One aspect of the cover letter is to sell what you bring to the table, but do not do this with arrogance and self-absorption. Give a vibe of confidence in your strengths, experiences, abilities, and accomplishments and also write with a tone of humility, teachability, and flexibility and that you can work well with others.

- When it comes to cover letter samples, there are many on the internet. Try searching career coaching/resource web-sites.

Sharing your Cover Letter (and resume):

Most cover letters today are shared in data form by attaching a file in an email or uploading in an online process. You are going to have to decide which format to send. The most common are MSWord or PDF. With PDF, most human readers will see the same standard look that you see. If you are attaching your resume in an email, consider including your ‘brief” cover letter in the email text window instead of attaching a cover letter file or you could attach the cover letter and resume as one data file. If you are only allowed to upload one file, include both documents in the same data file with the cover letter first. Always check your final copy/version in its sending format before you send/upload it.

If you are sharing your cover letter in paper form, then use the same quality and color paper as your resume. Do not staple the papers. You can use a paper clip if you have multiple documents. Do not fold these professional papers.

Tips on the negative side of cover letter writing:

- Do not go long or extra wordy

- Do not go extremely short like one paragraph with a few sentences

- Do not end up with an obvious cover letter template or generic version; do customize and make it personal and relevant to what you are apply for

- Do not use the header/footer features of MSWord

- Do not write like it is all about you!

- Do not use future tense/language that comes across like you can guarantee a future outcome or you are in control of something that you are not in control of (like the recruiter interviewing you or you “will” make things better in their company)

- Do not give the vibe that you are using them as a stepping stone. Do not tell the employer that you want to “start out” at the company, as this reads like you will be leaving as soon as you are trained and have some experiences under your belt.

- Do not use italics or color fonts

Remember, your cover letter is a customized professional personal letter about you, the organization/position you are applying for, and how you match up well with them and the job position. Give due diligence to its excellence and relevance.

                                                            

What is your experience with needing or not needing a cover letter and what cover letter tips do you have?

Mike Mullins

Tips on Interviewing

 Okay, so you have moved forward in the application process. Someone on the other side likes your resume and maybe your cover letter and references and/or a networking contact spoke well of you. The next big step in an application process is often the interview (or a questionnaire which is popular for ministry paths). Will you be ready?

The interview consists of one or more people on the hiring/management/search side who seek to check you out further as a potential candidate for hire, to learn more about you and see if you are likeable and qualified to move forward with them. This will be a two-way interaction usually centered around questions and answers, although for some interviews you will be asked to give a presentation. A panel interview refers to multiple people on the employer side being present for the interview. For her current job, my wife had three people in the room interviewing her the first time and then when they called her back for a second interview there were seven people on that panel. Seven! And if you are applying for a church pastor position you may end up before committees, boards, and the entire church membership (those who come out) who may have the opportunity to ask you questions.

The means of interview connection vary today. You may be interviewed by phone, video-conference, or in person. Each has its own uniqueness. Over the phone, the emphasis is on what is said and heard. You can pick up on tone but not body language. Over video-conference, you add what is seen “on camera” which includes body language if that is within the video frame. If interviewing by video, test your technology in advance, select a location and background that is not distracting with what can be seen or what can be heard. Also, look into the camera often and do not read answers to questions given you. When you interview in person you can experience the full presence of people in the same room which adds nuances like touch, shaking hands, more personal eye contact, and scents (hint: you do not want to smell strong in either a positive or negative sense). 

Here is a basic outline of interview tips:

•      Preparation

•      What to bring & Appearance

•      The Interview

•      Making Contact Again

Preparation

•      What are the logistics? Date, time, location/means. Some interviews are ‘out of the blue.’ You are called, or pulled aside, without notice and interviewed on the spot. I remember nearing graduation in seminary when a pastor visited the school offices and I happened to come by and was introduced to him. He began interviewing me on the spot asking me questions like, ‘What are you passionate about?” I also remember one ministry leader who called me out of the blue and asked if I was interested in being interviewed for a pastor role and I did not even know about that opening. Someone in my ministry network passed along my resume to this particular leader. I believe most job candidates have advanced notice of their interview. Mark your calendar and be ready. If you have to travel to a place you are not overly familiar with, map it out, test out the route and timing, if possible. Always plan to show up early (10-15 minutes).

•      Learn about the organization and position; be familiar with what their main things are and connect dots from you to them and vice-versa

•      Review how you are qualified; what you bring to the table for this job

•      Practice answering common interview questions. They are not likely to give you any or all of their interview questions in advance and you cannot know all of the possible questions that may come up. You can and should; however, prepare for some common questions and have great self-awareness in how you are a good fit/match with their organization and the particular job at hand. Expect that some of the questions will be about your skills and experiences in relation to the context/scope of the job you are applying for. Some common questions are also likely to pop up like these.

•      Tell us a little about yourself, your background leading up to this stage in your life.

•      What are three strengths you have?

•      What are a couple of your weaknesses related to work?

•      What type of personality do you have?

•      How do you deal with, cope with, stress?

•      Describe how you respond to criticism aimed at you?

•      Describe how you address relational conflict in your life? Give us some examples.

•      Describe a disappointing or difficult season in your life and how you grew from it.

•      Talk about some accomplishments in your life.

•      What types of things have you learned from your current/recent job, or recently in college, that you can apply to the job you are interviewing for? 

•      Describe some teamwork experiences in your past; how you worked together, your role, your contribution….

•      How did you prepare for this interview?

•      Why should we hire you?

Note: You need to be able to pitch yourself briefly and concisely with relevance. Follow the 5 Finger Rule; assign 5 relevant strengths/qualities of yours to get across, one per finger. For example, Detail Oriented, Excellent Communication Skills, Fluent in Spanish, Leadership Abilities, and Related Work Experience.

•      Aside from practicing alone how to answer questions consider scheduling a mock interview with someone, or a team, who knows how to interview and give you honest feedback. In the higher-ed career counseling environment where I work, we provide mock interviews. I have given such interviews one-on-one or we will have 2-3 interviewers on a panel. On the interviewer side, we prefer to have advanced knowledge about a real, or hypothetical, organization and job posting because this provides scope/context to the interview questions. We usually meet for one hour. The first 30-40 minutes cover the Q/A of the interview, as if it was the real interview, and the last 20 or so minutes we provide feedback and tips moving forward. It is our goal in providing feedback to affirm what was done well and to critique what could have gone better (areas for improvement).

•      Prepare to respond to some questions with personal examples and stories that bring your skills and abilities and accomplishments to light

•      Prepare to use the C-A-R model; Challenge-Action-Result

•      Prepare some relevant questions that you will ask. Have a few (maybe around five) questions pre-written that you can refer to before the interview is over. Note, some or all of these questions may be answered during the interview. Avoid questions that are answered easily by the job posting, already in your applicant process of communication, the main pages of the organization website, etc.. Here are some sample questions.

•      Do you have any hesitations about my skills and qualifications for this job?

•      In what way is performance measured and reviewed in this job?

•      What do you like about working here?

•      Please describe a rewarding experience you have had working here.

•      If you hired me, can you tell me about the people I would potentially be working with?

•      Why is this job position open and available right now?

•      Does the company offer any professional development training or further education opportunities/benefits?

•      What does career advancement and progression look like within the organization; for this job?

•      What is the next step following this interview?

•      When can I expect to hear back from you?

What to Bring & Appearance

•      Interview impressions are important, especially if this is your first time meeting with or officially interacting with the interviewer(s) about this job  

•      If the interviewer(s) are going to see you, it is better to upward dress a little than to under dress. Also, be well-groomed and have good hygiene.

•      Bring copies of our professional documents (i.e. resume, cover letter, references page) in case they do not have them handy

•      Bring a padfolio with a notepad and something to write with (don’t take notes with your smartphone)

•      Bring your written questions to ask just in case you cannot rely on your memory

The Interview

•      Be early

•      Use people’s names who are present in the interview with you

•      Make good eye contact

•      Give quality handshakes

•      Pay attention and listen well at the what they say and their questions

•      Follow instructions and answer according to their exact/complete questions

•      Speak clearly and concisely

•      Wrap up your responses clearly, land the plane quickly and well; do not hesitate and delay

•      Display some enthusiasm and passion

•      Ask a few relevant questions

•      Take a few notes

Do not:

•      Allow your mobile device(s), like your phone, to be a distraction

•      Dress inappropriately

•      Appear bored

•      Chew gum

•      Sound arrogant

•      Talk negatively about circumstances and other people

•      Talk too loud or too softly

•      Ramble on too long with your talking and answers

•      Use one-word or super brief phrases for most of your answers

•      Use slang

•      Ask about salary/compensation details until you receive an offer

•      Make the sound, use the phrase, “um” much in your transitions

•      Slump in your seat

Making Contact Again

•      Send the interviewer(s) a thank you. The best kind is a hand-written personal note about your experience and affirming the interviewer(s), noting something positive about him or her. A secondary, quicker method, is to send an email thank you.
•          Be sure to note your continued interest in moving forward with them (unless something has changed on your end; then you can bow out politely and with good etiquette)
•          Follow-up: What is next? Once you make it through the interview stage, the people on the employer side are likely to contact you in the near future They may not follow up as quickly as you would like, so you need some patience and follow up with them periodically for a status update. I would not just wait passively since some employers like an eager assertive persistent employee candidate. Show some occasional persistent interest but not obsessive annoyance. They will possibly contact you with news of moving forward with them, which may continue ton to another interview, questionnaire, or even a job offer. They may also contact you with news that the current application/interviewing process has ended for you and they are no longer considering you as a job candidate and are moving forward with other candidates. In this case, they may not give you a clear and honest reason, but you can ask for more specifics. If they give you a reason(s) this may or may not be constructive for your personal development and learning. 

     What tips do you have for interviewing and what do you think about what I have shared here?

Mike Mullins