5 Great Questions to Ask During the Interview

As your job interview comes to a close, it is now your turn to ask the questions! In fact, your interviewer will expect you to have some questions so take this opportunity to get the answers you need and to show that you are serious about the job.

The best way to do this? Like the rest of your interview, plan ahead and have a list of interview questions of your own ready to ask when the time comes. Not sure what to ask? For starters, don’t ask questions you can already find out on your own – like your job scope which would have already been discussed during the interview, the projects the company is working on (Google can tell you this easily!), what your benefits are (all in the ad!). Instead, think of questions that are more out of the box and will be handy in helping you succeed should you be hired, like these five we think you shouldn’t miss.

#1 What do you expect from the candidate in the first three months?
This is a good question to ask because it shows your interviewer that you are invested in the job and want to make a positive contribution. The answer will also help you map out your career progression and the areas you need to focus on if you get hired.

#2 What do you think will be some of the challenges for the person you hire?
Very valuable info to tell you more about the work you’ll be expected to do and even the people you will be working with! Maybe the project requires exceptional multitasking skills (which you can share how you have approached it in the past) or your immediate manager is somewhat a perfectionist (which gets you ready to be full-on detailed in your reporting). You don’t have to make a pitch on how you’ve managed to overcome similar challenges but if the conversation leads to that, it won’t hurt your interview. More importantly, the answer will give you some perspective on what you can expect if you’re hired.

#3 What do you like about working here?
By the end of the interview, the person interviewing you might have warmed up a little. So by asking this at the end, you may get a more honest and accurate picture of what it’s like to work in the said company. People who genuinely like what they are doing will be sincere about their questions but if your interviewer takes a long time to answer and her replies don’t seem genuine, it’s something to think twice about.

#4 What are the prospects for growth and advancement?
This tells you how much the company values the growth of its people and what it will do to support it. Bonus point if the interviewer can share real-life examples of employees who’ve made it to the top through the support and opportunities provided by the company as this highlights that you too have the chance to go all the way up if the company recognizes your potential.

#5 Do you have any concerns about me being able to take on this role?
If the interviewer is really interested in giving you a chance to prove yourself, he or she will tell you what your weak points are and how you can improve on them if you are hired. Or maybe you can provide a better explanation when the interviewer brings up something she’s not too keen about. But if the interviewer doesn’t seem interested to find out more, she might not see you as someone who’s right for the role.

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