Interview Questions
If you participated in any job interview you know that they end with “any questions for us?” This is a vital part of the interview process for both you and the employers. Hiring managers will use this as a red flag to see how well prepared you are and what research you did beforehand. For you, this is a chance to learn even more about the job and company you are hopefully about to embark on.
When doing your interview research keep track of the questions that come to your mind. Some of them may be answered by a little more sleuthing and others may get larger. Remember there are different categories of questions for you to ask. You can ask about the job and the functionality of it or you can ask about the company or business and more broader themes.
Some examples of job themed questions are:
-“Why is this position available?”
-“Where do you see the successful candidate in three months?”
-“Can you tell me more about the day to day tasks of this position?”
Some examples of broader questions could be:
–“What do you enjoy about working for this company?”
-“Can you tell me more about the companies goals?”
Questions to not ask would be “how much does this job pay?” or “what amount of benefits or vacation do I get?” These may come up in the interview and are important to discuss so you have an idea of your compensation, but they are not the type of questions the employer is looking for when they ask you. Payment and benefits will be covered before you are hired, asking them now will make them seem like your main priority, not the work itself.
Ensure you have several questions prepared before the interview. Chances are, some of the questions you have will be answered during the interviewing process. More questions may pop up while you are talking, you may end up asking them in the middle of interview, leading to a discussion which is a great way to engage with your interviewer. Don’t try and force this, you will have a chance to ask at the end (and if not in your follow up email). If, by chance, you ended up asking all your questions during the interview (or had them answered), don’t panic and try to come up with something last minute. Tell them that’s what happened, even list them again “I think you already answered most of my questions, I was interested in learning more about why the job is open and what training I can expect and I believe we went through all of that” It may result it nothing but it might end up in another conversation or more details being discussed. Always be truthful. Sitting with a blank stare on your face while you desperately try to think of more questions will lead them to think you are unprepared and all your hard work and research will have been for nothing.
Good Luck!