Questions to Ask - LM

Interviewing:  Questions to Ask

You are probably aware that asking good questions is the easiest and most effective way to convey your interest to an employer.  Asking good questions also shows that you want to find out as much as you can so that you can make a well-informed decision if offered this job.  

Do not worry about trying to memorize these suggestions. If you can get one idea from this post that helps you gain an offer, it was worth spending time on this.

Here are some ideas about questions to ask during your interview.

Questions about the day-to-day duties:

You no doubt would want to ask what kinds of things you will be doing on a regular basis in this job, and whom you would interact with. 

1. What do you think constitutes success in this job?

2. What are three ways I can contribute to the company beyond the job description?

3. What are the most difficult problems that this jobs entails? 


4. What would you most like to see done in the next 6 months? 


5. How can I best contribute to the department’s goals?

6. How will the work I’ll be doing contribute to the organization’s mission?

7. What do you see as the biggest challenges of working here and how can I overcome those challenges?

8. How has this position changed in recent years?

Questions about the qualities of the ideal candidate:

1. Who would make the ideal candidate for this position?
2. What were the best things about the last person who held this position?
3. What should the new person do differently from the last person? 


Questions about the Company:

1. Are there products not presented on website which the Company has developed, or is representing?
2. Are there plans for an expansion of product areas or expansion of the physical headquarters??
3. Who are the main competitors, and how is the Company performing lately compared to the competition?
4. In general, what is the future business outlook for the Company for the next 2, 5, and 10 years?”
5. What changes do you envision in near future for this company?


Valid questions that need to be well placed in the interview:

Although these questions are very valid, asking them too early in the interview conversation might prevent you from learning more pertinent information that will help you decide if the job opportunity is right for you.  These questions would be better left toward the end of the interview:

 

1. Why is this position available right now?  
2. How many times has this position been filled in the past 5 years? 
3. How much freedom do I have in the decision making process?

4. What are the options for advancement? 

Questions that shouldn’t be part of a 1^st interview process:

Of course, you should steer clear of asking any personal questions or any questions that are not directly job related. 

Also it’s not a good policy to ask questions that you should know the answers to already.

1. What does the position entail?
2. What exactly am I expected to do?
3. How long has your Company been in business?

Lastly, questions that make the interview seems about “what’s in it for you” are never welcome in a 1^st interview

1. What is your vacation policy?
2. When can I start taking vacation days?
3. How many sick days do I get?

Of course, the more research you do in advance, the more you can ask specific questions about the company’s recent news, blog posts, product launches, plans, etc.  But here’s the bottom line:

 

Ask questions that demonstrate genuine interest in the organization and how you can fit in to their success.

 

Remember, also, that job interviewing is a two-way-street! By asking questions, you can get a much better sense of the Company you’re thinking about working for, and the extent to which you’d even want to work there.

An interview can be just like a date, and a date is a two way street -- where both parties are seeing if this is a right fit. The dater who talks and talks, even if a good match, seems disinterested in the other person. It's the same with interviewing.  Show that you are invested and interested in the person, by asking good questions.