We know that asking questions at the end of a job interview is important. Not only do you get to learn something, but your curiosity reflects well on you as a candidate. If you don’t have any questions during your job interview, a hiring manager might assume that you haven’t done your homework, or aren’t very interested in the position. It’s also important to remember that an interview is your best shot at figuring out whether or not you’ll like the job. Asking good interview questions about corporate culture, management style, and what happened to your predecessor is totally appropriate and important for job seekers. Here are some great interview questions to ask in a job interview:
What are the challenges of the job?
Alison Green via US News suggests this as a more discerning way to understand what the job is really like. You also show your interviewer that you are interested in— and not intimidated by— challenges. Interview questions like this not only help you understand the job, but they place you in good light with the interviewer.
Can you describe someone who really excelled in this position?
Also from Alison Green, this interview question shows that you want to be an exceptional employee, not just a good one. This question also likely brings back good memories of success, and connects those stories to you in the interviewer’s mind. That can’t hurt.
How long do people usually stay in this position?
Interview questions like this are really important for job seekers. A high turnover rate could be a red flag. Unless, of course, employees are promoted fairly quickly within the company rather than leaving. Follow up politely on this question until you feel that you have a firm grasp on how long you can expect to stay in the position and with the company.
What do you like best about working here?
This is another great way to gauge whether or not you want to work for the company (though it’s cleverly disguised as a conversational question). Our own Josh Tolan, via Fox Business, suggests that this interview question will give you a good idea about whether or not employees are excited to work for the company— and whether you might be excited once you start working for them.
What are the next steps?
This is a great question job seekers can use to end the interview. As a job seeker, you’ll get some much-needed information about the rest of the hiring process, and it shows that you are forward-thinking and interested in pursuing this job with the company.
These are generic questions that will serve job seekers well in any kind of job interview. However, definitely ask some more specific questions of your interviewers about the position and the company if you can. Did an article just come out in the paper about their United Way contributions? Do you happen to know they had a record sales year? If you did good homework, show it!
Now, a topic for discussion. To ask or not to ask about salary during a job interview? I think you should ask, politely. We’re called job seekers, not volunteer work seekers, and everyone knows that pay is important. Thoughts? Leave a comment below, or send me a tweet: @ithinkther4iamb #moneytalk
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by Mary Mathieson
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