Questions to ask

An interview is a two-way street. Ask questions. The employer should provide an opportunity for you to ask questions at or near the end of the interview.

Tips

• Always prepare questions to ask. Having no questions prepared sends the message that you have no independent thought process.
• Some of your questions may be answered during the course of the interview, before you are offered the opportunity to ask. If so, you can simply state something to the effect that you were interested in knowing about ..., but that was addressed during the interview. You could ask for additional clarification if applicable.
• Do not ask questions that are clearly answered on the employer's web site and/or in any literature provided by the employer to you in advance. This would simply reveal that you did not prepare for the interview, and you are wasting the employer's time by asking these questions.
• Never ask about salary and benefits issues until those subjects are raised by the employer.

Samples

If you are having trouble developing questions, consider the following samples as food for thought. However, don't ask a question if you are not truly interested in the answer; it will be obvious to the employer.

• What are the company's strengths and weaknesses compared to its competition?
• How important does upper management consider the function of this department/position?
• What is the organization's plan for the next five years, and how does this department fit in?
• Could you explain your organizational structure?
• How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? By whom?
• What are the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?
• Could you describe your company's management style and the type of employee who fits well with it?
• What are some of the skills and abilities necessary for someone to succeed in this job?
• What is the company's policy on providing seminars, workshops, and training so employees can keep up their skills or acquire new ones?
• What particular computer equipment and software do you use?
• What kind of work can I expect to be doing the first year?
• What percentage of routine, detailed work will I encounter?
• How much opportunity is there to see the end result of my efforts?
• Who will review my performance? How often?
• How much guidance or assistance is made available to individuals in developing career goals?
• How much opportunity will I have for decision-making in my first assignment?
• Can you describe an ideal employee?
• What is your organization's policy on transfers to other cities?