Don’t just Answer Interview Questions - Ask Them Too

Suppose you’ve just had a terrific interview—you aced all the questions, spoke confidently and clearly, and had a good rapport with the interviewers. Is there any possible way you could fail to get the job after doing so well? Unfortunately, there is—and it’s something that surprisingly few job candidates think about when they’re preparing for an interview.

In many interviews, the last question you’re asked is something along the lines of “do you have any further questions?” Answer that with a “no”, and you risk losing points with an interviewer, no matter how well you’ve done up until then. Similarly, if you fail to ask any of your own questions, you’re missing a prime opportunity to set yourself apart from other candidates.

Asking questions of your interviewer allows you to accomplish several purposes.

• Reinforce an impression of you as someone who’s very enthusiastic about the job
• To find out any specific needs that the job will present
• Learn something about the company’s culture
• Determine if the interviewer has any concerns about your suitability for the position

Note that one thing you should not do is ask about salary and benefits. This should never be brought up by you, and definitely not in the first interview.

Here are some sample questions that will reveal more about the company, and establish your enthusiasm for the job at the same time.

• What is the most pressing issue the successful candidate will be faced with?
• What does the company expect the successful candidate will have accomplished within six months?
• What are the company’s short and long term goals?
• Can you describe the company’s code of ethics? Its culture or personality?
• How would you describe the company’s style of management?

Asking such questions can lead to valuable discussion, particularly if you can relate the interviewer’s answers to past experiences in your previous jobs. After asking your questions, thank the interviewer for the opportunity then restate your interest in the position. Ask about the next step in the hiring process, and then ask if the interviewer has any concerns about your interview, for example, ask “do you have any concerns about my suitability that I might address before I go?” This allows you to do any necessary damage control before the interview is over, leaving the interviewer with a much better overall impression of you.

Still Stuck?  Try using the "The Job Interview Secret"

Also, please review our Free Interview Tips section.  If you need more help, please consider using a Career Counselor.