How to Ask Good Questions at an Interview

Recently, we've been discussing good questions to ask at interviews--preparing thoughtful, intelligent questions to ask about the employer's business and about the position are key to making a good impression in an interview.

The trouble is, good questions must be specific--and show that you've done your research. So here are five types of questions. Before your next interview, make sure you have one of each:

1. Ask about the company's future (of course, make the question relevant to the research you've done). For instance, "What are some of the major initiatives or projects on the company's horizon in the next five years?"

2. Ask how you can help the team. For instance, "What are some skill gaps or development areas of the current team?"

3. Ask for granular details about the position (but don’t ask anything that could be found out by reading the job description or by researching the company). For instance, "What are the primary things you expect me to accomplish in my first 60 days here?" or "Can you describe a typical week in this position?" or "How is success measured in this position?"

4. Toward the end of your interview, ask for a chance to assuage any doubts the interviewer has. For instance, "Now that we’ve talked about my qualifications and the job, do you have any concerns about my being successful in this position?"

5. Ask for next steps. For instance, "This sounds like a great fit for me. What are next steps--when can I expect to hear more from you?" And then, after the hiring manager says something like "We hope to know in a couple of weeks," you can say something like "Great! I will talk to you then." That way, if he or she gets too busy to call, you won’t feel strange or nervous about picking up the phone yourself.

 

 

 

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