Questions to Ask Your Interviewer

Soon, college seniors will begin the job hunt, and other students will start searching for summer work. It’s a great time to review common job interview questions and how to answer them. But what do you do when the interviewer asks if you have any questions?

 

Experts agree that this section of the interview can be the make-it-or-break-it point. At the very least, it’s a great opportunity to stand out. So what do you ask? The following questions are a great starting place. They’re questions that will garner useful answers in addition to making you look great.

 

This is a great query for an interview, and it’s important to ask even if you’ve already landed the job. Knowing what your employer expects from the position can shape how you answer interview questions and what you focus on as you begin the new job, setting you up for success from the very start.

 

This question incorporates an understanding of training, initial goals, and hesitations concerning your ability to do the job. If you’re interviewing for the job, this question shows your drive for success. If you’ve already landed it, the answer will show you what to strive for starting out.

 

This question could be limited to your position or could include the entire company. Learning the company’s history is important, but understanding whose work your interviewer respects is invaluable, especially if your interviewer is a manager or higher up in the company.

 

Knowing the functions that your position has served as well as the legacy of your predecessors can help you avoid pitfalls related to your job.

 

This question is really about company culture, but it ditches the term “company culture” and appeals to the interviewer’s observations and thoughts. Because you’re appealing to the interviewer personally, you’ll likely get a more realistic answer. The interviewer will be pleased that you care what they think, and you will have demonstrated that you care about being socially engaged in the workplace.

 

Again, this appeals to the interviewer personally. If the interviewer has worked the job you’re applying for or one close to it, their list of struggles can give you an idea of what you’re in for. Regardless of what the interviewer says, you’ll learn about some aspect of the company and the resources available to you.

 

This combines asking about concerns the interviewer may have in hiring you with the intention of overcoming personal deficiency. This question is especially powerful at the end of a first interview, because it allows you to compensate for whatever gaps the interviewer deems most important.

 

 

Many of these questions may be geared toward people who have already been offered a job, but they also work well for those currently interviewing. These questions will convey intentionality, initiative and commitment to all future employers.