What to ask during an interview

Every job hunter can attest to this fact that interviews can either make or break your job application. The entrance exam can be tricky but when you thought the hardship was over, well then think again! Interviews are a combination of your technical and people skills merged into a somehow formal, gut wrenching (for some who have trouble talking to new people) and awkward (if interviewee haven’t really prepared himself with the questions asked leaving him clueless) interaction between you and the representative of the company that you’re trying to get in.

Most interviews happen in closed doors for about 15 to 45 minutes depending on the situation.

I’ve had friends who admitted that during interviews the most common questions will always be “what are your strengths and weaknesses?”, “Why do you want to join us? “, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” and the list continues.

However, most of the people I asked agreed that the hardest question that they even had to answer was, “Do you have any questions for me?”

No matter how prepared they are, hearing those words, they are immediately placed them into a state resulting to them rattling out there answer and sadly ruining the good run of their interview. So in this post, let me compile a good number of questions to ask to your interviewer.

Salary

Yes I ripped the band aid very early in this segment.

Especially when you’re trying a new position, it definitely feels like a need to know how much you will be earning when you join them. I haven’t tried or haven’t heard someone directly talk about their salaries, like asking this kind of question, “How much will be earning if I come here?”

As tempting as it may be, don’t be direct to the point with this one. Make sure to give out a vibe that cares more about the job role than the job salary. This will give you a bigger chance in passing this interview at hand. Negotiation will still happen. So make sure to choose your timing. If this is purely personal interview (your background information, family, dreams, personality etc.) or a technical one, don’t bring the money offer just yet. If you’re still in the mood to bring it up, you can say it in a way that you’re asking the interviewer’s side. Be more focused on them instead of yourself. It’s entirely different story when he asks you directly about your projected salary. You can be direct and honest about that. But if this happens during the end, you can refer to the sample below.

Sample Question: “During your time here in Company X, how’s the growth both professionally and financially?”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Make the question clean, concise and safe. You’re almost done with the interview, you can do it!

Culture

A lot of companies if not all, give true value to their culture or Philosophy.

In your final moments during an interview, make sure to depict a person who is very interested to adapt and learn about their practices and their ways. It is also your time to get to know the company from the inside away from the descriptions and reviews you read in the internet. Through this, you can also get a heads-up on the work ethics that they value and the practices you should follow when you eventually work for them.

Sample Question: What are the company’s values? What characteristics do you look for in employees in order to represent those values? (Source: Glassdoor)

In case you’re applying at a company that is really known for their products/services e.g. Secret Recipe for the Krabby Patty or the technique in a breathless 15 minute massage, you may want to spark your interest in inquiring more about it. This shows that you did your research or you use the product, but you’re also in a position to know more about it in the long run.

Sample Question/s:

1. Is it true that there is a Krabby Patty Secret Formula? If it’s possible, can you tell me more about it?

2. I’ve heard a lot of things about the Product X; can you give me more insights about the latest updates? Will I need to prepare for certain skills in case I’ll be working on that product?

Success

Being in a job where you can see progress and development is a must for job finders. Knowing this fact, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask about the future you will have in the company. You can also ask on how to reach that with the current skill set that you have. It shows that you see yourself getting old and developing in their country. It also gives the impression of you wanting to stay longer and hold a higher position in the organization. It shows ambition as well as humility. It’s better to ask now than discover for later.

Sample Question: “In the currently role I’m applying at, can you say how many years will it take for it to be successful? How will you know if it’s already successful?

Team

You can also talk about team or ask if you will belong in one. It matters that the interviewee asked who and how many people the team will be. This gives the interviewer an idea that you are concerned on the team and on what you can bring into it. One should be careful when asking about members as it would also show a side of you not wanting to work with others.

Sample Question: “If hired, will I belong to a team? Can I ask what will we be focused on (this shows that you’re interested with the team’s purpose) and on the number of people whom I will be working with? I really wanted to see what I can do to contribute for the tasks when I join”

Result

If you want to be bold or just want to spice up the conversation, you can always end with, “How did I do?” For not so formal interviews, I would usually do this if I believed that I have built a relationship with the interviewer in our time of talking to one another. It also gives me the idea to distinguish whether the interviewer will pass me or not. In case you don’t have a good relationship or its unknown, you can always end with a subtle way to ask like asking on what’ next or when will you hear from them.

Sample Question’s”: “How did I do?” “What’s next after this interview?”

I hope this simple guide an help you in your upcoming interview or you future job applications. This can also work for other types of interviews like scholarships and entrance interviews. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!

Do you have other questions that you ask during interviews? Comment it below! Share it post to help your friends who are preparing for interviews :)

Until next time,

Frances ❤