Questions To Ask During A Job Interview

Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 11:02 am

Asking appropriate questions in a job interview can help you in your quest for a successful job interview but also work well in helping you decide whether the role is suitable based upon the interviewers answers to your questions. Here is a list of questions that you should consider asking the interviewer, however remember that they are interviewing you not the other way round so, don’t ask more than a few throughout the interview.

1. How did the job come about?
You can find out if this is a new role through company expansion, or if the role arose due to an employee leaving, if so (at 2nd interview stage) it would be reasonable to ask why they are leaving.

2. How long was the previous employee in the position?
If they were only in it a short period of time then ask about the employee before him/her, if he/she was also only in it for a short time then you need to ask the interviewer why they did not last long in the job.

3. What are the salient tasks?
Ask the interviewer what the most important tasks are expected of the successful applicant. Once they reply you can say “that is great because one of the areas upon which I have most expertise is related to that..(and give an example).

4. To whom does the role report?
For your own sake you need to know who you will report to should you get the job, ask if you would have an opportunity to meet this person in the interview process. This shows enthusiasm from your end while providing you the chance to get information on the person you might be reporting to.

5. When can I expect to hear from you?
A positive pro-active demeanor will reflect well upon the interviewer so before the interview ends politely ask when you should expect to hear back from them.

When asking questions during your job interview you should do so in a polite, friendly tone, it is important that you do not come across in a confrontational manner as that would severely damage your application. You should be aware of the different types of job interview and know in advance what type of interview you will be facing.