Blog Post: Be Prepared to Ask Questions

Following virtually every interview you’ll be asked, “What questions do you have for me?”  Do you know what to ask?  Do you know what not to ask?  This is a critical time of the interview where you must perform.  You have the opportunity to show you’ve thought about the job and what is important to you.  Asking good questions can set you apart from other applicants.  Asking bad questions can drop you from consideration.  My suggestion is to have several written down and ready to ask prior to your interview.  Even if the interviewer has already covered your questions you can still go through your list to show you were prepared.  Mention to them what your questions were.  Have the interviewer elaborate on a couple of them. 

A few good questions to ask:
• Why do you like working here?
• What do successful people in your organization have in common?
• If I am successful, what are the opportunities for advancement and/or additional responsibility?
• What is the company culture like?
• What values does the organization hold most important?
• Why do customers do business with you instead of your competitors?
• Where do you see the business five years from now?
• Is there anything you’d change about the company?