A Few Good Questions
I am often asked whether you need to ask questions in an interview if all your questions were answered during it. YES! YES! YES! You should always have several questions ready to ask at the conclusion of the interview when the interviewer says, “do you have any questions?” Asking questions shows the interviewer/s that you are truly interested in the position and that you are a thoughtful person.
The easiest thing to do is jot down at least three questions (five is better) on a notepad you will bring with you. Do this before coming to the interview when you are researching the company and the people with whom you will be meeting. If you get to the end and find that all of your prepared questions have been answered, here are a few good questions that I like to ask and like to be asked as an interviewer:
- How long was the person who held this position previously in the job and what are they doing now?
- What is one thing you like about working here and one thing you would like to change?
- How do you define success for someone in this position (for example, what qualities and accomplishments are most important)?
If you feel that the interview did not go very well and you are still interested in the job, you may want to ask “do you have any reservations about hiring me for this position?” If they say yes and are willing to tell you what those reservations are, you have an opportunity to address their concerns. However, this could be a risky question if you’re not prepared to assuage their apprehensions.