Job seekers should always have questions of their own to ask in the interview. Being strategic with the questions you ask will ensure a better interview, a stronger performance, and a boosted shot at getting the job.
Always ask these 3 questions in your job interviews:
Question 1:
Say your ideal job candidate walked through the door. What qualities would that person have?
You may be afraid to ask a question like this because you believe you’ll put yourself in a negative light, but that isn’t true. Ask this question near the beginning of the interview, and you’ll have a blueprint for how to best answer their questions for the rest of the interview. You’ll know what they care about most, and can highlight your skills and accomplishments accordingly.
Question 2:
Based on this conversation, can you see me being successful here in this job?
Yes, it can take some courage to ask a question like this–but if you do, you will boost your chances of actually getting the offer. Why? Because if they say yes, you will have nudged them toward an important psychological point where they’ve committed to being in favor of hiring you. If they say no, you can find out right then why not and possibly clear up any issues. Many job seekers have turned around a negative interview this way, and received a job offer they would have otherwise lost.
Question 3:
What are the biggest challenges of this role?
This is a great way to uncover critical tasks or potential pitfalls. Once you know what the challenges are, you can show them how you’ll use your skills to conquer those challenges, or how you’ve approached and solved those kinds of problems before.
Find out more questions to ask, how to research the company, and lots of interview dos and don’ts in our Free Job Interview Prep Kit.