For many job seekers, job interview prep means getting your answers ready for the toughest interview questions–and there’s no doubt this is important. But remember–interviewing is a two-way street. They’re looking to see if they want to hire you, and you need to know what will make that happen. You also need to know if this company is somewhere you can shine and advance in your career. The questions you ask can give you all the information you need.
Asking questions also makes you stand out as a candidate. You seem more intelligent, more enthusiastic, and you elevate the conversation from a one-sided interrogation into a conversation between professionals. You establish better rapport, and discover what the interviewer is looking for–so that you can tailor your answers to what’s going to make the best impression–and get you hired.
5 Killer Questions to Ask in Your Interview
1. “Tell me about what you’re looking for in this position?” You want to know what’s on their wish list for someone to hire. Knowing helps you know what to focus on in your interview answers. You could also ask, “Tell me about the best member of your team?” You want to know what has made the top performers successful. What skills or characteristics do they have? Then you can point out similar skills and qualities that you have that will allow you to be a top performer here, too.
2. “What’s the greatest challenge for this position?” Same idea. You want to know what the hiring manager’s greatest problems are so you can tell him how you’re going to solve them. You can talk about similar situations you’ve dealt with, and show how you already know what it takes to be successful.
3. “What do you like or dislike about working for this company?“ Asking this question gives you insight into the company and even more help with the responses you give. This is a great question to help you find out if you’re a good cultural fit for this job, too.
4. “Are you confident that I’m a person who can meet the challenges and issues that your company faces?” What you want to know here is that you’ve told the interviewer what they need to know to make a confident decision to hire you. This question will help you uncover any objections while you’re right there to answer them. Maybe there’s some doubt the hiring manager has about your experience or abilities, you can find out what it is and speak to that. It’s sometimes hard to do, but it’s worth it. (It becomes easier and more effective if you practice with an interview coach first.)
5. “What’s the next step in this process?” I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to close the deal. You can’t leave the interview without asking for the job. Not only will you give yourself a little more peace of mind by knowing what their timeline looks like, you demonstrate that you’re proactive and confident as well as give them an idea of how you’ll deal with customers.
Asking these questions leads you to give impressive answers and creates a very successful environment for you to have a killer interview.
Check out these additional questions to ask your interviewer.
Best of luck.