What Questions Can You Ask In An Interview

Questions To Ask In A Job Interview

Interviewers will be focused on finding out if youâre the right fit for the position, but itâs also important to decide if the company is the right fit for you. Have a list of questions to ask in a job interview. These questions should be about:

Be careful not to ask questions already answered in the job description. Itâs important to go beyond those general duties to understand everything the job entails.

1. Can you offer specific details about the positionâs day-to-day responsibilities?

2. What would my first week at work look like?

3. How does this position contribute to the organizationâs success?

4. What do you hope I will accomplish in this position?

5. How does the company culture affect this role?

6. What job shadowing opportunities are available for an applicant before they accept an offer?

Proceed with caution: If rather than going into detail about the primary responsibilities listed in the job description, the employer rambles off many more duties — they may be asking you to take on more than you initially thought.

Most likely, the interviewer is the first contact youâll have at this company â they could even be your future boss. Asking questions can help you understand their attitude, company values, and where the companyâs future is heading.

7. What do you enjoy most about working here?

8. Why are you working in this industry?

9. Can you walk me through your typical work day?

11. What is your teamâs greatest accomplishment?

Can You Walk Me Through A Typical Day Here At Company X

Having the day laid out for you from beginning to end is a smart way to get a quick overview of what is expected of you outside the job description. I was hired for a job once where all the employees were expected to participate in a group physical activity before starting our day.

Had I not asked about a typical day I would have been completely unprepared for my first day and unable to participate. Not a great way to start out a new job!

How Much Of The Student Population Are International Students

Diversity, inclusivity, and equality are trending values universities are racing to adapt to. A healthy and diverse student community is a sure sign of progress. Its beneficial for students to have exposure to various cultures and ethnicities.

How much of the student population are international students is one of the good questions to ask at a university interview. Asking it helps you learn more about the schools efforts to accommodate everyone and equalise education.

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Questions You Can Ask

What type of work will you be doing?

• Can you tell me more about the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of this position?
• What would a day in the life of a _____ with your organisation look like?
• What challenges will I have in this job?

What training and progression opportunities are there?

• What kind of induction or training programme will I complete when I begin the job?
• Will there be opportunities for increased responsibility?
• Is there a regular performance review? How is this organised?

What are the people like?

• Can you tell me about the team I will be working with?
• How big is the team I will work with?
• Does the team work closely with other teams?

Whats the organisation like?

• What is the culture of the organisation like?
• What are the biggest challenges and opportunities the organisation is facing right now?
• Where do you see the organisation headed in the next few years?

What Was Your Salary In Your Last Job

This is a tough one. You want to be open and honest, but frankly, some companies ask the question as the opening move in salary negotiations.

Try an approach recommended by Liz Ryan. When asked, say, “I’m focusing on jobs in the $50K range. Is this position in that range?”

Maybe the interviewer will answer maybe she won’t. If she presses you for an answer, you’ll have to decide whether you want to share or demur. Ultimately your answer won’t matter too much, because you’ll either accept the salary offered or you won’t, depending on what you think is fair.

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Interview Question #: Is There Anything On My Resume I Can Clarify For You

If a recruiter or hiring manager has a question, then generally you will be asked, but this is a polite way to ensure there are no questions. Alternatively, you could ask the interviewer if there is anything on the resume to give them hesitation about hiring you. Both of these questions can help resolve any qualms the interviewers may have about continuing with your application.

Questions About The Company

7. How would you describe the culture here? What type of people tend to really thrive here, and what type dont do as well?

Sometimes hiring managers are pretty bad at accurately describing the culture on their teams in part because they have a vested interest in seeing it a certain way and in part because they have an inherently different vantage point than their staff members do. For example, Ive heard incorrigible micromanagers tell candidates that they like to give people a lot of independence and autonomy and they probably really believed that about themselves. So take managers descriptions of culture with a heavy grain of salt , but theres still value in hearing what they do and dont emphasize.

But asking about what types of people tend to thrive versus those who tend to struggle can get you more revealing information. Youll often learn what that manager really cares about in their employees, or which traits will set you up to clash with them, or whos likely to bristle at their management style.

8. What do you like about working here?

You can learn a lot by the way interviewers respond to this question. People who genuinely enjoy their jobs and the company will usually have several things they can tell you that they like about working there and will usually sound sincere. But if you get a blank stare or a long silence before your interviewer answers, or the answer is something like the paycheck, consider that a red flag.

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What Clients Would I Be Working With

While it’s important to know some of the company’s clients in advance, this question gives you more insight into the kind of projects you will be a part of. Make a mental note of your interviewer’s answer so that you can research the clients they discuss. Use this information to decide if these are clients you are interested in working with.

Interview Question #: How Would You Describe The Company Culture

Asking about the workplace culture will tell you about the atmosphere you could be entering. If you are a talkative, energetic employee, you wouldn’t be a good fit for a company where there is minimal interaction or communication other than about work. If you feel the culture is a good fit, you can express your desire and enthusiasm for potentially working in it.

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Tell Me A Little About Yourself

If you’re the interviewer, there’s a lot you should already know: The candidate’s resume and cover letter should tell you plenty, and LinkedIn and Twitter and Facebook and Google can tell you more.

The goal of an interview is to determine whether the candidate will be outstanding in the job, and that means evaluating the skills and attitude required for that job. Does she need to be an empathetic leader? Ask about that. Does she need to take your company public? Ask about that.

If you’re the candidate, talk about why you took certain jobs. Explain why you left. Explain why you chose a certain school. Share why you decided to go to grad school. Discuss why you took a year off to backpack through Europe, and what you got out of the experience.

When you answer this question, connect the dots on your resume so the interviewer understands not just what you’ve done, but also why.

Do You Like Working With A Team Or Working Alone

This really depends on what opening the job seekers are applying for. Is it a desk job that only requires them to be by themselves self or is it work that demands coordination and communication with others?

If you analyze that the applicants are people who are flexible, willing to do multi-tasking, and wouldnt be bothered if at times they work alone or with a team, these could be the best professionals to hire.

This question has more importance at this time due to the current remote working environment.

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How Do Students Handle Stress

This question is one of the good questions to ask at a university interview because youll find out whether the university actively promotes healthy living. Do they give their students proper outlets to reduce stress?

Promoting team building and extracurricular activities are great ways to help relieve students from intense academic pressures.

Questions You Should Not Ask In A Job Interview

Ok, now that you have some surefire questions you can ask that will impress hiring manager lets go over the types of questions you should avoid asking. As youll see, these questions reflect poorly on you and paint you as a less than ideal candidate

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Are Technical Skills And Organizational Skills Good To Mention

While these are great skills, they don’t make you stand out amongst other applicants or candidates. These are common skills that a manager will hear frequently.

Consider what the manager will hear during their talent acquisition process. How many times will they hear a job candidate mention they’re a “very good communicator?” Consider what talents or skills make you an exceptional candidate while being bold and unique.

Interview Questions About The Organization:

Be authentic when asking and answering interview questions, and you’ll be great.

Preparing job interview questions to ask the interviewer is just as important as preparing to answer the questions they’ll ask you. Take your time and be thoughtful with your answers and questions. Use good judgment as to how many interview questions to ask, as well. If time feels like it’s flying by and the interviewer is engaged in your discussion, then keep asking questions until you feel it’s time to stop. It’s best to go in with at least three to five questions to ask in an interview and take it from there.

Click on the following link for more job interview advice.

Nervous about your next interview? Prepare with an expert interview coach from TopInterview today!

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What Interview Questions Are Illegal

Off-limits interview questions center on unchangeable or highly personal aspects of a candidates identity.

Illegal interview questions include those pertaining to:

• Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation
• Race, Color, or National Origin
• Religion
• Citizenship

If a candidate brings these topics up, then it is advisable to steer the conversation onto other subjects. A candidate may inquire about reasonable accommodations and the inclusivity of your work culture, at which point it may be pertinent to outline your organizations benefits, diversity efforts, and willingness to support underrepresented employees. However, as a rule, you should never pose interview questions related to these topics, and should defer these discussions if the candidate initiates them.

The legality of asking about criminal background during interviews is more complex. In most places, it is not illegal to ask candidates about criminal records, but employers may not deny applicants based solely on conviction history without conducting an individualized assessment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission warns against placing conviction questions on job application forms. Most employers wait to ask about criminal conviction until the late stages of the interview process.

Questions About The Department Where The Open Position Is Located

This is a critical line of questioning because you’re getting to know the specifics of your coworkers. You’ll also see the types of processes that your coworkers abide by to generate success.

• Who is the person that I’m directly reporting to?

• Can you explain more about the department that I’ll be working with?

• Is there another coworker that I’ll work closely with other than my manager?

• What do you believe are my manager’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?

• Is there going to be more hires in this department over the next year?

• Is there another department that I’ll be coordinating with daily?

• Is there a common trajectory for people who’ve previously worked in this department?

• What opportunities do you see from working with this team?

• Are you aware of team-building activities that this department participates in?

• How much of an impact do you believe this department has in regards to the success of the company?

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Essential Questions To Ask Your Interviewer

So, youve given thoughtful, well-considered answers to your interviewers questions well done. Thats the hard part complete but the interview isnt over yet. As things start to wind up and youre asked if you have any questions, dont say no! This is your time to shine. Asking the right kinds of questions in an interview not only shows that youre genuinely interested in the role, its also a great opportunity for you to get a sense of what it might be like working in it.

Dont try to simply wing it by asking the first question that pops into your mind. Prepare for this part of the interview as you would for the other questions t. That means not asking for information about something that is mentioned on the companys website, such as when it was established. That will show you havent done your homework.

We asked Catalina Consultants Senior HR Consultant Stephanie Moffitt about the best questions shes been asked in interviews and why.

Heres what she had to say.

Zoom Interview Question #4 Whats Your Biggest Weakness

This is, undoubtedly, one of the hardest questions to answer during a Zoom interview. It is one of those questions where lots of candidates end up failing because they give a weakness that is going to be required in the role. Before we give you a great answer to this tough interview question, heres a list of weaknesses to avoid.

So, what is the BEST WEAKNESS to give in a Zoom interview? Lets look at our example answer:

WHATS YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS? EXAMPLE ANSWER

My biggest weakness is that I get anxious if ever I have to give talks or presentations to large groups of people. However, this is an area I am keen to build confidence in, so if the opportunity came up in this role to develop my skills in this area I would be keen to give it a try.

And another good weakness to give in a Zoom interview is:

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Questions About The Hiring Manager

Asking questions about the hiring manager shows that you’re willing to make a distinct connection with them. The type of questions you ask can determine your candidacy for this role, so be careful and concise when asking them.

• How long have you worked with this organization?

• How long have you been a part of this industry?

• What is the most rewarding experience since you’ve started with the company?

• How has your role evolved in your tenure with the organization?

• Why did you decide to work with this company?

• What position did you work in before this one?

• What is the best part of working for this organization?

• How would you define your career path leading up to this point?

• What is the most challenging aspect of working with this company?

• What would you have done differently with your career path?