Questions You Should Be Asking During a Job Interview

Picture this: You’ve already made it past the many technical, hypothetical and get-to-know-you questions that many interviewers include on their interview agenda. As the interview winds to an end, the big question comes up. “Do you have any questions for us?”

At first, this question may not seem like an important part of the interview, but it’s huge. Not only is this a good opportunity for you to find out more about the company and the people that work there, it also shows the interviewer that you’ve done some research and are truly interested in the opportunity.

(Disclaimer: Before asking these questions, make sure you actually do some research about the company and interviewers beforehand. You can sometimes make things worse by asking a question you should already know the answer to, or asking about something you already discussed earlier in the interview.)

Questions about the day-to-day job and bigger picture goals

It’s always good to ask about what a day in the life of your job looks like, and more importantly how it ties to your bigger picture goals. In the long run especially, it’s good to understand what your contributions will be to the overall organizational goals.

• What does a typical day look like for someone in this position?

• What projects would I be working on in the first 3 months?

• What are some of the biggest challenges someone in this position may face?

  • This is a great question, but also be prepared to answer with a rebuttal on how you would be able to overcome those challenges.

• How does this position contribute to my team’s and the whole organization’s success?

Questions about future growth potential at the company

Career growth is important, and you should understand your potential for growth when starting with any new company.

• How involved are employees in structuring their own goals and tasks?

• What is the performance review process like at this company?

• How often will I be formally reviewed?

• What opportunities and routes for career development and skill development are provided at this company?

Company culture questions

Company culture can refer to the personality of the company. It’s important to ask questions about this because even though your skills and qualifications could be a great match for the position, your daily interactions with your coworkers can make all the difference in job satisfaction.

• How would you describe the work environment at this company?

• Can you tell me about the last team event you did together?

• What do you and your team usually do for lunch?

• Do you have any favorite office traditions?

• What is the work-life balance like at this company?

• Does your company have any internal affinity groups?

Questions to ask about the interviewer

These types of questions can be especially important, especially when the person interviewing you is your future boss.

• What do you enjoy most about working at this company?

• How did you begin working in this industry?

  • Sometimes it helps to research the interviewer on LinkedIn in advance, to help you better form a conversation and ultimately build a connection

• Has your role changed since you first started at this company and if so, how?

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

  • This may seem a bit random, but asking your interviewer where they see themselves in five years will help you better understand their vision for the future, whether that’s with or for the company or somewhere else.

At the end of the day, asking the interviewer questions about the position, the company and themselves will give you a better insight about what your future could potentially look like if you land the job.

If you’re ready to put these questions into practice, you can search and apply to any of our open positions at CyberCoders.com.