Questions to Ask at the End of the Interview

It's always tricky at the end of a job interview, when the interviewer has asked all her questions and now turns to you and says "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

Back when I was in HR, there was no greater turn-off that the candidate who said "No. I think you've answered all my questions." For me that just showed such a lack of curiosity  and I wasn't looking for uncurious people.

HR Guy points to this article on questions to ask during an interview. There are some great questions there and any one of them will (a) impress the interviewer and (b) give you some more information about whether this is a place you actually want to work.

My own personal favorite when I was being interviewed (as opposed to conducting the interview) was this:

"A year from now, how will you evaluate if I have been successful in this position?"

I liked this question because it showed the interviewer that I cared about being successful and it gave me solid information about whether I could be successful. Sometimes the answers were just plain unrealistic - and I'd rather find that out during an interview than months after I took the job.

Remember, looking for a job is like shopping for jeans. You're not looking for the first pair you find - you're looking for the ones that fit just right. When it comes to job search, good questions can help you get there.

Comments

[Kent Blumberg]

That's a good one. Thanks for the idea. Another one I like to use is, "What question should I be asking that I have not yet asked?" Works best if I ask a couple of good questions first, then finish with that one. I think I got it from Jeffrey Fox, in "How to Become a Rainmaker." (A good book for job seekers, by the way. It's about generating sales, and what is job search but sales?)

[amber]

hey, i went for an interview today for the local council. the interview was a complete mess,my mind went blank, i said things that didnt even go with the question i was asked and to top it all off, i asked the most stupidist question in the whole world........how do you think i answered my questions???? they just laughed..i couldt wait to get out of the room.. should i have asked that?was it breaching along the lines of asking..did i get the job????