Blog

The Do’s & Don’ts of Asking Questions During an Interview

2nd May 2014 by Kiely Simm

At the end of every interview there is always one question that you can guarantee you’ll be asked… Do you have any questions? It is interview prep 101 to know this question is coming, and therefore you need to have something ready to ask. The important question is what do you ask?

This part of the interview is for both the interviewee and interviewer. It allows the interviewer to gage how interested you are in the role and the company, and also allows them to get a feel for how much interview preparation you’ve done. Likewise, it is important for the interviewee, as it allows you to ask any questions that might have come to light during the interview, and it also gives you the opportunity to ask any questions about the company or role.

The Do's

There are loads of questions you can ask so it is really important that you ask something! A good starting point is what does a typical day in the role look like? This allows you to get an insight into what the role really involves, and from that, it will allow you to make a decision on whether the role is right for you. In asking this, it also shows the interviewer that you are interested in knowing what the role entails, so that if they offer you the position, they can be confident that you know what your letting yourself in for!

'What Training is Available?'

It is always a good idea to ask about the induction & training process during a first interview – For many people this can be the difference between accepting a job offer or not. It will allow you to gage how much emphasis is put on career development within the company & it also shows that you are interested in career progression.

Do your research on the company so you know its clients, history & cultural stance. You can then ask questions about the progression of the company with a bit of context behind it – This will allow the questions to become more of a discussion & show that you have done your research, as well as showing that you have an interest in the company and its future.

And finally, another really good question to ask is 'why did you join the company?'
It’s a question that can catch interviewers off guard, but is a really good one to ask – It allows you to find out why other people decided to join the company, especially as the interviewer is likely to be your new boss so it allows you to get to know them!

The Don'ts

Asking the wrong questions at the end of an interview can be the difference between you being offered the job or not – It is best to avoid talking about money, or asking about holiday entitlement or sick pay. Of course, it is important that you know what you are entitled to before joining a company, but these discussion are best had outside of the interview room.

There are loads of questions that you can ask, so here are some good starting points to choose from:

• Ask about the role
• Ask about the company & its clients
• Ask about training opportunities
• And ask why the interviewer decided to join the company

Here's how to prepare youself for an interview, GOOD LUCK!