I. Introduction
Planning for an interview can be intensive. Not only do you have to prepare for questions hiring managers ask, but you should also prepare some of the most popular questions to ask in an interview for the employer.
This way, you can decide if it’s the right position for you and you’ll come across as prepared and interested in their job. Being ready for anything will help you relax during stressful interviews and appear more professional. But don’t worry, I have you covered.
Instead of thinking of random questions to ask in an interview on your own, we will go over the 39 most popular questions that are ideal. They can make a huge difference in how your interview goes and could get you a second interview or even that perfect job.
So, let’s get started!
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II. Questions To Ask in an Interview
When interviewing for your dream job, you have a lot to consider if you want to put your best foot forward. Knowing some interesting questions to ask at the end of the interview can help you stand out among other potential candidates and be more likely to secure the job you’re interviewing for.
Coming prepared with questions about the company, you can show them that you care about the role and are ready to know more. This approach can also give you the information you need to decide if the job is right for you, or if you need to expand your search for a new job.
I’ve designed this guide to help you both:
1. Prepare some perfect questions to ask at the end of an interview
AND
2. Feel more confident and appear more professional
Of course, you may be asking why you should ask questions in an interview. Taking this approach has several benefits for potential employees, which I list below:
- Appear eager to work with the company
- Show interest in the organization
- Come across as professional and prepared
- Help gain a better understanding of the company and the role
- Improve your chances of getting hired
- Help you decide if the role is right for you
If you are short on time, here are the 39 most popular questions to ask in an interview:
- What can I do to impress you after starting the job?
- What skills and experience should an ideal candidate have?
- How does onboarding work?
- How long does initial training last?
- How soon would I start working on a project/with clients?
- What would be my day-to-day responsibilities?
- How does the position contribute to the company?
- Do you expect the responsibilities to change in the next year?
- Are there any opportunities for advancement?
- What learning and career development opportunities would I have?
- Will I have the chance to take on stretch projects and develop new skills?
- Would I have the option to attend industry events for the company?
- Is this a new role?
- Did the previous employee advance from this position? Where to?
- What is the work environment like?
- Can you tell me about who I’d be working with?
- Will I have anyone reporting to me?
- Do you plan on hiring more people for this department soon?
- What did you do before this?
- How long have you been in your position?
- What do you enjoy most about the company?
- What’s one challenge you’ve faced in this job?
- What upcoming project excites you the most?
- What are the company’s values?
- What’s different about working here compared to other jobs?
- Where do you think the company will be in five years?
- What’s the performance review process?
- What goals or metrics will performance reviews cover?
- Are there opportunities for hybrid/remote work?
- Do hybrid and remote employees receive the same opportunities as those in the office?
- How much travel is expected?
- Is overtime expected?
- What is the dress code?
- What do you and the team do for lunch?
- Does anyone on the team hang out outside of work?
- Can I clarify anything about my experience and qualifications?
- What else can I do to help you?
- What are the next steps in the interview process?
- If given a job offer, how soon would you need me to start?
1. What Can I Do To Impress You After Starting the Job?
Now, this may seem obvious or too straightforward, but it shows that you have drive. One of the best questions you can ask is how to impress your potential boss. This one will help you make a better first impression and learn how you can contribute to the company early in your position.
Maybe the interviewer will tell you that showing up early can help impress them. Or perhaps they think that developing a good relationship with your colleagues or clients is the thing to do.
Pro Tip
If you need to do things that you aren’t comfortable doing, you may choose another job. Of course, some jobs will push you out of your comfort zone. However, you shouldn’t have to do anything unethical or that is too uncomfortable.
2. What Skills and Experience Should an Ideal Candidate Have?
Understandably, knowing what skills you need is essential for getting a job. So, you can see how asking this question will help you compare your experience to the company’s expectations and understand how they match (or don’t!).
If you have some other unique skill, you could mention that and share how it could help you and the company in this potential role. However, you should absolutely never lie in a job interview because you don’t want to get the job and not be able to do it.
3. How Does Onboarding Work?
Before you get into the nitty-gritty of what a job entails, you’ll need to go through onboarding. Different companies may have unique new-hire training or onboarding processes. So asking about that is one of the best questions to ask in an interview as an employee or potential candidate.
A company’s onboarding procedure may involve a bit of training, especially if you’ll use proprietary software. In some cases, you may only receive a quick tour of the office, so knowing what you can expect for training can help slow things down a bit and help you prepare.
Important
Ask what you can provide before starting the job to help the onboarding process. Then, you may not have to spend as much time on the boring stuff when you want to start working.
4. How Long Does Initial Training Last? Who Does the Training?
Some positions may require extensive initial training. The amount of training you’ll get can depend on your role and what experience you have.
You may want to ask if you’ll have your standard work schedule during training, or if you’re going to be expected to work longer or abbreviated hours initially. In some cases, the training schedule is slightly different from your future schedule.
Another question to ask in an interview is who will train you. It helps to know if that will be the person interviewing you, your future boss, or another colleague. You can then ask if you’ll go through training alone or as part of a group.
5. How Soon Would I Start Working on a Project/With Clients?
In some cases, you might join an existing project on your first day and be expected to dive right in. Or you might focus on more general tasks until a new project begins or until you have your full training. Then, you’ll get to work with your teammates on something new for everyone.
If your job will involve working with clients, you can ask about that. You might get your first client account on your first day, especially if you’re taking over for someone who left. However, you could have to wait a while before getting clients to ensure you’re fully prepared.
Pro Tip
When you have to wait to start a project, you can ask what you’ll do in the meantime. Then, you can make sure you won’t sit around with nothing to do for more than a couple of days.
6. What Would Be My Day-to-Day Responsibilities?
Whether you’ll work with clients or on projects, you should know what to expect on each workday. You can ask a hiring manager what tasks you’ll need to complete daily or weekly.
This question can help you figure out what the expectations are regarding the workload. For example, you may learn that the company expects you’ll only need an hour for a certain task.
Expert Advice
You’ll get to learn if the responsibilities include tasks you’re used to doing or if you’ll need to learn new things to get the job done. In that case, you can ask if you’ll be able to get help and support as you start the job.
7. How Does the Position Contribute to the Company?
Other roles may be less clear in how they help the company. Asking this popular question about contribution can help you get an idea of if the role is vital. Knowing this is essential if you or the company suspects it may need to lay off people in the future.
If you accept a job that’s not as essential, you could lose the job if the company downsizes. On the other hand, you might feel more secure taking a job that’s crucial to the business’s operations.
Expert Advice
You can also ask for more specifics on how the role contributes to the organization. That way, you may learn about particular tasks and how what you’ll do at work will help.
8. Do You Expect the Responsibilities to Change in the Next Year?
It’s one thing to know what the job entails now. However, you should consider if the company may change your responsibilities in the next few months.
When looking for good questions to ask a hiring manager, ask about the future of the role. You want to know if you may need to take on more responsibilities in the next year or so. That way, you can plan to become more efficient when your job changes.
If the interviewer can’t tell you about the future, ask about the past. They should be able to tell you if the position has changed in the past year or two.
Pro Tip
You can use the history of the position to predict the future yourself. If the job changes often, you might not want to take that on if you want something more predictable.
9. Are There Any Opportunities for Advancement?
Another one of the best questions to ask an interviewer has to do with advancement. Odds are, you probably don’t want to stay in an entry-level job for your whole career.
Inquiring about the ways you can advance shows the company a few things. First, it shows that you have ambition and want to grow during your time on the job. Second, it also shows the company that you might want to work for them for a long time.
The interviewer should be able to tell you how you could advance from the role you’re interviewing for.
Expert Tip
If the advancement path is less clear, it’s good to know your options. Then, you can decide if you want to start working at a company where you don’t have an obvious future. Or you might choose to take on the job knowing that you may need to look elsewhere for something better.
10. What Learning and Career Development Opportunities Would I Have?
If you value learning and development, a great question to ask is about development opportunities. The recruiter might be able to tell you about the company’s chances for learning. That way, you’ll be able to grow and help advance your career.
Many companies understand that and value employees who want to improve. Even if the company doesn’t have many opportunities, the interviewer may appreciate the question. If no one else asks this question, it could help you stand out.
Of course, you can learn and grow outside of work. However, it’s nice to do so at work so that you can improve the skills that the company needs you to work on.
11. Will I Have the Chance to Take on Stretch Projects and Develop New Skills?
Another excellent way to gain more skills is to take on stretch projects. These assignments involve skills you don’t have yet but can learn along the way.
If the company doesn’t offer explicit professional development, ask about stretch work. You’ll get to learn new things which could open you up to a promotion or more similar assignments.
Stretch projects can involve more work, and they’re going to challenge you. That can be a good thing though, especially if most of what the job entails is relatively easy.
Pro Advice
You might need to be willing to do stretch projects that no one else wants to do. Odds are, the more popular projects will go to employees with more experience. But being willing to take on other work can show your future boss that you care.
12. Would I Have the Option to Attend Industry Events for the Company?
Another question you’ll want to ask in an interview is about attending conferences. Some companies will send their employees to conventions or other events for their industry.
Going to these events can help you network and find new clients for the company. You might also get to attend seminars and workshops to get some professional development. If this interests you, ask about industry events in your interview.
Quick Tip
Let recruiters know if you have experience speaking at industry conferences. This attribute might help you get a chance to go with the company.
13. Is This a New Role?
Another one of the most killer questions to ask at the end of an interview is if the role you’re applying for is new.
Many job interviews are to replace an employee who is leaving or just received a promotion. However, you might be interviewing for a new position. You won’t necessarily know unless you ask.
Important Fact
Keep in mind that a new job can also signal that the company is growing. If they need more employees, that means revenue is probably increasing. So working for the company could be a good option.
14. Did the Previous Employee Advance From This Position? Where To?
If you learn you’re applying for an existing position, ask about the current employee. You should consider if they received a promotion and are working in a different role for the same company. That can give you an idea of your potential career path.
However, you might learn that the employee left the company. People leave jobs for many reasons, so replacing someone isn’t always a bad thing. Still, it helps to get an idea of why the person left. Then, you can decide if the job might not be right for you.
Helpful Tip
If the person you’d be replacing still works there, ask if you can contact them. You may be able to ask them more questions about the specific position. That can help you get more details than you might learn in an interview.
15. What Is the Work Environment Like?
It may not be one of the most unique questions to ask in an interview. However, asking about the work environment can provide you with a lot of information. You can start with the general question, or you can get more specific.
For example, you might ask how much of the job involves teamwork compared to individual time. Or you could ask if it’s a fast-paced environment and if you’ll be expected to jump straight into that.
Pro Advice
You might also want to ask if there are cubicles or if it’s an open office. Consider the lighting and other sensory parts of the office. If possible, ask for a small tour of the workspace to figure out if it would be comfortable for you.
16. Can You Tell Me About Who I’d Be Working With?
A common question to ask in an interview is regarding the team you’d be on. You can ask about your potential future boss if they aren’t in the interview. Consider asking how many coworkers are on the team and what their dynamic is like.
Depending on who’s interviewing you, they might not have many details. But it still helps to know if you’ll be on a small or large team. Some people do better in big groups while others prefer a smaller environment.
Fun Tip
If possible, ask to meet your potential coworkers. Then, you can get an idea of if you’d work well together or if you might experience some drama. If you don’t work well with people, that can make even your dream job more stressful.
17. Will I Have Anyone Reporting to Me?
When it comes to asking about your team or department, you should know if you’ll be anyone’s supervisor. If you’re applying for an entry-level job, you probably won’t have anyone reporting to you.
However, some mid-level positions may have a few direct reports. Knowing how many people you’ll supervise can help you decide if a job is for you. If you don’t have much leadership experience, you might want to avoid jobs with direct reports.
If you will have direct reports, ask what their job titles are. Consider what you’ll need to do as their supervisor, such as if you’ll be responsible for things like scheduling. Knowing that can help you fully understand your potential job requirements.
Expert Advice
Be sure to ask how much of your job will involve supervising. Some positions might have direct reports, but you could spend just as much time on other tasks.
18. Do You Plan on Hiring More People for This Department Soon?
Many businesses follow a recruitment cycle throughout the year. However, you should ask when they plan on hiring more employees for the department you’d be working in.
Of course, there will always be people leaving, so aim this question more at when the company is looking to expand and create more jobs.
Knowing this can help you plan for a growing team, especially if you’ll be in a management role. It can also show that the company expects to grow in the near future.
Pro Tip
Ask about the company in general as well as your specific department. Even if they don’t plan on adding more people to your team, they might plan on expanding other parts of the business.
19. What Did You Do Before This?
Some unique questions to ask in an interview have to do with the interviewer. You can ask the recruiter or manager what job they held before their current position. Asking about their history can help you build a good relationship with your potential future boss.
You can also get ideas for potential career paths if you want their job in the future. Knowing what they’ve done can help you figure out what you’ll need to do to get there.
Even if their previous jobs have nothing to do with the current position, it’s great to learn more. You can show the interviewer that you care about them as a person. However, don’t press them if they’re uncomfortable sharing details about prior positions.
Expert Advice
Pay attention to their answer so that you can include it in a follow-up email. That way, you’ll be able to personalize the message, and you can show the recruiter that you care about them. You may stand out compared to other applicants.
20. How Long Have You Been in Your Position?
A lot of good interview questions can help you connect with the other person. One option is to ask the interviewer how long they’ve had their current job. This question is particularly useful if you’re meeting with your potential future boss.
You may learn that they’ve worked in their job for years, which means they’re probably doing a good job. A newer boss can still be worth working for, but they could be learning the ropes as you are.
However, a boss who’s been in their position for a while might not always be the best thing. It could be a sign that they’ve stagnated in their career and aren’t trying to advance.
Pro Tip
Even if you don’t interview with your potential boss, it’s nice to ask. As with other personal questions, you’ll show that you care about the person on the other side of the desk.
21. What Do You Enjoy Most About the Company?
Even though you’ll probably have a different job from your interviewer, a great question to ask an interviewer is about their favorite part of the company. You can do all of your research to learn about the business, but you might learn more from a current employee.
They could tell you about the work environment, paid holidays, or anything else. If you interview with a committee, ask each person about their favorite thing. You’ll probably get different answers, which can help you decide if you might like working there.
22. What’s One Challenge You’ve Faced in This Job?
One of the most unique interview questions to ask an employer is about the challenges their job has. Phrasing a question like this is a more positive way to ask about some potential issues.
Depending on the interviewer, you may get different answers. For example, an HR manager might talk about the challenge of managing many employees. On the other hand, a sales manager could mention the challenge of working with proprietary software programs.
If you know the interviewer has had the job you’re applying for, ask if they can tell you about a challenge they had in that role. Then, you can get a better idea of the potential downsides to expect if you get and accept the position.
Helpful Tip
You can also ask how the other person overcame a work-related challenge. Their answer can give you ideas of how to get over challenges yourself. You may even learn that the company is great about supporting everyone when they need help.
23. What Upcoming Project Excites You the Most?
Another excellent question to ask an interviewer is about future projects. Asking this question is especially helpful if your future boss is interviewing you. That way, you’ll get to learn about a project that you might get to work on.
However, you can still ask this question to other interviewers. The HR manager or another employee might not share a project that applies to you. Still, it can be good to know what the company will be doing in the future.
The business may have multiple projects coming up that you can learn about. Then, you’ll have an idea of what to expect within the first few months you’re on the job.
Helpful Tip
Asking this question is also great because it’s more specific than asking about projects in general. You might be able to learn about future assignments from the company website. So you can show you did your research by avoiding general questions.
24. What Are the Company’s Values?
One of the best interview questions is about the company values. However, this question can backfire if the values are available on the business website. If you want to ask this question, be sure to research the organization first.
Make sure you can’t find the values online before you add them to your list of questions to ask an interviewer. If you can’t find the values, asking about them is fantastic. You can learn if the company’s values match up with your personal values.
Tip of the Day
Asking about company values can help you decide if a company is or isn’t for you. So consider your own values before you go into a job interview.
25. What’s Different About Working Here Compared to Other Jobs?
One of the most common interview questions is “tell me about yourself.” You can often use this question to explain why they should hire you. But you can ask a similar question to learn why you should accept their job offer.
Learning what makes the company different can help you decide if you like that. For example, maybe one company differentiates itself by offering remote work options. Another company might provide lunch for employees once per week.
You can use this question to learn about some unique benefits or company events. The hiring manager might give you multiple answers about what makes the company different.
Expert Advice
Consider the unique aspects of a company as well as the pay and other benefits. In some cases, a lower-paying job may be worth it if you have more flexibility.
26. Where Do You Think the Company Will Be in Five Years?
When deciding on the most popular questions to ask in an interview, consider the company’s future. You can ask the interviewer where they think the business will be in five years.
Asking this question can give you some insight into your potential future at that job. If the person expects the company will grow and hire more people or expand to new locations, that’s a good sign the company will last for five years or more.
On the other hand, if they expect to stagnate or have to downsize, that’s a bad sign. You might want to be more cautious about accepting an offer from them. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t accept a job offer, but you should be realistic.
Take the answer to this question with a grain of salt. Consider who you’re asking, especially if they’re a lower-level manager. Unless you’re interviewing with someone high up in the company, you might want to avoid this question until you can ask someone better.
27. What’s the Performance Review Process?
It can also help to ask about the performance review process at the company. Consider how often you’ll receive a performance review. Ask how they work, who will do them, and if you need to have a meeting each time.
If you get a second or third interview, you can also ask when performance reviews result in a raise. Asking this at the first interview can come off as you’re only focusing on money. However, if the recruiter brings up pay, it can make sense to ask about the timeline of getting a raise.
You should also ask about the performance review process if you’ll have direct reports. That way, you can know how much time you’ll need to dedicate to reviews each month. You can also ask if you’ll be the only person to do the review or if someone else will help.
28. What Goals or Metrics Will Performance Reviews Cover?
A more specific question you can ask about performance reviews is the goals and metrics. The details may vary between job positions.
For example, a performance review for a sales representative will probably focus on sales and conversion rates. However, a performance review for an accountant may have to do with accuracy.
Because of this, a hiring manager might not know about the metrics. If you interview with your potential boss, they should know more about the goals you’ll need to meet.
Knowing what your goals will be can help you plan for your first few months. You’ll have a good idea of what to focus on for your first performance review. Then, you’ll be able to jump right into your new role and help the company grow.
29. Are There Opportunities for Hybrid/Remote Work?
Workers may be returning to the office, but some want to stay home. If you want to work from home all or part of the time, ask about remote or hybrid opportunities.
Of course, it helps to be willing to go into the office when necessary. You can ask what the requirements would be, such as the number of days per week. Consider if they’d need you to go into the office on specific days or if you could choose.
Some jobs require you to be on-site if possible, but others are more flexible. The options for remote work can also differ between companies for the same role.
If you can work remotely, ask if you’d get a company laptop or if you’d need to use your own computer. A company should give you a device so that you can keep everything together, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Pro Tip
Consider how big of a priority remote work is. If it matters a lot, you may want to ask this question first. That way, if remote work isn’t available, you’ll know the job isn’t for you.
30. Do Hybrid and Remote Employees Receive the Same Opportunities as Those in the Office?
If a company offers remote or hybrid work, here’s another thing to ask a recruiter. You should know if working remotely will compromise your career. For example, a company might prioritize in-person staff for promotions.
Employees who work in the office might get better projects or clients. Ideally, a hybrid team would give everyone the same opportunities, but that isn’t always possible.
So even if you want to work remotely, you might choose to do a hybrid schedule if you get the job. That way, you can still get some opportunities, but you’ll have the flexibility you need.
If you do decide to work remotely, ask how you can interact with the team. Consider if the company has meetings with a remote component or if you’d need to be in the office for that.
Expert Tip
Think about if you want to focus on career growth or flexibility. Then, you can decide if it’s worth working in the office if you don’t have to.
31. How Much Travel Is Expected?
Another work environment-related question has to do with travel. Some positions, such as in consulting, may involve a lot of travel every week.
Other jobs might include occasional travel, while some roles don’t require any traveling. You should ask about travel if you love traveling or hate it. Sometimes, too much travel could be a dealbreaker.
Only you can decide if you want to take a job with a travel requirement.
Fun Fact
If the role does involve travel, ask where you can expect to go. Then, you can make sure to prepare, especially if the destination has a different climate from where you live.
32. Is Overtime Expected?
You might also want to add overtime expectations to your list of questions to ask in an interview. Some companies and industries involve much more overtime than others. Even within a company, certain jobs may require more overtime.
Now, you should be able to determine if the position is exempt or non-exempt. Many job listings will include the status. However, if the description doesn’t cover that, you can ask if you’ll be eligible for overtime pay.
In general, hourly jobs qualify for overtime pay as do other entry-level positions. On the other hand, managerial roles and salaried jobs might not qualify. However, you may run into some exceptions.
Whether you’ll earn more or not, it’s good to know how much overtime to expect. That way, you can decide if you’re willing to work that much.
Practical Tip
When asking this question, share that you’re willing to work overtime. Then, the interviewer will know you’re asking about expectations and that you don’t have a problem with it.
33. What Is the Dress Code?
When listing out questions to ask an interviewer, consider asking about the dress code. Of course, some office jobs may require men to wear a suit. Women might need to wear a nice blouse with a blazer and dress pants or a skirt.
However, other workplaces might only require you to wear business casual clothing. In the retail and service industries, you can usually expect to wear a uniform.
Asking about the dress code can be particularly useful when getting your first job. That way, you’ll know if you need to shop for new clothes if you land the role.
Even if you have work experience, you might need to find new work clothes. Knowing this ahead of time means you can shop around. You won’t have to stress about finding an outfit at the last minute.
Pro Advice
If you have tattoos or piercings, ask if you’ll need to cover them up. Some companies may accept that you have them but require that you don’t show them off.
34. What Do You and the Team Do for Lunch?
One of the more random questions to ask is about lunch plans. You may learn that there’s a specific lunch hour when everyone takes off at the same time. In some cases, especially in client-facing industries, you might need to take lunch individually.
Asking about lunch might also reveal if people tend to bring their lunch or go out. You can also ask if there’s a breakroom or another specific place where people can eat. It also helps to learn how long your lunch break would be, so you might be able to go home.
Consider if coworkers tend to eat together or separately. While you don’t want to ask directly, the interviewer might tell you about company-paid lunches. Some businesses provide lunch once a week, such as on Fridays.
If you want to bring your lunch, ask if the company has a refrigerator or microwave you can use. Then, you’ll know if you need to stick to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or if you have more options.
Helpful Tip
If the work hours are earlier or later than normal, still ask about meals. However, you can ask about breakfast or dinner in those cases.
35. Does Anyone on the Team Hang Out Outside of Work?
You might also want to ask if people have become friends through their jobs. Knowing this can be useful, especially if you’re looking for friends or if you’re new to the city.
Maybe entire teams go out for happy hour after work. Or perhaps individual employees have connected after working on a project. So they might choose to hang out together in a small group.
You don’t have to be best friends with your colleagues. However, it’s nice to know if there’s that option if you want more social activities.
Fun Fact
Ask this question to your potential boss rather than a hiring manager. The boss will know the department better than someone from human resources.
36. Can I Clarify Anything About My Experience and Qualifications?
In an interview, the hiring manager or boss will usually ask you plenty of questions. If you want to stand out, ask if you can answer any more questions or alleviate their concerns about hiring you.
For example, maybe you only have two years of experience when the job calls for three years. You might get a chance to explain how you’re just as qualified for the position as other potential candidates.
If the interviewer responds with a question, be as honest as possible. Then, you can make sure you give them as much information as they need to make a decision.
Pro Advice
Asking this question can also get the interviewer to review your resume a bit while you’re still there. Then, you can explain any gaps or other issues on your resume.
37. What Else Can I Do To Help You?
While this is a more general question to ask an interviewer, you can use it to show them you want to make hiring you as easy as possible. They might ask to confirm your contact details in case they need to reach out to you later.
If the job requires references, they could ask to confirm the details of your references. Or maybe they won’t need anything else from you.
Being willing to provide more details or information can help you look professional and prepared. That way, you can set yourself apart and make sure they can contact you later if they want.
Expert Tip
Don’t be afraid to ask this question at every interview in the hiring process. You might meet with different people, and they might need new information.
38. What Are the Next Steps in the Interview Process?
Asking about the next steps can show that you want to continue and, hopefully, get the job. It can also help you learn what to expect from the company if they want to continue with you as a candidate.
Some companies may call you or send you an email after the interview. When they contact you, they might give you the offer, or they could ask for another interview.
Now, if you’ve gone through an interview, you shouldn’t ask this question again. The process probably won’t change, but you can ask again if the last answer only gave a few steps.
Pro Tip
Consider asking how long you can expect to wait for a response from the company. That will help you know when you can move on if they don’t contact you with an offer or for another interview.
39. If Given a Job Offer, How Soon Would You Need Me to Start?
Once you advance in the hiring process, you may ask about potential start dates. You don’t want to ask this in your first interview unless you know it’s also the last step in the process.
But if you’re pretty sure you’re in the final round of candidates, ask away. It’s good to know when the company will expect you to show up for work. That way, you can make sure to give your current job plenty of notice with a proper resignation letter.
If you’re moving for the job, you’ll also know when you need to find a place to live. And if you can’t start as soon as the company wants, you can ask how flexible that date is. Some companies may be willing to wait if you’re the perfect fit for the job.
Pro Advice
Don’t give notice to your prior job until you get an offer from the new company. Even if they want you to start soon, you don’t want to risk quitting a job and not getting a new one.
III. What Not to Ask a Potential Employer in an Interview
Just as there are terrific questions to ask in an interview, there are some you should avoid. Asking the wrong questions can give hiring managers the wrong impression of your intentions.
So, be sure to refrain from asking these questions during an interview:
- How soon do you allow vacation time?
- Can I leave early or come in late?
- Will I have my own office?
- How soon do you promote from within?
- Do you have any other positions open?
Questions like these will give a potential employer a negative impression of why you need a job. Rather than focusing on what the company will give you, it’s best to highlight how you can benefit them with your skills and talents.
In addition, avoid any questions that start with WHY, since this approach will put a hiring manager on the defensive.
Key Takeaways
- Be prepared — asking questions is just as important as answering what you’re asked.
- These questions can’t be just anything. You need to know what’s appropriate and what’s not.
- Often, questions will depend on your industry, but there are some standard things everyone should ask.
- It’s equally important to know what not to ask to appear professional.
- Try to avoid any questions that start with “why” or concern strictly what you will get out of employment.
- Remember, a job is a relationship between you and your employer: this is just as much about them as you!
Final Thoughts
Preparing for your interview is vital for success. Having unique questions to ask in an interview as the candidate can benefit you and the employer’s impression of you.
Although the employer is interviewing you, it is important for you to make sure they’re a good fit as well. Adding some of these most popular questions to a list for your next interview will make you stand out and you can learn more about the company.
Have you tried any of these interview questions on my list before? Were you successful with this approach? I would love to hear your results or any additional suggestions you have about the most popular questions to ask in an interview!
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