7 Questions You Should Never Ask in the Job Interview

Your job search strategy has worked well to this point and you have landed a job interview for a dream job.

You think you have interviewed well so far and done a pretty good job answering the questions from the interviewer. Before the job interview ends, you are asked if you have any questions that you want to ask the interviewer. If you want the recruiters to think you are still the right person for the job, you want to avoid asking the following kinds of questions.

What exactly does your company do?

When job seekers ask this kind of question about the company in the job interview it demonstrates a lack of company research. As part of the preparation for job interviews, job seekers should research basic company information such as the products or services the company provides.

Who would I speak with about taking longer lunch breaks because sometimes I will need to run personal errands?

There is nothing wrong with getting clarification about a work schedule in the job interview. In this case, however, you do not want to sound as if you will be making up your own schedule to fit your needs rather than meeting the requirements of the company.

Is there any plan to get a union here at this company?

Again, this is something that can be researched before the interview. You may very well not get a job offer if the recruiter gets the sense that you will organize employees into bargaining units.

How long do I have to work in this position before I can ask for a raise?

Your focus should be on getting the job offer for the position for which you are interviewing. If growth within the company is of interest to you, consider rephrasing the question. For example, "What are the opportunities for advancement for employees in this position?"

Can you guarantee me that I will still have a job here by next year?

No one can guarantee that a company will exist for any specific time in the future. You should be skeptical of anyone who might attempt to make you such a guarantee. Although stability may be a concern, it could make you seem desperate.

What will you look for in the background screening? I am concerned about what you will find.

Thisquestion will be particularly worrisome to the recruiter if a job seeker raises it in the job interview. You can certainly ask about the next step in the hiring process, but to plant any seeds about what they may find in a background screening is not a wise move.
I did not get along with my last two supervisors; can you tell me more about my supervisor?

The age old rule is to not speak badly in the job interview about former employers or former supervisors in the job interview. Although the statement you are making may be true, it can also ruin your chances of a job offer. You don't want the recruiter to see you as the problem employee who is unmanageable.