Questions to Ask During a Job Interview

As you are on the job hunt and doing your job interviews, don't forget to prepare yourself for the inevitable question from your potential future employer, "Do you have any questions?"

Having a set of pre-planned questions in anticipation of this question, is a must, but knowing which questions are good ones and which ones are a shot to your prospects at Company XYZ is a delicate balancing act. Here are a few pointers to get you thinking about this portion of the employer interview process.

The first tip is always have some questions prepared. If you are asked if you have questions and say "no," you are basically saying to the interviewer that you would like to pass on the opportunity to show you have initiative and the desire to actually work for this country. Having questions shows that you are interested in the company, want the job and, depending on your questions, they have the potential of setting you apart from other job applicants.

Good Questions

Listen Up: Pick up on things stated during the course of the interview. Usually, the interviewer will take up some amount of time to discuss the company and the responsibilities of the position you are applying for. If there are factors that you are more interested in hearing additional information on, ask! It shows that you are a good listener and it makes the interview much more conversational, which speaks volumes about your social skills.

Day-to-Day: If you don't feel as though your interviewer fully explained the position, ask what the typical, daily tasks of the position are. It is good for you to know this information and fully evaluate for yourself whether or not you are capable of performing these basic tasks.

Expectations and Goals: It is always a good idea to ask the employer what the expectations are for the job you are applying for. By expectations, this doesn't necessarily mean day-to-day responsibilities. It means what the employer expects you to be able to achieve by a pre-set time frame or at what level the employer expects you to be working at within six months or a year (or whatever time frame you want to say) from the date of hire. This shows that you are thinking about the position and you care about your ability to meet the employer's expectations.

Future Opportunity: Ask about opportunities to move up. If the person in your position actually vacated the position to move higher up in the company, ask the interviewer how often that happens? Is that common? It shows that you are ambitious and that you're willing to work hard and don't want to be stuck in the same position forever. It shows you are willing to accept challenges and face them head on.

Who Do you Work With: The person interviewing you, may not be the person you actually report to everyday. In fact, this is usually the case. Discuss with the interviewer who you will be reporting to and who you are actually working with on a day-to-day basis.

Questions to Avoid

The Obvious: Always avoid the obvious - in some cases asking something that can easily be found on the company's web site or marketing materials is nearly as bad as not asking anything at all. If you ask something along the lines of what the company's mission statement is, then you are basically telling your interviewer that you don't know anything about the company and were too lazy to - at the very least - go on this company's web site to find out basic information.

Benefits: Asking questions having to do with how much time the company gives to employees for vacation or for sick leave are questions that should be asked if an offer is extended. If you ask these kinds of questions during an interview, it shows where your mind is at: on what you will be getting out of the deal. This is a surefire way to send the message that you don't care so much about the job as much as you do about factors that have nothing to do with the job. Yes, we can all agree that this information is important, but if you don't even have your feet through the office door yet, pass on asking such questions until you actually do.

Salary: Similar to the reasons given above, do not ask what the salary for the position is. This is another question that you really are not invited to ask during a job interview. It is a question that is reserved for the time when you actually receive a call from your new boss or from Human Resources to extend an offer. At that point, salary and benefits are more than welcome topics for discussion and negotiation.

Repetitive: This sounds obvious, but the ability to listen to what was discussed during the interview is key to avoiding asking a question already answered during the interview. Do this, and it obviously shows your listening skills are below par. It is cause to question whether this employer should bring you on as an employee, especially if you are dealing with customers or anyone outside of the company.

Other Items to Consider

Time: People's time is valuable to them - especially at work. Your interviewer's time is probably precious to him or her (unless this person is in Human Resources, and all they do is interviews all day). Oftentimes, when you are scheduled for an interview, you will be given a time range with an anticipated ending time. While, you don't want to sit there watching a clock or constantly checking your wristwatch, it is good to be mindful of the other person's time. Do not keep asking questions to fill the void. Ask questions that are meaningful to you. Asking a bunch of questions just for the sake of showing that you have questions will only end up annoying someone.

Language: You don't need to pull on all-nighter pouring over the English dictionary the night before your interview, but be mindful of how you talk. If you need to practice, then do it. Avoid slang. Avoid the "ums" and "uhs." Not talking right makes you come across as uninformed, unable to communicate, and possibly not the sharpest nail in the tool box. While this may not be a fair assessment of you and your abilities, the reality is that, that is what will be thought of you if you have poor communication skills.