Hi everyone!! Here’s a big list of questions you can choose from when preparing questions to ask your interviewer!

Notes!!:

• Keep in mind that I’m only 23 at the time of this post, so the interviews I’ve prepared for are about entry-level jobs and internships!

• Also keep in mind that I have a technical degree, and even though I tried to make these questions as general as I could, make sure to tweak them so that they make sense for your situation!

When an interviewer ends an interview by asking “what questions do you have for me?” you should ALWAYS have a few prepared!

• Like I mentioned in my last post: How To Ace The Interview Before It Even Starts (blog link, Medium link), there’s literally no way to get a full understanding of a role in one conversation — in fact, you probably won’t get a full understanding until you’re actually doing the job! So not having any questions prepared can make it seem like you’re uninterested in the role or that you weren’t paying attention during the interview.

• But the main point I want you to know is that having questions prepared shows an interviewer that a candidate is thinking critically about the opportunity and makes an effort to understand things — which will make a candidate look even better!!

Questions about the role:

• Can you give me an example of the type of project this role might support?

• What topics would you recommend for a candidate to learn about ahead of time to allow for a smooth transition into this role?

• What skills or experiences would make a candidate competitive for this role?

• In your opinion, what would success look like for a new hire 3 - 6 months into this role?

• Bonus Question: I’d love to get more perspectives on this role! Do you have any recent hires you could refer me to? (I highly recommend meeting with other people on the team, especially someone close to the level you’re applying to! You’ll learn a lot more from a new hire (or whoever is closest to the level of the role) about the reality of things like onboarding resources, day-to-day tasks, early growth opportunities available, superiors valuing their opinions, etc. This also allows you to connect with more people on the team and shows your dedication and initiative!)

Questions about the team:

• How would you describe the working culture of this team?

• What do you enjoy about working on this team?

• What type of projects/initiatives is this team currently involved in?

• What are some of the main challenges this team faces / this role will face?

• Who would be working most closely with this role? (It’s good to find out if you connect well with the person you would be spending the most time with!)

Questions about the area within the company:

• What goals does the company have within [area of the company you are applying to ex. Marketing, IT, finance, etc.] in the next few years? (This could tell you a bit about job security in addition to whether this role/team will be what you’re expecting.)

• What professional development opportunities are available to new hires? (This just refers to training opportunities for new employees to get more involved, learn quickly, meet people, broaden their network, develop new skills, etc. And it obviously shows you’re interested in doing more than just checking the boxes on the role description!)

Other:

• Is this team remote, in-person, or hybrid?

• When the team is remote, how are tasks managed? Do you have daily/weekly standups? (a “standup” is basically a quick meeting where everyone on a team gives an update about what they’re working on and/or what they need help on. They aren’t for everyone, but in fully-remote settings they can help with accountability!)

• What is the performance review process like?

• Do you have any other questions for me about my background or generally about my potential in this role?

• What are the next steps in the interview process and is there anything else you need from me at this point? (This question is great because you can ask it in any interview for any role and it gives you an understanding of what to expect next! I recommend asking this question last — it’s a good way to wrap up the interview!)

If you’d like more personalized advice on preparing for your interview, feel free to fill out this form or if you would prefer, you can email my professional blog directly at problog@apartfromblonde.com! Good luck!! You’ll do great!!

Check out this and more posts on my Medium account HERE!