When you are getting ready for a job interview, don’t forget to prepare questions for your potential boss or hiring manager. Employers often ask at the end of an interview if a (1) has questions. You should be prepared with a list. That’s your moment to (2) more, and maybe even win the deal.
“Always have questions,” says Bill Caskey, president of Caskey Achievement Strategies, an Indianapolis-based coaching and training firm. “If you say you have no questions that tells the employer that you are not very (3) .
Asking the right questions tells the employer that you have (4) time in learning about the company or organization.
“The candidate who doesn’t have questions (5) as someone who is ill-prepared or just not interested,” says Tim Dugger, career coach and owner of Career Café, LLC in Indianapolis.
So what questions should you ask? Here are a few suggested by Dugger and Caskey.
1Find out about the position. Why is the position open? How long has it been open? “ (6) you know, if it’s been open for longer than six months, there must be an issue,” Dugger says.
2What skills and experiences are you looking for in your ideal candidate? This will give you an idea of what (7) they want and if you missed an opportunity to elaborate on a skill you have, this will be your chance.
3Find out about the company’s work (8) . Ask the manager, how he or she contributed toward it, Caskey says. Ask about what they enjoy most about working in that company or organization. This will let you know whether people are satisfied with their jobs and why. If they can’t define it, that’s a definite red flag.
4Find out who’s been the most (9) person in that position and why. That would give you an idea of the kind of growth or path you might have in the company.
5Ask about the potential for future earnings. Sometimes we take a job with a pay cut and (10) with the hope that there will be room to grow the paycheck. So a question about future potential earnings is relevant. It will also give you an idea of the income track you are in, Caskey says.
6Inquire about the rules tied to innovation and future projects. Do your homework and mention a new product or service the employer is working on and ask how it was developed. The answer will let you know about research opportunities and the process and also give an idea on how open they are for creative and innovative (11) .
7Ask if they offer continuing education and professional training. This demonstrates that you are interested in expanding your knowledge and skills, which (12) will benefit the employer.
8Ask a hypothetical question: if you were hired, what would they like you to accomplish in a year. “Find out what will get you an outstanding (13) if you get the job and that way you can set your goals,” Dugger says.
9Don’t just walk away from the interview. Always find out what’s the next step. How long is the waiting process? What do you need to prepare if there is (14) screening?
10Lastly, always ask follow-up questions. “Don’t let the employer (15) one-word answers,” Caskey says. “You are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you, and you want to know that your abilities and skills would achieve their full potential.”