Tip of the Day Tuesday

The Best Questions to Ask in the Interview

An interview is meant to be a two-way street. The hiring manager is interviewing you to determine whether you're the best fit for the job. At the same time, you should be asking questions to determine whether you would be happy working with this the company. But once nerves take over, it's easy to forget your role. By the time the employer asks if you have any questions, it's easy to be so drained you can only stammer out, "Nope." Not asking questions, however, passes up your chance to stand out from the competition. Before the interview, prepare a list of questions that demonstrate your interest in the company and position. Some good questions include:

• What do you see ahead for your company in the next five years?
• How do you see the future for this industry?
• What do you consider to be your firm's most important assets?
• What can you tell me about your new product or plans for growth?
• How do you rate your competition?
  
• What happened to the last person who held this job?
• What were the major strengths and weaknesses of the last person who held this job?
• What types of skills do you NOT already have onboard that you're looking to fill with a new hire?
  
• What is the overall structure of the company and how does your department fit the structure?
• What are the career paths in this department?
• What have been the department's successes in the last couple of years?
• How do you view your group/division/department?
  
• What would you consider to be the most important aspects of this job?
• What are the skills and attributes you value most for someone being hired for this position?
• Where have successful employees previously in this position progressed to within the company?
• Could you describe a typical day or week in this position? The typical client or customer I would be dealing with?
  
• What are the most immediate challenges of the position that need to be addressed in the first three months?
• What are the performance expectations of this position over the first 12 months?
• How will I be evaluated at XYZ company, and how often?
  
• What are the next steps in the interview process?

Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor. To view the original article CLICK HERE