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Top 10 Interview Questions to Ask

Interview Questions 3

Great news! You’ve made it through to the interview stage of that job you’ve been waiting for! Now it’s time for the hard work to start…

Billy Humphreys, Group Marketing Executive at LoveLocalJobs.com, discusses the top questions to ask a hiring manager to make a great first impression.

“All too often, candidates go into an interview extremely unprepared. In many cases, the interview is cut short after 10 minutes because they just don’t know anything about the company - you don’t want that to happen to you!

“First thing’s first, the company already likes the look of your skills and experience from your CV. The hiring manager may have had a snoop on your Facebook and Twitter profiles to find out what you are like outside of a working environment (trust me, it happens a lot!). Now it’s your turn to find out about them.

“So many candidates forget to ask questions, which can be their biggest downfall. Interviewers sometimes don’t cover everything on purpose in order to test you right at the end. Once they say ‘Do you have any questions’ and you’re not prepared, you’ll lose some precious brownie points.

 

“I have written down my top 10 questions to ask at your interview. The questions below demonstrate that you are serious about a role and you are keen to find out more.”

  1. “What does a typical day look like at [COMPANY NAME]?”
    This is a great question because it prompts the interviewer to give you a detailed rundown of what your day to day activities could be.
     
  2. “What are the most immediate projects that need to be addressed and how can the person stepping into the role help?”
    This is one of my favourite questions. Again, this gives a good indication of the immediate tasks you may need to do. The answer will also tell you whether the job is right for you or if you need to look elsewhere.

 

  1. “What do you enjoy the most about working for the company?”
    Finding out why others like to work at a company is vital. If they struggle to the answer the question, it could make you think twice about working there. It also turns the questioning over to them, which the interviewer will appreciate, as you’re engaging in conversation.
     
  2. “What's different about working here than anywhere else you've worked?”
    A great questions to lead into after question 3.
     
  3. “Can you describe the team that I’ll potentially be working with?”
    Everybody loves working in a team. It’s very rare that you will be doing a job solely on your own, and you will need to call on others to collaborate from time to time, so finding out what the team members are like is always a plus. This enquiry also demonstrates that you have a genuine interest in the department you could be working in.
  1. “Is work done in a collaborative style or are employees more independent?”
    Again, this question prompts the interviewer to describe company culture and the types of work that you’ll be doing. Obviously it depends on the role, however, there might be a certain style you like so whatever answer is given might complement it or potentially turn you off the role.
  1. “How would you describe the ideal candidate for this position?”
    This is another one of my favourites. In an ideal situation you would want them to describe you! This isn’t always the case, so pay attention to what they say and digest some of their sought-after candidate attributes to find out if you can relate to any of them (hopefully you do).
  1. “What are the biggest challenges that someone in this position would face?”
    Every job comes with its challenges, but there is no reason to shy away from them. If the interviewer is honest and gives you some genuine challenges that you may face, you might want to dive in a little more and think of some solutions there and then - top brownie points for this one!
  1. “What are the most important things you’d like to see someone accomplish in the first 30, 60, and 90 days on the job?”
    Once the company decides they need to make a new hire, they usually put some clear goals in place for the first three months based on what they expect out from a new employee. This information is often invaluable, so write these down for reference either during the interview or for a later stage.
  1. “What’s the culture like at [COMPANY NAME]?”
    It’s safe to say that you spend more time with your work colleagues than you do with your own family, so it’s vital that you have a great working relationship with them and that you fit in with the culture. Asking questions like ‘Do the team go out for social drinks?’, ‘Do you do fundraising for companies?, ‘Do you go out for quarter events?’ all help to build up a clear picture on what to expect.

So there you have our top 10 killer questions to ask in an interview. Employees love it when candidates come armed with their own set of questions, so it’s time to start prepping.

…Go ace that interview!