There are two types of questions that you can always be sure you will be asked during an interview:
1) Tell me about yourself (click here to read the article that goes into more detail)
2) Do you have any questions for us?
In this article, we will focus on the second one. It is vital for you to have and ask questions at the end of every interview for three main reasons.
#1 Show your interest in the company
Just imagine you are out with a person and this person asks you nothing about yourself. What would you think about this? That the person has no interest in you whatsoever. When the company you are interviewing with asks you “do you have any questions?” is actually trying to understand if you did research about the company itself and about the role you are applying for.
This is your chance to demonstrate your knowledge about both. So, check the company’s website/internet to try to familiarize yourself with their products and services, and go much deeper than just the main page. Spend some time looking at facts, figures, competitors, trends, etc.
#2 This is your chance to understand more about them
Always remember that an interview is a two ways road: they are interviewing you but you are also trying to understand if that is the company for you. At the end of every interview, you should ask any question that will help you in seeing yourself working with them so that when eventually you will receive an offer, you will be ready to accept it without any ifs or buts.
#3 But not least, you can indirectly give information to the interviewer about yourself.
Do you feel like you did not have the chance to share with the company something important that can help you get the role? Do you think you have a great story in your current company that is relevant to the position you are applying for? This is your chance to let them know! How you can do it?
Start by saying something like “In my current role in company X, I am focusing on Y using the tool Z. I have achieved great numbers/goals/deals. Will I be able to work with something similar here at A? Which tools are you currently using?”
Other samples questions that can help you understand the company and the role may be:
- What would be expected of me in the first six months?
- How many people would be on my team and what are their responsibilities?
- What are the potential career paths for people in the role?
At the very end, you need to tell them that you want the role; you can do this by saying it between two “thank you” comments.
“Thank you for answering my questions, it was very informative. I’d like to mention that I really want this position, and I am willing to do what it takes to get it and succeed. I appreciate you taking the time to speak to me today and I look forward to hearing from you in the future. Thank you.”
ALSO READ:
- Skills to Master Before Your Next Job Search
- Top 9 Candidate Screening Questions Recruiters Ask
- 5 Tips to Ace Your Next Interview and Land the Job
This article is originally published by Cornerstone Recruitment Japan and edited by CGP Singapore. Original article
