10 Questions You Should Be Prepared to Ask (and Answer) During a Job Interview

@William thank you for that. Wow brave man you are! Most of us wouldn't do that but it's something to think about. It would sort of set the interview on his ear so to speak. But it could backfire in that the interviewer may not be in a position to answer that question and not answering it could look bad both for the company and for the interviewer.

One of my favorite questions to ask at the end of the interview is "Why should you hire me?" That gives you an opportunity to gauge the perception of the people interviewing you. The response can hint as to whether you might get the job or not. That way, you can focus your next move on trying to go with another company or waiting until you hear back after the interview concludes.

Thanks for the comments. True that most of us get stuck on what questions to ask during the interview. Absolutely you can ask about a typical day in the organization as well as could you outline a typical day for this position. And @Laura certainly you can ask about the person who had the position. Bear in mind that the answer probably won't be what you want to hear but it might open up the door to ask questions you hadn't thought of before. Certainly "why is this position vacant?" "what happened to the person who held this position?" "Why did they leave?" - these are all valid questions and no they are not all that risky. Just keep an eye on the interviewer and watch their body language. If it appears that the questions are distressing the interviewer, back off and go in a different direction. The answers can be very telling and let you know if you really want to pursue the position or not. And note that you will probably have to read between the lines of the response that you get from the interviewer. Just remember that an interview goes both way. Not only is the company interviewing you for the position but you are interviewing them for fit also. And one more thing - questions to ask at the end of the interview. It has been my experience that most, if not all, of my questions are answered during the interview and that is fine. If you don't have any additional questions at the end, tell the interviewer that. But say something like - would it be okay to contact you if I have additional questions after I leave? You could even include the question in your thank you card if you wish.

I always get stuck on what types of questions to ask during a job interview. I don't know if I would agree with asking question number one during the interview. I think this would be something I would ask if or when I am declined a job offer.

One of the things I was told to ask is "what is a typical day like in this organization?" or "what is a typical day like for this position?". Do you think those types of questions will make me look like I am not familiar with the position or the job?

A question I like to ask is: “Who held this position prior to now?” if I don’t know. I try to take the interviewer's emotional temperature before moving on to, “Why are they leaving?” Do you think this is too risky, Nancy? It can definitely tell you things about the position and the manager you’d not learn otherwise. If it’s a new position, then it’s a great opportunity to ask about company growth and whatever else is necessitating the expansion.

Being engaged with the interview process, and the interviewer, is such a key component for landing a job. Having questions to ask is a great way to show engagement, and even if these five questions are not always appropriate, they give a great starting point to help form some questions with which you can be prepared going in to any interview.

I think I disagree that question number 1 should be asked. In my experience, some interviewers might like the outright approach and others might not. I'm not sure if there's a good reason to ask an interviewer why they might not like you. I think you can diplomatically get closer to getting an answer to question 1 with question number 7. This a better way not only to describe why you think you're a fit for the position, but also to find out the interviewer's idea of a good fit.

@Kellen thanks for your comment and question. Anything personal should be off limits. You can ask the interviewer why he works for the company or how he likes his job, etc. but absolutely nothing personal. Even for an icebreaker you shouldn't cross this line. Never ask about salary or benefits during the interview. Now, if there is something interesting on the wall - maybe a painting, you could use that as an icebreaker to get the interview going and to calm your nerves.

I would like to know what kind of questions to avoid in job interviews. What would be an example of "crossing the line" in this situation? Is it okay to discuss wages? Benefits? Is it too forward to ask the hiring manager about why they chose their career path? I think there is a fine line between "ice breaker" questions that release some of the tension in the room and being inappropriate.

I see the question about reservation as something acandidate shuld ask if it feels interes or cutting thesessionshort.there's so muchyouwant toto sayyourself.bit i all my problam .you qestion.if you stating the interview i will the answ

Thanks for the comments. @Shaday it is true that you can tell how the interview is going by the energy and enthusiasm from the interviewer. If it appears that their attention is wondering, bring them back to point and wrap things up because the interview is pretty much over. @Abbey there is no right or wrong answer to your question. Tell me about yourself - should just be a quick two or three sentence response and then it will open up the door for more questions from the interviewer. Nothing personal should be told her - tell me about yourself means tell me about your work experiences. Remember that the interviewer has your resume right in front of them and you should do the same. If you think that you are going to be too nervous to get this out, then write it down and have it in front of you so that you can reference it to make sure you didn't forget anything. I don't think that personal information is going to boost your chances unless.. maybe, you know someone who is working at the company and you can say - I am friends with Joe in Accounting and he has nothing but great things to say about this company. Personal mixed with business and maybe a hook to get the position. Never give information about age, marital status, children, etc.

I see the question about reservations as something a candidate should ask if it feels like the interviewer is losing interest or cutting the session short. There's so much you want to say about yourself, but you don't always get the opportunity to share some of your relevant qualifications or passions if they don't fit the questions. So, if the interview is starting to sink, asking this question might give you an extra chance to recover. You don't necessarily need to ask this if the interview is going really well.

I have always dreaded the "tell me about yourself" question. I never know how much information to give, and what information is actually relevant. How does a person find the area between too little and too much? Should any personal information be given to answer this question? I understand the employer wants to know more about you as a potential employee, but are there times when personal information may boost your chances?

@Catharine thanks for your comment. True that it would be a good idea to answer these questions yourself so that you are prepared for them during the interview. You can write them down and have the answers with you if it makes it easier. When I interview, I always have my resume and cover letter in front of me as well as the job posting and other information that I believe they might ask. There is no standard Q&A to offer as every interview is different. But the above 10 questions are pretty typical.

This is a great list. It might be really helpful to right out the answers to each of these questions so that the answers come easily during the interview. I think preparing questions to ask the interviewer is really important because I think once you get people talking about themselves, they tend to like you more and appraise the interview more favorably. I always hate being asked the question about my weaknesses. It's difficult to be honest without being deprecating sometimes.

Thanks for the comments. @Katharine it is possible that it could come back to haunt you but at least you would know if there are any reservations and could talk your way through them. Most of us wouldn't ask a question like that but it's good to get any questions answered for the employer. It's the same with answering the weakness questions. I think that they just want to see if we will answer it honestly. They know that everyone has flaws and they want to see how you respond to it. Remember body language is so important in an interview. If you are anything like me, your first reaction to the weakness question is to want to roll your eyes! There really aren't any common weakness questions. Typically they will ask what is your greatest weakness and what is your greatest strength. Think about before the interview and come up with a way that turns that negative into a positive - by stating the flaw and what you have learned to turn it around so that it's no longer a weakness.

I agree that it is a good idea to ask about the top priorities of the job and I find myself asking this question at most of my job interviews. Knowing what the top priorities are gives me a roadmap of what to expect if I do get the job. It also gives me an insight into the areas I need to focus on and the skills I need to improve.

Could the first item, "Do you have any reservations about hiring me?" backfire? I would worry that it would make me appear insecure or, alternatively, plant a seed of doubt in the interviewer's head. It leads the interviewer to look for the applicant's weaknesses- doesn't that make them more likely to find them?

Questions about weaknesses always seem tricky to me. In a sense, you don't want to appear to be perfect, but you also don't want to make a bad impression by revealing your faults. How would you recommend candidates answer this question? Can you provide some examples of common weaknesses that would not be viewed as negative?