Are You Asking These Five Smart Questions?

You may prepare for an interview by practicing your answers to commonly asked interview questions, but you should also prepare to ask a few of your own. Job interviews are the perfect setting to learn more about a company's culture, needs and priorities, says Bill Driscoll, district president of Accountemps. Incorporate the five following interview questions to help you learn what you really need to know about your potential employer.

1. Why Is This Position Open?

This is an important interview question, as it helps you determine what your role might be like from day one. If it is a newly created position, expect for there to be a bit of trial-and-error as your responsibilities are developed. If you are replacing someone, there is probably a more concrete list of things for you to do. If it is a replacement position, it's also good to know why the former person left, and whether the parting was on good terms. This helps you determine what your own career path might be like at the company.

2. What Is an Average Day Like in This Position?

This interview question provides valuable insight to what your future workday might entail. If the interviewer is your immediate supervisor, asking this question also shows how well he understands this role and what he expects from you on a daily basis.

3. What Qualities Are Needed to Excel in This Position?

You might already have a good idea of what qualities the company is looking for in an employee. After all, you made it to the interview stage, but asking this question during the job interview affords you a much more specific and useful response. It also provides you with the chance to emphasize how your own qualifications and traits align with what the employer is looking for in a candidate.

4. What Do You Like About Working Here?

This interesting interview question turns the table on the interviewer while providing valuable insight. It gives the interviewer a chance to share the company's most positive attributes, and it helps you determine whether your own values align with the company's culture. You can also ask how long the interviewer has been with the company or how his career path has changed since he first started. The answers to these questions render insight into how your own role might advance, as well as how long it might take to move upward in the rankings.

5. What Is the Next Step?

This is a crucial interview question to ask: it shows you're serious about moving forward with the company and lays out a call to action for the interviewer. Knowing the next steps in the hiring process and how long it might take helps calm your nerves while you wait for that fateful phone call.

Up to 84 percent of professionals ask at least a few questions during interviews, according to a recent Accountemps survey. Asking these smart interview questions shows the interviewer that you are engaged in the conversation and enthusiastic about the position. Asking questions also demonstrates how prepared you are, not only for the interview, but for the job itself.

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