Interview Questions
Learn to ask the right questions
When preparing your questions, keep in mind that you want to achieve three main goals:
- Show your interest in the position by demonstrating your research
- Emphasize your compatibility with the position by highlighting your relevant knowledge and experience
- Answer any questions remaining about the position
While there are plenty of quality, stock questions you can ask in an interview, you'll still want to come up with unique questions that accomplish the goals above. To cover your bases, come up with at least three unique questions and two from from our collection of quality interview questions.
When formulating your questions, it’s important to gather as much information about the company as possible. Identify the following pieces information about the company to get started.
Basics
Industry:
Size:
Public or Private:
Philosophy
Mission statement:
Culture:
Plans, goals, recent news
Specifics
Desired Department
CEO, head of department, HR manager
Now create one question about each category of information above. Your goal is to start a dialogue, so be sure to ask questions that relate to your interests and experiences.
For example: After reviewing recent news articles suggesting Acme Co. plans on investing more resources into medical implant development, Jason—a project manager with experience in healthcare—came up with the following question: I see that Acme Co. is shifting its attention to the medical implant industry. How familiar is your current staff is with the current healthcare system and how does that level of familiarity influence your metrics for success?
[question 1 field]
[question 2 field]
[question 3 field]
When you're finished, browse our database of quality interview questions and check the box next to two to save them to your interview.
All done? Click Next to continue to the Questions page.
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Quick Tips to Research a Company
- Visit the company’s website (the About page is a great place to start)
- Google the company and read through the first page of results
- Read all the news articles you can find about the company.
5 Questions to Avoid in a Job Interview
- Never ask anything about the company that could be easily found on the internet.
- Don’t ask about paid time off (PTO).
- Never ask about drug or background testing.
- Stay away from personal questions about your interviewer.
- Never ask about salary.
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