Do you have any questions for me?

Picture the scene. You can’t quite believe it, you are in the final interview of your dream job. It’s been a long process but you are nearly there and the little voice in your head is telling you it’s in the bag. Mentally you are pulling those dance moves normally reserved for the privacy of your front room

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Then it happens. “Do you have any questions for me?” they ask. Now when it comes to interviews, that question can strike fear into the most experienced interviewees. If you have done your research, there are a few questions that you might have already prepared. These could be about the structure of the team, organisation, the type of work or the general management style of the company.

But nothing sticks out better in the mind of your future employer than a few well-prepared questions rather than ending the interview with “No, I have no other questions”. I am often surprised that candidates seem to forget that an interview is a two way process and you should also be making a decision whether the role / company meets your own career aspirations.

So I have put together some of the most memorable questions that I have been asked as an interviewer:

What is a day in the life of this role like?

This is your opportunity to find out what the day-to-day responsibilities are for this role and what is expected of you. There will be times when you will be involved in big projects but in every job there are more mundane daily activities that you may not be expecting.

What are the most important things that this person should focus on in the first 30 days to one year in this role?

One thing you want to do in an interview is to illustrate that you are interested in the role and you can focus on what benefit you can bring to the company versus what the company can do for you to benefit your career.

What are the one-year and five-year goals for the organisation, and how do you see someone in this role supporting these goals?

After the person asked me this question they went from a maybe to the front-runner for the position they were being interviewed for. This question really gives the interviewer the opportunity to share with you the company’s roadmap or their own department’s roadmap on how you can support them and achieve even greater success. Their reply will also help you on day one, to show you how you can support these goals and their growth plans.

How will you measure my performance / success?

Having them define what success is in this role, and within the company, is invaluable information for you to decide if this is a place that you would want to work and to feel that you would bring value and be successful. It also means you will have a better idea of what you need to do to get your bonus.

What are some of the challenges I will face in this role?

This question will help you get an idea on what problems you’re walking into, but again it will also give you the opportunity of referencing times when you have faced similar problems and how you have successfully overcome them, leaving the interviewer with no doubt that you are their best candidate.

What is the career path for this role within the company?

Employers want to know that you’re someone that will be committed. This question shows your desire to progress within a company and your ambition to grow. Just make sure you don’t focus too much on your next role, as the interviewer may be concerned that they will have to re-hire again in a year, so it’s probably a good idea to read the interviewer ahead of asking the question and find the right balance.

What do you like about working here?

Everyone deserves to work for a boss who is excited and motivated about his job and the company. If the interviewer doesn’t respond quickly or takes some time to come up with their reply then maybe it’s not the right career move for you. Equally, if they are very enthusiastic about the role and the company then you know you have come to the right place.

Do you have any reservations about my fit for this role?

This could be the biggest and most important question you will ask in the interview, especially if this is your dream job and you’re finding it difficult to read the hiring manager. This is an opportunity to gain incredibly valuable feedback from the hiring manager about how they see you as a fit for the role. It also gives you the chance to address any of these reservations they might have about you and leave them with no doubt that you are the best candidate.

Remember at the end of the day, an interview is just a chat where you have the pleasure of telling someone who you are and what you do. Enjoy it, and good luck.