Top 10 Smart Questions to Ask in an Interview

When you get to “Do you have any questions for us?” your answer should be a confident “Yes!”. We have compiled our selection of the Top 10 questions we believe will provide the intel you need that may not be readily shared in the job description to decide if the role and company are right for you. 10 questions will be too many to ask in an interview, so please select 4-5 so as not to overwhelm the interviewer.

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1.?????“Is this a current role or a new role?”

Probe to understand the purpose of this position and the importance of the part in contributing to the company’s success.?You can find out what areas you’re meant to improve and other expectations when taking on the job.

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2.?????“What does a typical day look like?”

This query will enable you to visualize your day-to-day in this job and understand the breakdown of your time spent on projects versus daily admin. Cases where employers cannot paint you a clear picture may signify a currently disorganized team/department.

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3.?????“What are some of the challenges that come with this role?”

This is an excellent way to know what issues you need to address. In some cases, it can also be a sign of other underlying issues you may need to deal with that are not being highlighted.

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4.?????“What are some of your challenges in the department?”

This is information you’d never get from a job description, for instance, internal politics, difficult team members, and small budgets with tight deadlines.?

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5.?????“How many people are in the team, department, and office?”

You will want to understand how the current team structure is set up and the people you would work with daily giving you an inkling of whether it’s the right team assembly for you to excel.

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6.?????“What other teams will I be interacting with?”

This query also shows how much interaction you will have with other departments besides your own. You can see whether it’s something you’re comfortable doing as part of your job.

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7.?????“What are the qualities of successful people in this role?”

Asking this question gives insight into what it takes to do well and whether you can do it.?

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8.?????“How is performance evaluated and measured in this role?”

Find out what it means to do well, and what success looks like to employers. Most job postings will have a long list of responsibilities, but a good conversation with the employer may lead you to discover that success may depend on a few.

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9.?????“What does a successful candidate need to accomplish in their first 3 months/6 months/year?”

This will give you a sense of what kind of learning curve is required, whether it is hitting the ground running and landing big projects or time spent in training, indicating the pace of the team and the organization you’re expected to meet.

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10.??“What kind of character traits will do well to fit your company culture?”?

Hearing what types of people thrive will give you insight into what traits, work ethics, and management styles will help you excel in the organization.

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