The Interview Decoder - "Do you have any questions?"

Job interviews are intimidating. More often than not, you spend hours preparing yourself, ensuring you have all the answers to any question they could possibly ask - then, they ask you something you somehow don’t have the answer to.

In this series, you’ll get insight into the true meaning behind some of the toughest interview questions out there, as well as a few different options for how you can best answer them.

Today’s question - “Do you have any questions?”

This is often asked at the end of the interview when the rest of the questioning is over. Sometimes, it’s thought that you don’t even need to answer this question, and you can just end the interview on this note. That couldn’t be further from the truth. To really be well-prepared for an interview, you’ll want to have a few questions ready to ask when this inevitably comes up at the end of the conversation.

Of course, your answer is going to depend partially on how the interview has gone; you want to make sure you’re asking questions relevant to what’s been discussed. It’s also important to ensure that you’re asking the right people the right questions. For example, you wouldn’t ask the CEO during the last interview whether or not the position is remote. That would be a question you’d want to ask in the beginning during the first round, possibly to an HR rep. Now that you’re talking to the final decision maker, it is assumed you would already know that. It’s all about timing. While you may want the answer, choosing to ask now will make you look unprepared, unprofessional, and will hurt your chances of getting the job.

As a best practice, you always want to ask three questions at the end of each interview. Where you are in the process and who you’re talking to will affect what those questions are, but if you follow this simple formula, you can’t go wrong.

Here are three solid questions you should end every interview with.

First Question:

The first question you want to ask should be something related to something your interviewer said that you want to follow up on. Even if you have to take notes during the interview, you want to make sure you remember at least one thing you can circle back to.

It could be something as simple as, “You mentioned earlier that you’ve been really hands on with ___. What got you interested in making that a focus of your work?”

Second Question:

The second question you want to ask should come from your research about the company prior to the interview. You’ll want to take a look on Glassdoor, social media, their website, or anywhere else they have a strong presence. Find something that interests you, and ask a question about it at the end of the interview.

This could look something like - “I noticed on your website that you’re going to be launching ____ in the coming weeks. What’s that process been like, and how do you think it will affect the company moving forward?”

Third Question:

This last question can be anything that you genuinely want to know that hasn’t already been covered in the interview. Maybe you want to know what direction the company is taking, why they’ve chosen now to add a new person onto the team, or what your interviewer’s favorite part of working there is.

If you don’t have anything in mind, this one is always a safe bet: “If I am offered and accept this role, where do you see me in the next two or three years?”

This formula is definitely something you want to tailor to yourself, to the company you’re interviewing for, and to the specific conversation that you’ve had with your interviewers. If you follow this method, rest assured you’ll be going in well-prepared from start to finish.

No matter what questions you ask, there are three things you’ll want to remember:

• Have a great Attitude

• Be Charismatic

• Bring Enthusiasm to each and every interview

If you use this guide and remember these three things, you’ll be sure to ACE your interview.