Near the end they will ask whether you have any questions. Most people say no, out of politeness or exhaustion, and it is the cheapest point you can lose. Having two or three ready is the easiest preparation in this whole course.
Saying no does not read as modest. It reads as though you do not care much which job you get, or that you stopped listening twenty minutes ago. They have just spent half an hour on you, and one question back shows you were in the room.
Good questions are about the work itself.
- "What does a normal day look like in this role?"
- "What would you want me to have got right in the first month?"
- "Who would I be working with most closely?"
- "Is there training on the system, or do people learn as they go?"
Two is enough. Three is plenty. If they have already answered your questions during the interview, say that and use it: "I was going to ask what the first month looks like, but you covered it, so my only other one is whether there is training on the till system."
Leave the salary, leave the leave days, and leave anything you could have found on their website. Not because asking about money is wrong, it is not, but because this moment is about the work, and money has its own moment once they make an offer.
"Do you have any questions for us?"
What happens: It ends the interview flat, and it is the answer most candidates give. Even one small question would put you ahead of them.
What happens: Both are about doing the work well, which is exactly the impression you want to leave last. They also give the interviewer something to talk about, and people remember conversations.
What if I genuinely cannot think of anything?
Then use the safe one, and it works in every interview ever held: "What would you want me to have got right in the first month?" It is about the job, it cannot be answered from the website, and the answer is genuinely useful to you if you get the role.
Can I write my questions down and read them?
Yes. Take a small notebook, write your two questions in it, and look at it when the moment comes. Nobody has ever lost a job for being prepared on paper, and it also gives your hands something to do.
Before you move on
- Write two questions before you go
- Keep one spare in case they answer the others
- Leave salary and leave days for the offer stage
Check what you know
3 questions. Have a look at what this lesson asks.
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