by Doreen Martel

Created on: November 06, 2011   Last Updated: May 13, 2012

Job interviews should be interactive and a properly conducted interview should provide the applicant with an opportunity to ask questions. While it is generally considered taboo to ask about pay or benefits, there are other questions that job seekers should ask during a job interview that can help them determine if the company is a good fit for their career goals. Some of the best questions to ask include:

Why is this position open?

One of the best ways to find out more about a job and a company is to ask the interviewer why the position is open. This may provide some insight into the inner workings of a company. For example, if the interviewer says that the person left the job suddenly, then you may want to delve deeper into the reasons for their departure. However, if the interviewer says the last person was promoted, chances are that it is a good sign the company likes to promote from within.

What are the long-term goals of the company?

This question allows the job seeker to determine the outlook for the company. Hopefully the person conducting the interview is ready for this question. After all, if a hiring manager is not prepared to talk about the long-term goals, this may not be a position worth pursuing. Having an understanding of the goals will help a job seeker understand where they may fit into the broader picture.

Who will I be interacting with regularly?

This is an opportunity for a job seeker to show that the role is important to them and to find out the overall importance of the role within the company.  Questions about the way the job position impacts other departments and where the department “fits” in with the rest of the company are crucial. Answers to this question can help an applicant determine how important the role is within the overall company.

What skills are most needed in this role?

Salespeople sell, project managers help teams complete projects successfully and marketing professionals help develop clients and advertising campaigns. When applying for a job that has a specific title, the title does not always allow a person to determine what skills are required. Asking this question helps in two ways (a) it allows the job seeker to determine if their skills are a good match and (b) it allows them to determine how much flexibility is available in the position.

What opportunities for development does this role offer?

This question must be posed carefully as a job seeker does not want to appear that they are not interested in the current role.  This does not negate the importance of the question however, since being able to fulfill the obligations of the role may require additional internal development. Internal training, opportunity to expand the role and personal growth are all helpful when making any career moves.

Being well prepared for an interview means not only having a basic knowledge of the company but also the industry, the competition of the company and the future of the company. Being able to ask intelligent questions during an interview will help a job seeker to stand out from their peers and their competitors. Being able to determine the best questions jobs seekers should ask during a job interview largely depends on knowing something about the company and the market.

Learn more about this author, Doreen Martel.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.