It is essential to have questions to ask at the end of an interview. Not only will it help show your interest and enthusiasm for the company and position (crucial in making a good impression and securing an offer), it will also allow you to find out if the company and potential opportunity is truly a good fit for you.

Ideally you want to have 10-20 questions prepared in advance of your interview. This may sound excessive but often a lot of your prepared questions will get covered by the interviewer and you want to ensure you have a few questions left at the end!

Here are 4 areas to cover…

1. Role suitability & team fit:
   These are to help you ascertain whether this is really the right opportunity for you. Does the role excite you? Will you fit into their company culture?- What does an average day look like in this position?
   – What challenges could I face in the first three months?
   – What’s the working environment like?
2.  Company & website questions:
   These questions help you find out a little bit more about the company’s goals and ambitions as well as being an opportunity to show you’ve been thorough in researching the company in detail – this again demonstrates your interest in the opportunity.
   
   – I see you have recently opened a new office in “x”, what are your plans for further growth?
   – Since opening in “x” I see you now have “x” amount of people on LinkedIn, is that an accurate representation of the people in the business? When did you reach that size?
   – I saw your company values are “x”, “x” & “x”, how are these incorporated into business procedures?

3. Personal questions:
   Not “hows your love life?” or “how old are you?”!!
   Asked in the right way these types of questions can be great for building rapport with the interviewer. People love talking about themselves and if you can find some common ground here this can greatly enhance your chances of success- How did you get into “x”?
   – What do you enjoy most about working here?

4. Closing questions:
   These are very important, asking these questions at the end can give you a good idea of how things went but also this is an opportunity to overcome any reservations they might have. If something has gone wrong earlier in the interview – asking these questions can turn it round!- How did I get on?
   – Do you have any concerns about me, my CV or application?
   – Is there any reason you wouldn’t want to invite me back for a second interview?
   – Do you think I have what it takes to succeed in this role?
   – Do you think I would fit in well with the team?
   – When can I expect to hear from you and what are the next steps?

Note for anyone going for a Sales position – this is your chance to show you can do the job!!! Close the deal! If you can secure a second interview at the end of your first interview you know you’re doing well! 😉

So remember, asking questions will not only provide you with useful information, but will also help you differentiate yourself from every other candidate the interviewer is seeing. So if you’re going to apply for an opportunity through Cherry Pick People, you’ll know exactly how to make yourself look good at your interview.

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