Always, always, always make sure you have some questions to ask an interview – it shows good research, interest and effort in their company. Never just sit there and stare blankly. Try and make it a conversation, rather than you asking questions rapidly at the interviewer.
But what could you ask?
Ask about the job – activities of a typical day, upcoming projects or the skills they’re looking for in their ideal candidate. What challenges could you face? Is this a new role – if not, where has the existing post holder gone to?
Training – what training opportunities are available? Is there an opportunity for development or management work shadowing? Would you be allowed to go to networking events – to meet like-minded post holders?
Performance indicators – what are the expectations of the post? How often would you be reviewed? What would typical targets look like?
Ask the interviewer – find out about them – after all you could be working with them! Ask how long they’ve worked there, what their favourite part of the company, has their role changed?
The company itself – this is not the opportunity to ask obvious questions you could have researched. Ask about new product developments and company goals. What’s coming up for them in the future? How would the role fit into the wider company? What is the culture like? Is it a sociable environment?
Your team – what is the existing team like? Who would you report to? Do other departments work closely or feed into this one? What is the structure of the department?
HR – what are the next steps in the interview process? Can you provide any other information that would be beneficial to your application?
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MidKent College provide a careers guidance service that is open to all our students. This will help you if you're attending an interview and need some tips to feel reassured and succeed. Contact the college for more help if you need it.
