Post #12 Get Ready to Ask your Own Interview Questions!
Did you realize an interview is supposed to be a two-way street? Interviews can naturally make you a little nervous, but you are supposed to return the favor right back at them! I highly recommend you confidently ask the following questions to your interviewers. Look them in the eye, sit up straight and make them think on their feet. Asking intelligent questions will indicate you are an insightful candidate and that you are not desperate. And it makes you more desirable! So please, walk into your interview with notes and do not leave without asking your own interview questions.
Great Interview Questions to Ask
“As a newly hired engineer, what would be my immediate priorities?”
It does not matter if you are speaking with HR or with your potential new boss. You should ask this question and take notes as they respond. If they are well prepared, they should be able to rattle off many immediate answers for their new hires. For example, would you be training right away, would you be tasked with learning company policies and procedures, would you be setting up your inbox various logins, etc. The answers they provide may not be as important as their approach to answering. Watch their body language as they speak. Notice if they make eye contact or look away. In conclusion, look for a confident and energetic answer versus a paused or unconvincing speculation.
“How often can I expect feedback on my performance?”
This is a brilliant question! It shows you are concerned about the quality of your work. And it shows you are open to hearing constructive criticism about yourself. The implication they hear from this question is that you are always wanting to improve. It also tells them you are mature enough to be able to take advice from those who are older and wiser. That means you are a team player. Employers love employees who show initiative. There are so many positive reasons to ask this question, it is a must!
“In what ways can your company support my professional growth?”
This question indicates you are wanting to learn and keep growing. There are many benefits to working for an employer besides the paycheck. It is in their best interest to invest in their own employees so you should expect some solid answers here. For example, they may have specific training programs to offer their employees for free. This could include various certifications, licenses and such. Another popular example is they may fully or partially pay for your master’s degree as a full-time employee. Also, they should happily contribute toward and encourage memberships in various professional engineering societies. This can even include company-paid travel to engineering conferences. All of these perks, of course, come with the caveat that you are a high performer in your job.
“What is the next logical career step after I leave this position?”
I love this question! This shows them you are thinking ahead and that you plan to be employed as long as it takes to move on. Of course, there is no way to know how long you could stay there and you are not making any commitments during the interview (neither are they). Depending upon the actual job duties, they may be general enough that you could transition into many other opportunities. Or, the job could be narrowly specialized with limited opportunity for movement. In conclusion, this question leads the employer to believe you are thinking long term into your future. And employers like to believe their employees will stick around!