Asking the right questions will not only help you decide if you actually want the job, but also work to further convince the hiring manager that you’re the best candidate for it.
“Do you have any questions?”
Those five little words signal a turning point in every interview. Suddenly you have the power to direct the conversation. And you need to use it wisely.
Ill-prepared candidates will brush off the opportunity and say they’re “all good.” But that’s a big mistake. Asking the right questions will not only help you decide if you actually want the job, but also work to further convince the hiring manager that you’re the best candidate for it.
To help you achieve those goals, we’ve compiled this list of essential questions to as in an interview:
1. Why is this position vacant?
It’s important to understand not only why the job is open but for how long it’s been vacant. The majority of vacancies are the result of an internal promotion or the departure of the previous post holder and are normally filled within a reasonable timeframe. If the job’s been open for several months, you need to know why. Did a previous candidate turn it down? If so, you need to know why before you leap into a potential lion’s den. Are the expectations of the job unrealistic? Is the compensation inadequate? If the job is a newly created one, you have an ideal opportunity to blaze your own trail.