What to Ask at an Interview!

"Do You Have Any Questions For Me?...."

What reply does the interviewer expect when he asks, "Do you have any questions for us?" I am a penultimate-year student and will be appearing for my interviews very soon. How should one tackle such questions?

Answer by Ambra Benjamin, engineering recruiter at Facebook, previously LivingSocial, Google and Expedia.

I think it's important to note both now and throughout your entire career that when you interview for a job, you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Having well thought-out questions to ask during your interview is part of the research process, and helps increase your understanding of if this company and role is a good fit for you. I can think of a few times in my career that I completed my interview with a company and thought, "This is not going to be a good fit," and completely withdrew my name.

I presume that in preparation for your interview you will do a lot of research on the industry, the position, the company, and if you're able, even the person with whom you are meeting. While some people are able to think on their feet and come up with questions during the interview itself, it's highly advisable that you come with two or three pre-prepared questions for your interviewer. This shows diligence, preparation and seriousness.

Only you know what you want out of a job, but here are a few questions I'd suggest you ask a potential employer.

• "What does success in this role look like to you?" or, "How will success in this role be measured?"
• "Why did you join this company, and what keeps you here?"
• "What's your favorite and least favorite thing about working here?"
• "What are the biggest challenges for the person who takes on this role?"
• "What are this company's top three priorities over the next year?

Answer below by Corrie Hausman, HR specialist and recruiter.

Ask questions that show you have really thought about the job/company. These could be questions about the duties, the best parts of the job/company/culture, the funding stream, the direction in which the business is headed, etc.  

These types of questions are great because they allow you to demonstrate in an informal and natural way that you've researched the company in advance.

• Ask questions that show that you've been attentively listening and processing what the interviewer has said.
• Ask the interviewer how long he or she has been at the company, and what he or she likes best. This is flattering to the interviewer, and — even more importantly — you may learn things about the company culture that you'd never hear otherwise.
• Ask what the next steps are (if you haven't already been told, of course). Ask when you will hear from the company again. Ask who will be contacting you, and if it will be by email or phone. Ask when the next round of interviews will be, and who will be conducting them. You have every right to want to know these details, and interviewers sometimes forget to tell you.
• Finally, don't ask about information that you should already know from the job listing.