“Do You Have Any Questions For Me?”

An Incomplete Menu of Interview Questions

As I mentioned in my Value Plus Inquiry post, questions at the end of an interview are exceptionally important. Below you’ll find an incomplete list of questions I’ve asked at the end of interviews. These are meant to both get you good information, and keep the conversation flowing. Remember, interviews are two-way streets. Try to treat them more like conversations and less like inquisitions.

Tactical & Fit

·        What does the workflow between teams/departments look like?

·        What does ‘good’ look like in this role?

·        Which skills will I be expected to bring to the table vs which will I be able to learn here?

·        What software will I be spending the most time in?

·        What are you looking for in a candidate?

·        What challenges do you anticipate someone in this role facing?

·        What criteria would you use to evaluate someone’s success in this role 3 months in?

·        What does career growth starting in this role look like?

Cultural

·        Can you tell me a bit about the mentorship environment here?

·        What’s your favorite part of working at [company]?

·        What are [team]’s top priorities outside of completing daily tasking?

·        What values do you see [company] currently living out and how?

·        Who will I be interacting with most day to day?

·        Could you tell me about the team and team dynamic I’d be joining?

·        How and when is performance evaluated?

·        How do you see [company] changing in the next few years?

Logistics

·        What percent onsite versus remote would this role be?

·        What are the travel expectations surrounding this role?

·        Is there anything I could study or learn between now and a potential start date that would make me more successful?

In Closing

·        Is there anything you’d like to ask that we haven’t covered?

·        Is there anything else I should know?

·        What would the timeline for next steps look like?

Bonus: Questions NOT to Ask

·        What is the compensation for this role?

·        How much time off do I get?

·        Anything that starts with “When/After you hire me…”

·        My current job does [x thing that you hate]. Is it like that here?

Did I miss any? Are there any questions on this list you’ve gotten unexpected answers to in the past? Let me know at YourSTEMMentorBlog@gmail.com!