You are in a job interview… and have been asked lots of questions about your background, what qualifies you for the role and why you think you would be good candidate.

And then the interviewee asks the final question… “Do you have any questions for us?”

The answer should ALWAYS be, YES!

This is important for two key reasons; firstly, to work out if this company is the right fit for you, and secondly asking questions at the end of the interview shows you’re interested and demonstrates you have prepared what you want to get from the interview process.

While there are plenty of questions you can ask – here are our top three topics to ask about (if you haven’t found out the answer already in the interview process):

1. The Team & Company Culture

   An interview is a two-way process so finding out about the environment you could be working in is crucial for making sure this is the right company and team for you. It also helps you plan for your long-term future with the business.

   Showing an interest in the culture of the business & team also demonstrates to an employer you are focusing on your career, not just a wage for the next few months.

   Example questions:

• What is the size of the team I will be working in?
• Can you tell me more about the team I would be working with?
• How would you describe the working culture in the company?
• What do you personally enjoy most about working in this business?
• What do you think is the most challenging aspect of working here?

2. Training & Development

   As a graduate you will be learning many different skills in your early career and continue to do so over the years as development never stops! This makes it important to understand what opportunities are available within the business to improve on existing skills and learn new ones.

   Example questions:

• If I was offered this role, is there any training I would need to do immediately?
• What types of professional development opportunities are offered?
• What do you imagine the career path to be for someone in this role?

3. Next steps

   Knowing what the next steps are in the recruitment process is important for your job search including when to follow up with the business or via recruitment company. If you have other interviews this will also help you prioritise decision making if you are offered more than one role.

   It is important to be polite, but as you have given your time to interview, it is a reasonable request to ask more about the interview process & timelines involved from their side.

   Example questions:

• Is there anything else you need to know about me or information I can supply?
• What are the next steps in the interview process?
• Are you able to share the timeline for the recruitment process and when I am likely to hear from you?