Do you have any questions for me?

Not for one minute do you think that he or she is doing that just to give you a chance to “ask questions.” This is another way of evaluating you — to see how prepared you are, or aren’t. Just to show how well you have done your homework, make sure you are definitely on point and have questions in hand and ready to go.

“But, what questions should I ask?” you say. The answer? The ones that will show that you care about the job, you care about the time that is being spent evaluating you and you care especially about the interviewer being able to appropriately answer a question about a job that could be a game changer in your career.

The reason that you want to make sure your questions are answered is because it’s important for you to feel confident that you are a good match for the position. Blending the answers to your questions with the answers given to the interviewer are a recipe that will provide huge insight on the merging of the proper candidate with the job at hand.

I’ve gathered some questions that business owners, hiring managers and human resources specialists generally like to entertain. These are either from conversations that I have had with them or from personal experience interviewing and being interviewed over the years. You can pick and choose from these and, of course, you always want to make sure your questions are not only pertinent to the job position to which you are applying but also are asked with your personality — never robotic and boring.

Why is this position open?

Is there room for growth if I am awarded the job and I do well?

Does the position support other disciplines or is it an autonomous position?

If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start?

What is the turnover or attrition rate of people in this position?

Is there travel expected and if so how much?

How stable is the company leadership?

How much change has been experienced at the top over the last five years?

Is the company in the middle of any mergers or acquisitions?

What are the growth projections over the next five years?

What do you love about your position and the company?

What are the company’s areas of opportunities as far as you can see where it could perform better?

What value do you get out of working with this company?

If I were chosen for the position, what advice would you give me in order to get off to a great start and thrive in the position?

Now, what questions do you avoid? Avoid questions that inquire about the intended salary, benefits, vacation time and the like.

Make sure you capitalize on the mindset of how much of a benefit you could be to the company and not come off as though you are only concerned with what the company can do for you. The time to do that is when you get a job offer. At that point, you can ask those questions that would probably be answered and spelled out in an offer letter.

Remember, the job interview is as much for your benefit as it is the interviewers. While they are evaluating you, keep in mind that you are also evaluating them.

Capitalize on the time and exchange between you and your interviewer. It’s like gold and should be a mirror of what the company is all about. In our next article, we will discuss questions an interviewer should not ask.

Until then, make it an awesome day and see you soon!