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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

5 Questions YOU Should Ask at an Interview

So you’ve made the all-important first step. You plucked positions from Jobstoday.co.uk, applied for a job and have been offered an interview…so how should you handle your next move?

So you’ve made the all-important first step. You plucked positions from Jobstoday.co.uk, applied for a job and have been offered an interview…so how should you handle your next move?

Some might dread the interview, but actually it’s your opportunity to shine. It’s time to consider that, ideally, it should not only be the interviewer who asks the questions; it’s not a one-way street. It’s very important that you present yourself in a positive light, which means that you should get on the front foot and show that you have an interest in your potential employer and have researched them.

It can be quite nerve-wracking but, done correctly, can be very rewarding. We’ve put together a list of 5 questions to help…

What are my exact responsibilities in the role?

Job ads can often be a little too general and, before accepting a role, it’s best to fully understand all responsibilities you’ll have. The interview is not only there for the company to find out whether they want to hire you or not; it should help you to can decide if the company can offer what you’re looking for. Asking what your day-to-day tasks might involve, and who you’d be working with, does not only show the interviewer that you’re interested, it also allows you to better understand the role.

Will you be able to provide training?

By asking this you’ll be able to gauge the chance of career progression – and demonstrate that you are someone with ambition who isn’t prepared to sit still and stagnate.

Who will I be working with?

Knowing who’ll be part of your team and who will supervise you can give you a better idea of what working for the company will be like. It allows you to find out how big your new potential team will be and to explore what their skills, experience and backgrounds are. Sometimes that’s a good way of establishing where you’ll fit in to a team.

What have you enjoyed most about working here?

By asking the interviewer about his or her own experiences in the company, you can get a good feel of what the working environment might be like. They might, for instance, mention a benefit that you hadn’t considered.

How long does the hiring process usually last?

You don’t want to wonder for days or weeks when you might be hearing back from the company, so simply bring up the subject and ask them. Don’t demand a date but inquire in what time frame they usually make decisions and make sure you get their contact details in case you need to follow up with a call.

Be curious, diplomatic and confident during your interview. Don’t ask how much you’ll earn straight away, instead show an interest in the role and the company first. Don’t feel you have to reinvent the wheel – simple, sensible questions are perfectly good for showing that you are interested in the role.

You can also prepare for questions the interviewer might ask you, and looking to have relevant questions you can use as part of your answers and conversations.

When you walk out of the interview room, you should not only have convinced the interviewer that you’re the right person to hire, but you should also know whether the company is offering you what you’re looking for in a job.