Questions to Ask the Employer

  • What are the most important duties of the position?
  • What skills are especially important for someone in this position?
  • What are the challenging facets of the job? What are the top three challenges I will face in this job?
  • How would you describe a typical day in this position?
  • How much travel is normally experienced?
  • How much evening or weekend work is expected?
  • What kind of training is given to new employees?
  • Are there opportunities for additional training?
  • Is this a new position? How did the opening for which I am applying occur?
  • What is the career path for this position?
  • If I work hard and prove my value to the company, where might I find myself in five years?
  • How and how often are performance reviews given?
  • Outside my department, who else will I work with?
  • Are transfer (overseas) opportunities available?
  • What sort of management style is used within this organization?
  • What do you like most/least about working here?
  • What is the environment in the office like?
  • Do employees tend to socialize with each other outside of work?
  • How do you feel my style will complement the team culture?
  • What kinds of assignments might I expect the first six months on the job?
  • Will I be working on projects individually or part of a team?
  • To what extent will I be responsible for determining my work objectives?
  • What are your growth projections for the next year? What are the organization's plans for future growth?
  • What are the organization's strengths and weaknesses?
  • What is the largest problem facing your department at this time?
  • Does the organization support membership and participation in professional organizations?
  • What are the next steps of the hiring process? What is the timeline of the hiring process? When might I expect to hear from you about the position? (Ask one of these questions at the end if the interviewer has not already covered this topic).