“So, do you have any questions for us?”
Ah, the obligatory-end-of-interview questions. While it seems simple and unobtrusive, don’t be fooled. Even though the formal interview questions may be over, this is your opportunity to show your interviewer you care enough to learn more about the company or position. According to the Interviewing Guide created by Career Planning, you should prepare 3-5 questions ahead of time.
Some Cardinal Rules:
DO NOT ask nothing. Even if you’ve been to a million and one networking events and feel you’ve exhausted your list of questions, ask one of them again to gain a new perspective. Ask something. Anything. Not asking a question makes you look cocky–and that’s not going to win you any brownie points. See the list below for some inspiration.
DO NOT ask about salary, vacation, benefits, etc. If hired, you’ll have plenty of time to find out.
DO NOT ask questions whose answers can be easily found out by doing basic online research on the organization. Don’t demonstrate your lack of preparation with a question to which you should know the answer.
Some Sample Questions:
1. What are some of the projects interns have worked on in the past?
2. What kinds of opportunities are there to receive feedback from supervisors?
3. Is there a training program? How long is it? What sorts of things will I learn?
4. Questions about transportation–if you don’t have a car you’ll need to know if there’s public transportation or a car pool system available.
5. What goals does the company have/projects the company is working on this summer/semester? How do you see my role in those?
6. If Since you’ve read up on the company, you may have follow up questions on an article you read. “I read in XX that Company is expanding XX project; would there be an opportunity to work with this project during my internship?”
7. Could you elaborate on your job? What are you responsibilities? etc. If your interviewer works in a career field or department which you feel drawn to this could be especially interesting, and you may want to ask other questions about their education and training.
8. What do you most enjoy/value about working for Company?
9. Are there any technical skills or other specific knowledge needed or recommended for the job (other than listed in course description)? Is there an opportunity for some training on site?
10. And everyone’s favorite… What is your time frame for making decisions?
Additional Resources on Interviewing:
Interviewing Guide
Interviewing for Shy People
Set up a mock interview with Career Planning; call 508-793-3880
