My Top 5 Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

Struggling with what to ask the employer during a job interview? Not sure of the best way to get the information you need to make a great career decision and sell yourself in the process? Join me as I share my top 5 questions to ask in a job interview!

I get it…

It’s difficult. You don’t job interview very often. You’re not (likely) a trained interrogator. That’s why you have me!

I’ll give you 5 home runs…

In the video, I’m going to share my five home runs, what to ask, why it’s a great question, and how to use the information. Let’s roll…

A company-based one first…

1. Based on the direction of the company, what do you think will be your greatest accomplishments in the next three years?

Organizations need to be able to think at least three to five years into the future. But, you don’t want to join an organization that only thinks about the future. Thinking is nice, but companies that act and build things and have clarity around specifically what they’re going to do are worthy of you. Join them.

It’s a great question because it helps you understand whether they have a vision and if they have clarity regarding specifically what they want to build.

If they don’t have that clarity, they’re basically saying to you, “I don’t know if you’ll have a job in three years because I don’t know where the company’s going.” Nice. Huh?

Make sure to ask this question early in the process.

Questions two, three, and four are about you and your role…

2. What are the qualities of people who are most successful in this position?

You’re looking for the traits the employer wants. The reason it’s a great question is you’ll get the actual traits they’re evaluating and you can use that insight immediately to highlight how you and your background and experience match those traits! Plus, it’s a great setup question for the next one.

3. If you were to give me an offer and I was to accept it, one year from now, what will I have done specifically that you would consider this hire to be a raging success?

Now you’re really accelerating! The reason this question is pure gold is it gets the interviewer to provide specifics about the expectations and what the company considers valuable.

It gives you clarity to make sure you could actually achieve those objectives. And, it gives you ammunition to use within that interview or subsequent interviews to talk about exactly how you’ll accomplish what they consider a success.

You now know their (year-end) goal is. Get them to envision you completing it for them.

Boom. This one wins the interview even though you’re not done yet. Let’s pile on a bit…

4. If you were to give me an offer and I was to accept it, within one week of starting this job, what will be my biggest surprise?

This is a little safety net for you. You want to make sure you’re uncovering information you might not have uncovered with the questions you’ve designed.

It gets the interviewer thinking hmmm, what might this person not ask in the job interview I could share or what surprised me when I first started with the company?

Naturally, the interviewer’s inclination will be to provide you a negative surprise. That’s just (unfortunately) the way most people think.

It puts the interviewer on the spot. Ka. Boom. Bonus.

Don’t forget your boss…

5. What’s your management style and what are your expectations of the position you might not have already mentioned?

Four out of five people quit their jobs because of their boss. This is great question to make sure you’re in sync with his or her style, expectations, and so forth.

Want more job interview coaching?

Make sure to check out my free webinar called 3 Keys to Ace Any Job Interview. It’ll teach you everything you need to know about how to answer and ask questions in a job interview plus attendees get a sweet, FREE eBook How to Interview the Employer: 75 Great Questions to Ask Before You Take Any Job. Don’t miss it!

About the Author

Andrew LaCivita is the Founder & Chief Executive of milewalk and the milewalk Academy. As an internationally recognized executive recruiter, award-winning author, speaker, and trainer, Andrew has dedicated his career to helping people and companies realize their potential. He frequently serves as a trusted media resource and is the author of Interview Intervention, Out of Reach but in Sight, and The Hiring Prophecies (the eLit Gold Award Winner for Best Business/Careers/Sales Book for 2016).

Andrew’s passion is serving as a coach and trainer via his top 5 Careers Blog, Tips for Work and Life®, and his online training site, the milewalk Academy. On a daily basis, he circulates his Today’s Line to Live By®, which is a self-developed inspirational quote. You can find these daily dispatches of inspiration on his blog and social media platform.

To learn more about Andrew, see his full biography and resources page.