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The killer interview questions YOU should be asking đź’¬

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It’s easy to see the interview process as a one-way street; an interviewer is just there to assess your knowledge, skills and passion, right? Wrong!

Interviews are a two-way process; you need to make sure the company is the right fit for you just as much the company needs to check if you’re right for them. Make sure you are full prepared for your interview with our graduate job interview checklist.

With that in mind, you should make the most of an interviewer’s classic closer “So, do you have any questions for us?” in order to decide whether a job is right for you.

N.B. Don’t use all of these six questions at the end of every interview – you don’t want your interviewer to feel bombarded! Just pick out a couple that you feel haven’t been answered during your main conversation.

1. “What sort of progression could I expect at company X?”

As a fresh grad, progression is going to be really important to you. You need to know that you’re not going to join a company, only to stagnate in an entry level position for years on end.

If your interviewer alludes to the fact that it will take five years for a promotion, you need to think carefully about whether you’re willing to wait, or whether you’d prefer a company where you could expect to be moving up the ladder more quickly.

 

2. “What are the company’s plans for the next few years?”

This question will help you get a better grasp of the company’s ambitions, and will help you suss out whether you want to join them on their journey.

This will be a particularly important question to ask a small business, as their plans for the future could directly shape your role.

 

3. “What’s the best thing about working for your company?”

Most people are flattered when asked a question about themselves.

This is a nice one because it isn’t too intrusive, but should offer you an honest insight into what it’s really like to work for a company.

If your interviewer struggles to come up with something that they love about the company, or offers a fairly lame perk e.g. “I really like the free tea and coffee on offer,” then alarm bells should start ringing!

A happy employee will be able reel off a list of things which make them proud to work for their company.

 

4. “What kind of training do you offer?”

You might be the type of person who likes to learn on the job, but if formal training is important to you, you need to ask about it at the interview stage – not all companies will offer it.

 

5. “How would you measure my success in this role?”

How a company defines your success will ultimately determine how successful you’ll be in a role.

If your interviewer says that everything you do will be judged on KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and you don’t class yourself as target-driven, you may need to reconsider your options.

Likewise, if you’re performance is going to be based on feedback from your clients, and you don’t think you’re very good at dealing with people, it could be time for a U-turn!

 

6. “How would you describe the company’s culture?”

Never underestimate how important your company’s culture will be to your happiness at work.

If you value your downtime but your interviewer says that they have a “work hard, play hard atmosphere” and are “out entertaining clients most nights”, the role might not be quite the right fit for you!

Video guide for answering “do you have any questions for me?”

Tip: Change the playback speed in the settings at the bottom right corner, to suit your learning requirements!

Please feel free to embed this video on your website (get in touch for more info), or for more great interview questions& videos for graduates, subscribe to the Give A Grad A Go Career Advice YouTube Channel.

 

Read our complete guide to interview questions. Find more career advice on our graduate blog – or search our graduate jobs board for the latest UK grad jobs!

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