Questions to Ask the Interviewer

Today's blog post is offered by a graduate intern for the Office of Career Services.

            Going on interviews can be absolutely nerve wracking. It’s always hard to know how you did, what they are looking for, and it’s easy to forget why you’re there. 

Employers are looking for someone who is capable and interested in helping their company. As much as the interview is about marketing yourself and your brand, ultimately the company is interested in you to the extent that you can help them. So when it comes to that all important moment in an interview – do you have any questions for me? -  asking thoughtful, probing questions can demonstrate your interest in the company and your desire to help them.   Career advisor Marc Cenedella writes that the best question you can ask during this phase of the interview is: "How do I help you get a gold star on your review next year?" Now obviously this needs to be adapted depending on the company/situation, but the general idea here is that you are asking the interviewer how you can best help the company. This question speaks directly to the purpose of hiring you – to make the company better. 

Employers see their employees as investments, they put in a lot of time into vetting you, hiring you, training you, and working with you. They want to see a return on that investment. By inquiring into how you can best help them get a return on their investment, you are addressing exactly the issue at hand for them. Further, you are getting the interviewer to reveal what it is that they are looking for from you – which is invaluable. Any insight you gain into the type of qualities and candidates they are interested in is a huge advantage when presenting yourself to an organization. Tailoring your experiences and knowledge to the exact ideals that the employer is looking for will help you immensely. 

An alternative question might be: ‘What does an ideal candidate look like for this position?’ This captures the same idea, but is more direct and straight forward. There are plenty of lists out there of good questions to ask during an interview, but the main point is this: ask questions that display insight into the company and ask questions that help you best tailor your subsequent responses to the needs/desires of your potential employer.

Do you find these topics interesting? Have you ever thought about writing a blog? If so, join our team! Please send any interests, inquiries, or articles to Cassie Sklarz at sklarz@fordham.edu. We'd love to hear from you!