An interview is a give and take. The employer will ask you questions and you want to be prepared with questions of your own. While you do not want to hog the interview sessions with your questions, you do want to get a good sense of the job requirements and the work environments so that you can determine your level of interest in the position. Using the potential applicant questions below, select some that seem most appropriate for an upcoming job interview. In the beginning phase of the interview, the first two questions in section A are most important. If the employer does not describe the job requirements early into the interview, be sure to ask these two questions yourself. One or more of your questions may get answered during the course of the interview. If they are not answered, you can bring them up as the interview progresses. Do not be the first to bring up the topic of salary, promotions and benefits. Unless they are used for screening purposes, employers tend to address this topic once they’ve determined an interest in you as a candidate. Let the employer begin this subject and see if your salary/benefit related questions are answered or whether you need to bring them up yourself at this point in the interview.

Potential Applicant Questions

A.    About The Job Description/Job History

• What is the job description for this position?
• How would you describe your ideal candidate for this position?
• What do you see as the major challenges I would face in this position?
• Can the job description be altered or upgraded?
• How long has this position been vacant and why is it open?
• Who has been in this position before and where did they go afterwards?
• Are there other positions similar to this one?

The following are appropriate to ask as the interview comes to a close:

• How do you see my background fitting in with your needs relative to other candidates?
• What is your time frame for making a decision about this position?
• What is the next step in the process? May I call you so as to follow up?

B.    About The Interviewer/Department/Organization/Industry

• What is your (interviewer’s) background?
• How long have you been with this organization and what positions have you held since coming here?
• With whom would I work? Who would be my immediate supervisor?
• How would you describe the atmosphere (feeling, tone) of the department? How do employees relate to one another?
• Does the department have its own budget? Who controls it?
• What is the reputation of this department within this organization?
• Do you consider the staff to be adequate for the workload? How is the morale?
• Was anyone on staff bypassed for this position?
• What is the greatest challenge faced by this department/organization?
• How have industry trends impacted on this organization/department?

The following can be asked once the employer brings up the topic of salary and benefits:

• How does the organization set individual and or group performance goals?
• Are there periodic performance reviews? If so, what do they consist of?
• What are the prospects for promotions and salary increases?
• Are employees encouraged to continue study? Is tuition reimbursed?

 C.   About Internship Opportunities

• Have you ever used student interns in the past within your organization?

Ø If so, what kinds of assignments does your organization give to interns in__________________________________________
department/job capacity?

Ø If no, why not?

• Do you need information regarding what an internship is all about and what the school requires of a participating employer?
• How many interns have you ever worked with at one time?

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE