The best questions to ask in a job interview

You’ve battled sweaty palms, a frantic brain and barrage of questions for about 45 minutes or so – congratulations, you’ve gotten through the first part of a job interview. Well done you!

But an interview is a two way street – you need to get to know them just as much as they need to get to know you. So now comes the next part, where the interviewer puts their pen down and asks, “do you have any questions for us?”.

Many people dread this part, as the struggle to think of interesting and insightful questions can be very real, but never fear. We picked the brains of the Creative Natives team and have extracted some of the best questions you can ask in a job interview.

Our top questions:

• If I was to be successful in getting this job, what would my first three months look like?
• What are the key qualities you’re looking for in this hire?
• What qualities do successful people in the company have?
• Are there any new projects or initiatives that the company is working on?
• Where do you see the company being in five years?
• What do you like about working here? What has made you stay?
• When you were interviewing for your role, what made you decide to say yes?
• What are the goals of the company and how does this role contribute to achieving them?
• What pieces of work that you and/or the company are particularly proud of? Why?
• What do you think will be my biggest challenges in this role?
• Do you expect the role or the responsibilities to change in the next six to twelve months?
• What are learning and development opportunities?
• What are the pathways for career growth and development?
• How would you describe the company culture and how do you think I would contribute to it?
• What do new employees usually struggle with the most and how do you suggest I handle this if I got the job?
• Is there something I should be asking, but aren’t?
• Are there any questions where you felt I didn’t give you enough information?
• Is there anything I mentioned today that would not make me a strong contender for the role?

Some final tips:

• Prepare a minimum five to eight questions, just in case some get answered during the interview. You don’t want to have nothing to ask!
• Write them down and if it’s an in-person interview, don’t be afraid to bring them in. This is not Year 12, you don’t have to have absolutely everything memorised.
• Make sure to ask everything you want to know. Don’t skip on questions if you don’t think they’re super exciting or insightful. You need all of the details to make the best decision for you and your career.

Good luck! If you need some interview preparation tips, don’t forget to check out our Interview Prep Pack and if you’re after a new role in the creative / marketing / PR / digital space, get in touch today at hello@creativenatives.com.au.