The 10 Best Questions to Ask at a Job Interview

You're interviewing for a job. After
20 or 30 minutes, you're asked: "Do you have any questions?"

The
worst thing you can do is ask, "What is it your company does?" (Hey, it
has happened.) The next worst thing you can do is say, "Um, nope, I
don't have any questions."

[See 21
secrets to getting a job offer.]

You need to ask some
questions! Asking questions shows your interest in a company and makes
you look smarter (smart people tend to be inquisitive). Asking
questions gives interviewers a chance to talk about themselves, a thing
most people love. And--this is important--asking questions is a way to
find out if you really want to work for these people.

Bottom
line: Don't make the interviewer do all the heavy lifting. Take an
active role in the interview process and improve your chances of landing
a job.

[See 50
tips for surviving your worst work day.]

So what should you
ask? Here are 10 suggestions:

1. "Can you describe a typical
day for someone in this position?" If your interviewer appears to
be nervous or ill at ease, a non-abstract question like this is a good
way to get the ball rolling.

2. "Could you talk about the
history of this position?" Specifically, what you're trying to find
out is how long the position has existed, how many people have held it,
and why it is now available.

3. "What were the major strengths
and weaknesses of the last person who held this job?" Or in other
words, what kind of act would you have to follow. This is also a chance
to find out what happened to your would-be predecessor. How this
question is answered will tell you a lot about the dynamics and
expectations of this workplace.

4. "What are this position's
biggest challenges?" You're naturally curious about the downsides of
the job. But find out in a way that makes you look confident and
unafraid to tackle problems.

5. "In what area could your team
use some improvement?" Do you get an honest-sounding answer? This
is important. It's also an opportunity to talk some more about how
your skills specifically match this company's needs.

[See more
career advice at the U.S.News Careers site.]

6. "What are
the prospects for advancement?" Asking this demonstrates that you
have ambition, and makes you look like a big picture person.

7.
"How would I be evaluated?" If you want to know an employer's
true priorities, and what is really important about the position under
discussion, ask this.

8. "Who are the most successful people
in this company and why?" A clever way to get a glimpse of a
company's values/ethos/culture and how the powers-that-be measure
success.

9. "Why do you enjoy working at this company?"
Okay, it's a softball question. But the answer, and the tone in which
it is given, should tell you a lot. Basically, you are looking to see
some sincere enthusiasm here.

10. "Do you have any reservations
about me or my ability to perform this job?" It's a gutsy thing to
ask. But consider doing so because it's a great way to get real-time
feedback on you and your interview skills. Asking for criticism not
only earns you points for courage, it could result in some very helpful
information.

P.S. Do not ask questions that would be easily
answered by consulting the company's website. You will look unprepared,
even lazy. You'll also lose the opportunity to gather some valuable
insight about this employer and the job on offer.

Karen
Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book
The
Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can
Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at
www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.