Top 10 Questions to Ask in an Interview

Go to your interview well prepared. It is as much your interviewing them as it is the other way round - to show them that you've done your research and that you are really interested in the job and organization, but you still have a few questions you would like answers to as well (to ensure that it is the right job for you, etc.) If you have any questions, it is understood that you do not really worry about the role that can make your interviewers questions about your general motivation for the job itself - and you do not want it! General rule of thumb: If the answer to your question is readily available online, do not show your lack of research. But if you want a clarification on something you've read, it is good to note that: "... you read on the website that X was and wondering Y."

1. Why has the position become available? How has the role arose: Is it a new role? Has anyone left? Why have they left? If it is a new role, you would want to know what has been a need that has brought them to develop it - how were the issues dealt with earlier? What happened to a new role to be needed? If it is an existing role that they are trying to fill, it's good to have an idea about why the former employee has left it (it was for internal promotion - good news for internal career development - or have they left for another place or personal reasons, etc.) to give you a better idea of what you can get into.

2. What are the main priorities for the first 90 days? The job description may sound fantastic, but it might not reflect reality, what you should do in the first 90 days on the job. Many people ask what a typical day looks like, but for most roles, this is an impossible question to really get a comprehensive answer. By finding the key priorities to get a better idea of what you will most likely be spending your time on. This will help you get a better assessment of the job, and if it is something you really want to spend your time. Another good question to ask about this issue, especially in the not-for-profit sector are: What types of resources I have at my disposal? This will give you a better feel for the real amount of work that will be required of you.

3. What is the line management style? Best answered by the interviewer, who is most likely to be your superiors. Have an idea about what kind of management style you work best under. If you prefer autonomy in your work, you can look for a line manager whose style includes lots of transfer and internal meetings, etc. If on the other hand you like a lot of cooperation, you will not want a leader who has a hands-off style and just want you to get on with it. Know what you want so you can properly assess if the leadership style is one that will appeal to you.

4. The industry overall seems to go in the direction of X, where you see the organization in 3 / 5 years? A chance to show that you have an understanding of the industry (as you know your stuff, and you've done your research), but you want to know how the organization has thought about how it happens - it has a strategy in place, what it's like, it's one you tend to buy into. This also gives you a good idea of how proactive or reactive organization really is.

5. What is the work culture like? Think about what kind of work culture you would most like to be in. Is it one where there is social interaction outside office hours with a lot of team days and organizational events? Is it one where the turnover is low / high (and what does it tell you about the work environment)? What lessons has the interviewers had to work at the company?

6. Who should I work with? Who are your closest colleagues will be what they want, how long they have been there, what are they and how will you work with them, etc. The question to think before hand and compare the answer is: What kind of people do I like to work with and how I prefer to work with my colleagues?

7. What are the reporting and organizational structure? Who will you report to and where does the department fit in the overall structure of the organization? What type of organization is it? How does it work? What is the overall structure and how decisions are made? How are your potential role / department is involved in decision making within the organization as a whole? Again, know what you prefer - do you prefer centralized or more independent way of working?

8. What are the challenges in the role, department and / or organization? Reality check on what you potentially go. Is the team in a crisis? Have been struggling department? What challenges would you most likely have to be involved in the beginning? What will be asked of you?

9. Any clarifications on the role of self What is not obvious to you about the role? What would you still want / need to know about the job itself?

10. What is the next step in the interview process? Make sure you leave with a clear sense of what happens next and what their projected timelines for the process. Things to know: what happens next, what the overall process, what timeline are you looking at how they will let you know how many other candidates, the interviews, how many will be chosen for the next round, etc.