Washington State Department of Services for the Blind

Questions You Might Ask During an Interview

This is a sample of some questions you could ask at the end of an interview. You might pick two or three from this list, or you might have some questions of your own.

1. Would you describe the duties of the job for me, please?
2. Why is this position open?
3. What are your priorities for this job?
4. Was the person who previously held this position promoted?
5. How often has this position been filled in the past five to ten years?
6. Why did the person who previously held this position leave?
7. What would you like done differently by the next person who fills this position?
8. What are your goals for this company? What are some of the objectives that you would like accomplished in this job? What would you like to have done within the next two to three months?
9. To whom would a person in this position report directly?
10. What freedom would I have in determining my work objectives, deadlines, and measures of success?
11. Is there anything unusually demanding about the job?
12. What are some of the challenges of this job? How do you think these could best be handled?
13. In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms of products and services over the years?
14. What future do you see for the company/industry?
15. How is one judged in this company? What accounts for success?
16. What are the most critical factors for success in your business?
17. What is management’s policy about promotion from within the company?
18. Does the company have a commitment to ongoing training and development of its personnel?
19. What kind of orientation will I be given?
20. How do you go about winning support from top management for your new projects?
21. How would you describe your own management style?
22. How do you like people to communicate with you- orally, in writing, informally, in meetings, only when necessary?
23. Is there anything else I can tell you about my qualifications?
24. I appreciate being granted an interview. How soon will you make a decision?

Consider the following two responses, if the interviewer says “There are no openings,” or “We are not hiring,” etc.:

1. Do you know of others in this organization or elsewhere who would be interested in someone with my experience or background?
2. Would you keep my résumé on hand for other openings in your office or for referral to others?

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