Slashdot Mirror
Asking the Right Questions to a Future Employer?
coronaride asks: "One of the things that always seems to leave me stumped in a job interview is the dreaded 'Do you have any questions for us?' question. I was always taught that while it's great to have the answers, almost equally important is to ask the right questions. When interviewing for a development position, what are some good questions to ask? For you employers, how much weight, if any, do you put on this open-ended question? A few obvious things come to mind regarding benefits, atmosphere, development style, etc., but I'm curious to see others' opinions on not only what is expected, but what is appropriate as well."
"What is your favourite aspect of working for $company?". Usually pretty revealing, unless the company hires external interviewers...
After living through the dot-com era, I always ask about the business - how their financials are, what kind of funding they have, how the company is run, and so forth, as well as questions about what they really do to make a living. Meaning - that except for some rare cases like Google, people don't really give a shit about computers - they are just the best solution to their problems, but not something they get particularly excited about. Show an interest in how you and your skills can help their business. Ask about what makes the company tick. Ask about how the company got started. At worst, you'll learn something interesting, and most likely, you'll make a good impression by conveying the message that you have broader interests than just the geeky side of things.
http://www.welton.it/davidw/
If you ask questions that are relevant to the company, it also shows that you've been paying attention, and that you're not just looking for a paycheck...
;) You see, honesty works both ways: just as I want you to tell me something about a basic day-to-day business of your business, I expect managment to be mature enough to know, that the most important reason for my seeking of employment is a paycheck!
.02$
Well, I might want to work for your company, but not necesserily for you
If I wanted to broaden my knowledge, work in pleasent enviroment, answer new challenges alone, I'd go to work as some sysadm at university, or IT consultant for some charity etc.
Just my
Robert
Bastard Operator From 193.219.28.162
If you already know you want to work at the place, ask questions like you already work there.
Questions similar to "What dress code will I need to follow?" can easily bump you up into the "you're hired" zone. When you ask questions like that, you are showing confidence AND you are acting like a fellow employee rather than a prospective one. (Salesmen will recognize this as "closing the sale/deal")
This can make or break you getting a job when there are many similarly qualified people competing with you.
Unless there isn't much serious competition for the job, DON'T ask questions like you are demanding things or expecting more than was offered very soon. Questions like "how long before new employees get an office?" or "how often are raises given out?" are very bad to ask if you really want the job. If the company gets the impression that the money they are offering is already bothering you, or that you're likely to bitch about your working environment, you're much less likely to get hired unless you don't have much competition.
This is not a dream, not a dream...we are transmitting from the year 1-9-9-9.
Those are the two best questions I've seen on here tonight.
The answer to the first will reveal if there are any systematic problems with the role likely to get you feeling disgruntled enough to go looking for another job.
The second does two things - it marks you out as a guy/girl who wants to align him/herself with the big picture (something that relatively few technical people care to do), and the answer to it will tell you to what degree your efforts in the role are likely to be seen as significant for the company's fortunes. That's important if you have any ambition to move up the management ladder because unless you manage to associate yourself with successful high profile projects you will be effectively invisible to those who control access to training and promotion.