What is the best question to ask at the end of an interview?

17th Feb 2019
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What is the best question to ask at the end of an interview?

Have you any questions for us?

Your interview will likely end with this question and it is your last chance to have an impact. The interview will remember best the first and last thing you said most clearly. So not being prepared for this can really affect your success.

First a few don’ts:

  • Don’t ask a question that you should have known the answer to from reading promotional material, looking on the website or by googling.

  • Don’t ask a question that is purely focused on you. Nothing about when you will hear back, what the salary will be, do we finish early on Fridays…

  • And don’t just say “No thanks, not at this moment” when they ask.

You have two clear options :

1. You can ask a question that comes from a position of research. If you are well prepared for the interview, you will have done a significant amount of research on the company. Use it at the end.

Form a question that says – I know this about the role, could you tell me a bit more? Or I know that this development is coming down the line for the sector, how might that affect your business? This shows curiosity and genuine interest.

2. The other option is not to ask a question. This is absolutely acceptable, but you need to tell them why you don’t have a question. This shows you’ve thought about the role, and about potential questions, but you have your research done.

So “thank you, but I don’t have any other questions. I’ve researched the role thoroughly, talked to your recruiters at various events and so I feel I have a good understanding of the role. Thanks a million for your time”.

You might also want to include a final pitch for the role at the very end of the interview. Details on how to craft this pitch can be found here here.

Get in Touch

The above really only scratches the surface of what you need to prepare for an interview. The Communications Clinic offers tailored one to one interview preparation sessions to help you get over the line and secure the job you want. We put you through an interview, record it, assess it and make you better.

If you call us or email us on info@communicationsclinic.ie and mention you read the above article we can book you in for an Interview Preparation Session for a reduced fee.