One fresher interview question that you get stumped with or take lightly during an interview is “Do you have any questions for us?”. If there is a single interviewer the same question may become, “Do you have any questions for me?”. Generally if you are asked this in an interview, it is a positive sign. However, by no chance, it is a sign of you being selected for the job position!
Generally, any interview will start with a few common interview questions that freshers encounter. “Tell us about yourself“, “Walk me through your resume“, “What are your career goals?“, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” and “What are your salary expectations?” are a few such interview questions. If the interviewer is encouraging you to ask any questions you have for them, then you may have created a good impression and expectations in his/her mind.
When you are given a chance to ask the interviewers about anything you may want to know further, you feel like you have been already selected and this question is just a formality. There is a sense of euphoria.
So, there are a few common responses from the candidates. Some interviewees don’t have any questions. Others ask questions irrelevant to the job or company. Then some may get confused about what to ask. A few of them may even ask about the remuneration they will get.
Such candidates miss on a few important aspects and possibilities of answering this fresher interview question. They could have gained useful insights. They could give a deeper understanding of how they think and what is important to them. Essentially they miss a power punch that can essentially make them one of the strongest contenders for the position. So let us understand why interviewers encourage you to ask about anything on your mind.
Why interviewers ask, “Do you have any questions for us?”
This question is not as simple as it seems. The interviewer judges you on various aspects based on to how you answer this. Therefore, before knowing how to prepare and what questions to ask, it’s crucial for you to be aware of the motive of the interviewer. Here are a few of them.
1. To understand where your priorities and interest lie
One central quest of any interviewer is to consistently understand more about the interviewee. They want to keep digging deeper about the nature, priorities, and interests of the candidate. So when you ask them questions, it starts giving them more insights about you as a person and your inclination. There are easily more than 100 questions that you can choose from to ask the interviewers. What you choose can be very different from other candidates.
2. To check your research about the company and the role
A very small percentage of job applicants take efforts to understand the role and company they apply for. Your questions show how deep you have gone in researching them. If your questions are more specific and relevant, the interviewers understand that you have done your research before applying. It makes them feel that you are genuinely interested in the job. It also tells them how thorough you are in your preparation.
3. To confirm your fitness for the position
Generally, this questions comes around the end of an interview round. The interviewer may have perceived that you are fit for the role offered and they may want to double-check it. This is why they try to give you a chance to open up further. They let you take control of the conversation with your questions. How you respond will either make their belief in you stronger or may affect their perception of you in a negative way.
What can you gain by asking questions during an interview?
As we mentioned before, you asking questions can go favorably for you in many ways. Let us understand how.
1. When you ask questions in response to this common interview question for freshers, you get a chance to know a lot more about the position and company. You may have missed some important details that can be critical from your future perspective or expectations from the job. So, since you have mostly created a good impression till now, you can get the interviewer to give you insights more openly.
2. It is your chance to show your research and thoroughness of preparation. The kind of questions that you ask show your depth of thinking as well as your research. You are showcasing your interest in the job and the company here. Interviewers are looking for candidates who are eager to know more and well prepared.
3. If you really want the job you are interviewing for, this is your chance to literally seal the deal. The questions you ask and the way you ask them can create a strong final impression before the interviewer’s decision on your selection for the role. This means you need to put in the work needed to impressive good questions at this stage.
How to prepare for “Do you have any questions for us?”
By now, you realize that this question has to potential to create a make-or-break situation for your chances to be selected. So it is time to focus on how to prepare for this common interview question for freshers.
5 critical insights to consider while preparing for your response
1. Research the job and the company thoroughly
This is the place for the origin of your honest and sincere questions. When you go over the company details and the job requirements, you will invariably find yourself wanting to know more about some specific details. You may find patterns or new developments about the organization that can intrigue you.
Interviewers can quickly gauge if you are sincere in your curiosity or faking it. So if you genuinely want to know something more, you will naturally ask good questions about it. Such research also gives you valuable knowledge about what you can expect when you join it.
2. Remain calm, confident and genuine
If you are honestly curious about whatever you ask, generally you do not need to worry about the impression it may create on the interviewer. So being genuine is the first step.
It is important to keep your composure and confidently ask your questions. These qualities are attractive in any employee. It also radiates clarity and intent on your behalf.
3. Prepare many questions
If you keep just 2-3 questions in your mind, they may not be good enough to drive your conversation well. It may also look superficial to the interviewer. You don’t want to come across as someone asking questions for the sake of it.
So keep at least 10 to 15 good questions in your mind. This can show your intense curiosity and thirst to know more. This may also reveal a few critical pieces of insights for you that can help you decide whether to join that organization.
4. Use open-ended questions
Open-ended questions are those questions that need an elaborate and well-thought-out response. They generate dialogue and dialogues create conversations.
Any question that can be answered in a “Yes” or “No” is a close-ended question. Such questions can kill a conversation.
So it is important for you to use open-ended questions to get the interviewer to speak. It gives you a chance to ask your next questions in line based on the context of the response from the interviewers.
5. Use details in the question which reflect your knowledge
The questions you ask are your chance to showcase your knowledge. Don’t let it go unused.
Delve into questions that include the company’s future projects, share positions, training programs, etc. Let the interviewers see how you have prepared yourself.
What type of questions should you ask?
Let us cover a few questions which can be a good starting point for you to prepare yourself well.
Questions about the job and its requirements
1. How does my typical workday look like in this once I join?
2. What are the main expectations from me in this role?
3. Which factors will my performance be judged on?
4. What will it take to succeed in this role?
5. How does my career evolve in this role in future?
Questions about the organization
1. I read about xyz initiative on your website. Can you tell me more about it?
2. Which sectors do this company plan to expand in the future? How does it plan to do it?
3. What do you find interesting about the culture in this company?
4. How long have you been here? What did you understand about this company in your time here?
Questions about yourself and your performance
1. What are you looking for in your ideal candidate?
2. What do you think are my areas of improvement?
3. What do you think are my strengths?
4. What skillset will I need to deliver well in the role offered?
Mistakes to avoid while answering “Do you have any questions for us?”
1. Never say, you do not have any questions or have nothing to ask. It is a red flag for the interviewers. If they are giving you the opportunity to ask a few questions, then that means their quest to decide your eligibility is still not over.
2. Avoid irrelevant or irrational questions. Asking questions for the sake of it is a waste of your time as well as the interviewer’s time. Ensure that you stay away from anything that makes you sound as though you’re unengaged in the job or haven’t done your research right – for instance, “what does the company sell?” or “Why isn’t your company NO.1 in the country?”.
3. Don’t get too personal while asking the questions. Know how to control your urge to ask these questions. An interviewer won’t appreciate your eagerness if your questions are like, “How much do you get paid by the company?”
4. Avoid questions related to salary. Remember, this question can turn off the interviewer’s interest in you. You are still not selected for the job, so salary-related questions are unnecessary at this stage. As a fresher or someone early in your career, the interviewer expects you to be hungry for experience rather than remuneration.
5. Avoid any serious subjects like any latest scandal that the company found itself in. This can show your focus on the negative things and may get you disqualified for the position.
6. Don’t ask questions that are readily available in the company brochure or website, just to show your inquisitiveness. Your employer expects you to have done your research on the organization thoroughly.
7. Avoid any overly complex or convoluted questions. Such questions create unnecessary tension in the environment. They can make the interviewers uncomfortable. Keep it simple.
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In this article, we have covered all the major things you need to know or understand while preparing your questions for the interviewers. However, to reach this level in any interview you need to master a few other questions. So carefully go over the “Fresher Interview” section on the NeedleMover blog.
