Career Services in Coda! [Katie Rivard]

Explore

Career Services in Coda! [Katie Rivard]

Interview Preparation

Lesson: What to Ask in an Interview

10 minute read

When interviewing with companies, they'll ask you a lot of questions. It's just as important for you, as the interviewee, to ask the hiring manager questions to gain a better sense of the position, its expectations, and to determine if it fits well within your working style.

Let's review a few categories of questions you should ask during the interview process:

About the Job

While the interviewer may give you a rundown of the day-to-day responsibilities of the position you're applying for, you can gain better insight by asking questions like:

What does a typical day look like?

What projects will I be working on?

What skills are you looking for from a candidate?

What are the biggest challenges of this role?

Do you expect the responsibilities to change in the next few months?

About Professional Development

You can learn a lot about a company and its vision based on how it trains and treats its employees from a development perspective. While this may be your first job in design, it will eventually lead to different roles for years to come. You should focus on determining the following:

How will I be trained and get up to speed with the team?

Do you offer educational and professional development opportunities?

For the position I would be filling, where is that person now?

Are there opportunities for advancement in the company?

About Expectations

You also want to consider what is expected of you during the first 30, 60, and 90 days of employment. You can also discuss future expectations for the role by asking these questions:

What is expected of me during the first 30 days? 60 days? 90 days?

What key metrics do I need to achieve within the first year?

About the Company & Interviewer

By asking the interviewer questions about their time with the company, you can gain a better insight into what you experience during your employment. It's also incredibly helpful to learn more about the company, its vision, and how they were founded to determine if it's a place you want to spend your days.

How long have you been with the company?

Has your role changed?

Why did you join the company?

Can you tell me plans for company growth in the next year?

What gets you excited about working for this company?

About the Team & Culture

Asking questions about the team makeup and culture of the company also helps determine if you're a good fit to join. Understand how the company functions, if it hosts events, different office traditions, and more.

Can you talk about the team I would be a part of?

Who will I report directly to?

What other departments will I interface with?

Describe the work environment?

Do you host events for teams or company-wide?

How has the company changed since you were hired?

About Next Steps

Once you get done with the interview, the most important thing you need to understand is where do you go from here. Consider these questions to comprehend the next steps:

What are the next steps in the interview process?

Is there any additional information you need from me?

How long does the process take?

How long until you make a decision?

Determine a list of these questions you feel are appropriate to ask and necessary for you to determine if the company is a good fit for you and your working style. Try not to ask them all, but select a few that will help you get a better understanding of the company and how you would fulfill the duties required of the role.

Gallery

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.