When It Comes To Tech Interviews, How You Finish Matters Just As Much As How You Start
When interviewing, tech job candidates should not leave the room (or log off the video call) without asking thoughtful end-of-interview questions. How you finish an interview matters just as much as how you start it, and concluding with questions demonstrating that you have both done your homework and are excited about the opportunity can leave a positive and lasting impression on your interviewer.
Equally important, the answers you receive will help you decide whether this position is a good fit or should focus your job search efforts elsewhere.
Here are six end-of-interview questions that tech job candidates should consider asking.
What are the position’s day-to-day responsibilities?
You certainly want to know how you’ll spend the 40 or more hours you will dedicate to your job every week. While a job posting may contain a laundry list of tasks and responsibilities, that doesn’t mean they will each be a regular part of your workday.
Asking this question can give you further insight into whether the job is right for you.
Can you describe the team I’ll be a part of?
While many aspects of tech jobs are solitary, much of your work will likely involve collaborating with others on your team or your department. Asking about the size and nature of your future team can give you insight into how the company operates and is undoubtedly an end-of-interview question worth asking.
Posing this question also allows you to emphasize how much you enjoy working with colleagues and shows that you are interested in aspects of the position beyond just the responsibilities of your role.
Related end-of-interview questions may be whether you will be assigned a mentor or paired with someone to guide you, who you will work with most often, the most significant challenges currently facing the team, and some of the team’s most significant accomplishments.
Related: Mentoring New Hires in a Remote Workplace
Are there opportunities for professional growth and advancement?
Yes, you are interviewing for a specific position and therefore do not want to give the impression that you want or expect a promotion within a month of your tenure beginning.
But inquiring about opportunities to expand your skill sets, gain experience in other aspects of the business, and eventually move up the corporate ladder shows ambition and an appreciation of the importance of professional and personal growth.
As a tech candidate, the answer to these end-of-interview questions about training, mentoring and educational opportunities can reveal the importance the company leaders place on investing in their employees.
How will the company measure my success in this role?
You’ll want to be successful in your new position, but to do so, you need to know what success means to your employer. Ask what the expectations are when you start the job, how often you will receive performance reviews, and what metrics the company uses when giving performance evaluations.
How would you describe the company culture?
You could possess all the needed skills for the position, and the job itself may look like a dream gig, but your job doesn’t exist in isolation. You will be surrounded by and influenced by your colleagues, superiors, and those at the top.
Cultural fit is essential not only to job candidates but also to the employer. They want someone who understands and appreciates how they do business.
Ask what type of employees tend to thrive at the company and what type don’t do as well. Ask how the company addresses issues such as work-life balance and their policy or approach to remote work and flex-time.
You can also inquire about what your interviewer likes about the company. Asking about the interviewer’s point of view shows that you respect and value their opinion – and everybody like being respected and valued.
Asking these types of end-of-interview questions will help you and the interviewer understand whether your personality and values are a good match for the company.
Final end-of-interview question: What are the next steps in the interview process?
You don’t want to sit by the phone or constantly refresh your inbox in the days after your interview, especially if the company is weeks or months away from scheduling another round of interviews or making a hiring decision.
Asking about the next steps shows your continued interest in the position and moving forward in the hiring process.
Once you have landed the job, check out our blog 5 Things to Do on Your First Day of Work.
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