Questions to impress an interviewer

Managing to create a lasting impression with an interviewer is an issue that will remain on the thoughts of many candidates when the interview finally finishes. One of the things that many interviewers will look out for will be your ability to portray your appetite for the job on offer. If you leave the interview room having failed to ask a single meaningful question when the interviewer hands over control to you to direct the flow of conversation, then they may doubt your commitment to the role, however unintentional it may be.

Below we have listed some useful questions that you can have in your repertoire so you can really create a favourable lasting impression.

"From what you have managed to ascertain about me, how well do you think I will fit inside the company and adapt to its culture and why?"

You want to portray just how well you may fit inside any potential new company, that you are going to be able to work well in a team setting, and you can quickly adapt to the new company culture. Many employers will not want someone who is disruptive and could potentially cause a nuisance. Your answer will help to clarity any doubts they may have about you fitting in, and will act as an indicator to you on just how well you have managed the interview based on how they answer the question.

"How would you describe a model employee?"

Remember that an interview is also a good way for you to gauge if you could not only adapt comfortably into the culture of the company but also to see whether the company in question is a viable place for you to work and ultimately progress in. The interviewer's response will hopefully be a positive one that will give you the confidence that you have met all of the personal requirements. You can also use this opportunity to sell your personal qualities again so your appetite for the job is laid bare.

"What career advancement and growth opportunities can an employee expect working inside your company?"

Your long term career progression should remain one of the key reasons for choosing to work for a company. By asking this question you are telling the interviewer that you are looking to the future and can see yourself progressing inside the company, providing of course they are opportunities in place that reward employees and recognise individual effort. For many people a rewarding career is one that pushes them to achieve the very best and firms that have a culture in place of progressive career development may be the final deciding factor when applying for a job.

"Please could you describe to me a typical week/day in this role?"

If you are looking for a challenging position that brings different aspects into the forefront every day, then you would probably want the interviewer to highlight just how varied and challenging the role is, with not any two days being the same. Most people would probably thrive in such a role, after all how many people would want to do a job that was repetitive and unrewarding? If you bore quickly in certain roles because of a lack of autonomy then perhaps you should consider working elsewhere, if the interviewer described a typical working week as such.

In conclusion

Ultimately the questions you wish to ask at the end of an interview will be down to individual choice and the answers you wish to receive. These will vary from person to person and the list would be too extensive to cover every possible question. Your question time however is valuable and your approach to the questions you wish to put to the interviewer must be structured and logical, in order to create an impression that lasts well after the interview is concluded.