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Programming IT Technology

Asking the Right Questions to a Future Employer? 166

Posted by Cliff from the things-to-know-for-an-interview dept.
coronaride asks: "One of the things that always seems to leave me stumped in a job interview is the dreaded 'Do you have any questions for us?' question. I was always taught that while it's great to have the answers, almost equally important is to ask the right questions. When interviewing for a development position, what are some good questions to ask? For you employers, how much weight, if any, do you put on this open-ended question? A few obvious things come to mind regarding benefits, atmosphere, development style, etc., but I'm curious to see others' opinions on not only what is expected, but what is appropriate as well."
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Asking the Right Questions to a Future Employer? More

Asking the Right Questions to a Future Employer?

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  • Point to the picture of his wife on his desk.... (Score:5, Funny)

    by HotNeedleOfInquiry ( 598897 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @05:43PM (#14294359)
    And say Who's the slut

  • After a long, tense interview? (Score:5, Funny)

    by voice_of_all_reason ( 926702 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @05:48PM (#14294385)
    What about: "Can I go now?"

    • Re:After a long, tense interview? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by toddbu ( 748790 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:53PM (#14294921)
      Can I go now?

      Before you leave, ask to use the bathroom. Seriously. It's amazing how much you can find out about how an employer treats their employees by looking at their bathrooms. That's because it's the one area of the company that's generally available to employees but not the public. If the bathrooms are clean and neat, you can be sure that you're going to be working for a first class operation. If the bathroom is trashed and there's graffiti on the wall, you can be guaranteed that your future employer will screw you because they don't care about their employees. It doesn't matter how well manicured the lawns are, or how nice the front desk is - if the bathrooms are a mess then your employer is a bum.

      • if the bathrooms are a mess then your employer is a bum.

        ... or a man. Or, more seriously, your potential workmates are slobs.
      • If the bathrooms are clean and neat, you can be sure that you're going to be working for a first class operation.

        Or simply that they contract a cleaning company, or rent space in a building that does. In many cases looking at the restrooms will only tell you about the building management company.

  • Be careful of... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Eightyford ( 893696 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @05:48PM (#14294391) Homepage
    One thing you may not want to ask is: "Is there any advancement?" or something similar. While in some cases this may show thay you are eager to learn and work hard, some of the employers may not like this for the following two reasons:

    1) They don't want you to steal their job.
    2) They need to fill a specific position and want to hire somebody that will be satisfied with working in that position for the next 15 years.

    • Re:Be careful of... (Score:2, Insightful)

      by erlenic ( 95003 )
      You certainly have a point if you're looking for a temporary job to get out of a rough time, but if you're looking for a career, killing the interview with a question like that really is better in the long run.

    • Re:Be careful of... (Score:3, Insightful)

      by hackstraw ( 262471 ) *
      One thing you may not want to ask is: "Is there any advancement?" or something similar.

      That depends. It could be good or bad. A "no" to "Is there any advancement?" means that the person is looking to go in some direction. If there is no advancement, and the person takes the job, they will leave the job to get advancement when the time comes. Sometimes advancement means "We like what you are doing, so here is a raise or bonus, thanks!" I've heard of that kind of thing, I don't have any advancement or pa

  • Ask away! (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 19, 2005 @05:49PM (#14294396)
    Now that I'm on the other side of the table, I find myself asking candidates if they have any questions.

    The primary reason is simply because I just want to make sure I answered any question the guy might have... Sometimes, the candidate's technical skills might be right, but there are other non-skill aspects to a job that makes it right for the person. Work hours, flexibility, friendliness, dress code, etc. So if there are aspects that matter, you should ask.

    If you ask questions that are relevant to the company, it also shows that you've been paying attention, and that you're not just looking for a paycheck...

    • Ask about the business (Score:4, Insightful)

      by DavidNWelton ( 142216 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:12PM (#14294591) Homepage
      After living through the dot-com era, I always ask about the business - how their financials are, what kind of funding they have, how the company is run, and so forth, as well as questions about what they really do to make a living. Meaning - that except for some rare cases like Google, people don't really give a shit about computers - they are just the best solution to their problems, but not something they get particularly excited about. Show an interest in how you and your skills can help their business. Ask about what makes the company tick. Ask about how the company got started. At worst, you'll learn something interesting, and most likely, you'll make a good impression by conveying the message that you have broader interests than just the geeky side of things.
      • There is one caveat to asking about financials. You should *NEVER* ask about the fundamental financials (i.e net income, total revenue) of a publicly traded company. Doing so shows you didn't even do basic research on them. If some information you want is not available through the standard disclosures be very specific about what you are asking for and make it clear that you have already done some basic research on the matter. But remember most interviewers (unless it is a very high level interview) will not
    • I dont know. I thought honesty was pretty important. Its generally understood that the candidate is there for a job, and its in his/her best interest to get more income and advance faster. (S)He might be curious about that. Asking questions to impress the interviewee might be apparently faked.

      On the other hand, the environment matters to me too. I've met people who hated their new jobs so much they spent all their weekends looking around. Nobody wants to be in that position. Management style matters to many

    • Re:Ask away! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Gadzinka ( 256729 ) <rrw@hell.pl> on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:25PM (#14294699) Journal
      If you ask questions that are relevant to the company, it also shows that you've been paying attention, and that you're not just looking for a paycheck...

      Well, I might want to work for your company, but not necesserily for you ;) You see, honesty works both ways: just as I want you to tell me something about a basic day-to-day business of your business, I expect managment to be mature enough to know, that the most important reason for my seeking of employment is a paycheck!

      If I wanted to broaden my knowledge, work in pleasent enviroment, answer new challenges alone, I'd go to work as some sysadm at university, or IT consultant for some charity etc.

      Just my .02$

      Robert
    • Definitely ask something. No questions from the candidate could indicate disinterest in the job.

      Also, don't hesitate to ask the exact same question from different interviewers in the same interview series, especially questions about the corporate culture -- you may find you get different answers.

  • As an employer... (Score:4, Informative)

    by Violet Null ( 452694 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @05:50PM (#14294399)
    I like it when the interviewee asks me questions, because it shows me what they're interested in. This may be good or bad for the interviewee, but it's useful as a tool. Eg, given two similar candidates, I'd be much more likely to hire the one who asked, "What problems have you had with your architecture?" than one who asked, "What hours are expected?", because of what they intimate about the mindset of the interviewee.
     
    Of course, I'd probably be more likely to hire the one who asked what hours are expected vs the one who asked no questions at all, since at least the one asking questions is expressing interest in making sure that the position is compatible.
     
    Good questions, IMHO, to ask are ones that indicate an interest in the company or the position.
    • How do you feel about interviewees who take notes during the interview?

      • Re:As an employer... (Score:4, Informative)

        by Violet Null ( 452694 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:21PM (#14294662)
        Depends. The important thing I would look for would be to make sure that they're still paying attention while taking the notes. Ie, are they taking intermittent notes, or writing while maintaining eye contact, or is their head looking down at the paper the entire time?
         
        Writing down useful pieces of information (proposed pay, dress code, benefit details, hours, time off, etc.) is fine. Writing down so much that I feel I have to slow the interview down to let them catch up is not.
         
        In other words, I feel if you're going to take notes during the interview, it should be like a psychiatrist -- unobtrusive, and not disturbing your communication with the other person.

      • Re:As an employer... (Score:3, Informative)

        by tpv ( 155309 )
        The inverviews I run have no need for a pen and paper.
        I'm just chatting about past projects, past experiences and general development ideas, to try and get a feel for how well the person would fit the role we have.

        The questions about start dates, pay etc all happen with HR after we've given the nod that we want the person.

        So if someone brought a pen and paper along, I'd see that as a good thing - they came prepared.

        But if they actually used it, I'd see them as being a bit anal - there's no point trying to t

        • Did it ever occur to you that an interview is a two-way process? If my credentials have impressed you enough that I'm worth your time to interview and you're considering employing me, why wouldn't you want to impress me in return so I'd consider taking the job? I can and do judge prospective employers from the moment I arrive at the premises for a first interview. Many of the questions I'll ask silently, but I'll be asking them all the same.

          For example, the first thing I check for as I walk up to the buil

      • Hint : don't pretend to take notes on your PSP. Most PHBs have seen a PDA before.

    • Expressing interest/enthusiasm is important (Score:4, Interesting)

      by GuyMannDude ( 574364 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:45PM (#14294854) Journal

      Good questions, IMHO, to ask are ones that indicate an interest in the company or the position.

      I interview a fair number of people at the company I work for. I always ask the applicant if they have any questions. If they don't, I'm usually not too excited about having them work for me. When I'm talking one-on-one with them, I'm trying to figure out their level of enthusiasm and interest in my company and the position I'm offering. Their resume and technical presentation already tell me about their intelligence level so I don't spend too much time asking them technical questions one-on-one. But all the smarts in the world doesn't do me much good if the person isn't interested in the work that I'd be giving them. The world is full of geniuses that don't amount to anything because they don't put forth any effort. I don't want them working for me.

      I also want to see that they are starting to seriously visualize themselves working here. I want to know that they've done their homework and have some knowledge about type of work we do here. So I'd like to see them ask some questions about our technical work but also some questions about benefits, company culture, and other things that make me think that they are imagining themselves working here and staying for many years.

      I just gave a talk to some students at the local university here about getting a job and the on-site interview. I told them to think about it as a first date. I realize the concept of a "date" may be a bit foreign to slashdotters so let me elaborate. You want to emphasize your good attributes but stay a bit humble. You also want to show interest without appearing desparate. You wouldn't go to a date and just sit there saying nothing. Similarly, you wouldn't want to monopolize the conversation. There should be an interplay and back-and-forth. You don't have to make the interview your best buddy, but when you leave the room you want s/he to not only respect your technical abilities but also desire to have you as a member of their team.

      If you cannot think of some good questions to ask prior to the interview, then you should seriously question whether you are truly interested in the company. A little bit of brainstorming is necessary, but you shouldn't have to strain to come up with questions. If so, then your questions are merely for show and a keen interviewer will see right through them (much like the infamous "My biggest failing is that I'm a workaholic" crap).

      Good luck,
      GMD
      • I tend not to ask questions. I put up my requirements upfront, and if the employer doesn't think that (s)he can deliver what I want, we go our separate ways. Since I am sitting in that interview, I have shown the willingness to work for your company. I don't get a high on the environment, I do get high on the work available. And that is clearly stated upfront.
    • Its been a few years since I interviewed, but I went in with a checklist.

      So when the interview is ending, I'd look at my checklist of things I'd want to know; stuff like pay, hours, holiday entitlement, how often theres offsite visits, etc. I'd fill in any blanks, etc.

      I'd also ask any pertinant questions as they occurred, such as who owns the code I'd be supporting (one site had consultants write the code, they were just a service outfit).

      So when I was asked 'Any questions?' I'd just look at my checklist, e

  • Personal favourite (Score:5, Insightful)

    by keesh ( 202812 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @05:50PM (#14294406) Homepage
    "What is your favourite aspect of working for $company?". Usually pretty revealing, unless the company hires external interviewers...
  • If you're unemployed and in dire need of cash, your goal may be to just find ANY job. Often times though, you're looking for a job that's a better match for your skill sets, or a better match to the work environment you would prefer, or would have projects that are more up your alley, or maybe it's just a job closer to home.

    I'm a programmer, not a member of human resources, so my advice may only be applicable when talking to another engineer. Whenever I have done interviews, I was looking for someone tha
  • I think it is important to ask questions about the position, i.e. why is the position available (i.e. find out if previous incumbent went postal or got fired for banging secretary in stairwell etc.) as well as general questions about how success will be measured.

    • And in case the previous incumbent got fired for banging secretary in stairwell, find out if you can bang secretary in stairwell before you get the job !

  • Positions Future / Your Future (Score:3, Insightful)

    by mbrinkm ( 699240 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @05:56PM (#14294446)
    The best questions that I can think of are on the career path that the position puts you on. This type of question requires refinement based on the company and position that you are interviewing for. Basically, I try to find out if the position is a stepping stone for the future at the company or if it's the top of the path within that company. If it's a "foot in the door" position, I try to find out where that path leads in order to determine if any position along that path is where I want to be.
    • When I'm hiring, I tend to get a bad feeling when people ask questions along those lines.

      I don't like hiring someone who is only using this job to get a better one - even if it is within my company. I want the person I hire to be committed to do the job I hire them for, to the best of their ability.
      If they do a good job then we'll reward them.

      A colleague recently conducted an interview where the applicant was over-qualified, so she asked "Why do you want this role?". His reply: "Oh, I'd do anything to

  • I'd ask the question and the best ones I got were:

    "What kind of versioning system do you use?" 10/10
    "How are my chances? Think I'll get the job?" 0/10
    "Do you guys have lots of girls in the departement?" 0/10
    "Which Linux do you use for desktop?" 10/10

    I have to say it's funny what they'll ask you sometimes. :-)

  • What not to ask... (Score:4, Funny)

    by jsimon12 ( 207119 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @05:59PM (#14294479) Homepage
    YEARS ago when I worked retail while I was in college I managed a software store and was interviewing people for seasonal part time help. I had just finished interviewing a new applicant I asked him "do you have any questions for me". His reponse was "Will my hours be flexible, because I have to take my wife to meet with her parole officer on Tuesday's....".

    That was almost as good as the guy who came in asked for a application then asked who the hiring manager was, I replied "I am", he replied "No who really is the hiring mananger", I just pointed to my nametag which said "manager" and said "No I really am". Sort of surprised he never came back with the application ;)
  • What about, the questions you have in your mind? How does the company work? What tools does the company use? Am I free to bring my pet rattlesnake into the office?

    In short - everything you might think that would have an impact on you liking or disliking the job...

    The next month I'll probably have interviews for my graduation's internship, and that's what I'm planning to ask if I have an opportunity and there are questions like this on my mind. And no, I don't have a pet snake...

  • A couple of good ones (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Tozog ( 599414 )
    Bring a notebook, have your questions written in advanced. Take notes during the whole interview.

    If they did not give you a tour of the office, ask if you can have a tour. If not a tour, ask if you can at least see the area you'd work in. This'll give you a good idea of the office/cube size, how up-to-date the equipment is, and maybe even get you introduced to a few of the members on your future team.

    Ask about the benefits if they were not adequately explained. Ask how much the benefits are per pay period.

    • Do research about the company before hand and ask questions about the company. This'll show interest in the company and diligence on your part. Make sure they are not brain-dead easy questions though, they'll just make you look stupid.

      Ask some long term questions about the company's goals and direction.

      Maybe the reason the position is open is that the last guy realized there wasn't anything to be looking forward to x years down the road. Or maybe they're transitioning to some new/different stuff that will t

  • What hours do you REALLY expect me to work? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by samjam ( 256347 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:10PM (#14294578) Homepage Journal
    I went for an interview at a large ISp based in Sheffield. I'd been to an open day a few days before and received a very mixed message of:
    "We're cool and reward you well" to "We make you work long long hours, but you don't have to really if you don't want to, but we just all do"

    To me the message was mixed because one of the main rewards I want is to get to go home at a sane hour and have some time apart from work and sleep..

    The company gave you breakfast if you were there at 7.00am and a cookied dinner at your desk if you were there at 6.00pm (or some such hour).

    I liked the company and the ethos, or so I thought, I just needed to get them to say "9 till 5 is OK ! REALLY!"

    For me, coding is a highly creative thing and productivity can't be squeezed out of me, I just end up wasting time; when its time to go, I need to go, and think about it on the way home, in the shower, during the blessing on the dinner etc. and I'm all the quicker the next day.

    In order to show me how flexible they were they told me a story which went something like this: A coder came in at 3.00am cos he needed to do something important and by around 3.pm he said to the manager that his head was a bit cooked since he'd been in since 3.00am. The point of the story was to show me how generous mangement were when they said "Thats ok, go and drive around for half an hour to clear you head" !!

    I asked "What if he'd said: "My head is cooked, I've been in since 3.00am can I go home?" HR in the inteview said "That would be OK, if it didn't keep happening" !! Darn right it would! I'd not come in at that time if I still had to work till end of play!

    So I got the idea that they wanted all my time. Some of the "rewards" like karting or paintball you had to do in your own time too. *I* don't have much "your own time" it all belongs to my company or my family, then church and various community groups.

    That, combined with the fact that they mislead the agency over the salary really closed it for me.

    I since got a much nicer job only 10 minutes walk from home with an excellent boss and colleagues, all of whom have a life outside work.

    Another thing my current boss offers candidates is a chance to call one of us so they can get our opinion of the place.

    Sam
    • I once worked all night after working a normal day (as in arrive at 8:45 AM Tuesday, and work through to 12:00 noon wednesday) to deal with a crisis not of my making.

      Got docked 1/2 day pay for leaving at noon on Wednesday (no I didn't get paid overtime for Monday).

      I didn't stay there long...

      The argument was, while I *was* salaried, I did not pre-arrange the time off on Wednesday, so it was considered unpaid vacation.

  • A couple of questions (Score:5, Interesting)

    by sfjoe ( 470510 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:17PM (#14294628)

    1. I always ask if the position is newly created or replacing a departed employee and, if so, what was the reason for their leaving.

    2. I also will always ask what are their top 3 priorities for the next 6 months and what my role would be in realizing them.

    Answers to these two questions are extremely helpful in finding out if you should accept an employment offer.

    • Re:A couple of questions (Score:4, Insightful)

      by ralphclark ( 11346 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @07:10PM (#14295031) Journal
      Those are the two best questions I've seen on here tonight.

      The answer to the first will reveal if there are any systematic problems with the role likely to get you feeling disgruntled enough to go looking for another job.

      The second does two things - it marks you out as a guy/girl who wants to align him/herself with the big picture (something that relatively few technical people care to do), and the answer to it will tell you to what degree your efforts in the role are likely to be seen as significant for the company's fortunes. That's important if you have any ambition to move up the management ladder because unless you manage to associate yourself with successful high profile projects you will be effectively invisible to those who control access to training and promotion.
      • But what if we don't want to go up the management ladder? FWIW, my current position is two levels down from the CTO, and definitely not management.
        • Not intererested in management...then either you just won't care, or you will be on the technical career track for which very much the same strategy applies.

          Two steps down from CTO...either you are talking about a very flat management structure, which you can completely ignore as the same strategy applies in terms of gaining the required visibility to qualify yourself for increases in salary grade and learning opportunities, or you are really already quite senior in which case you'd hardly be asking this.

    • I go in with a checklist of questions, and openly consult it when my turn comes up. I like to keep the questions open-ended for the most part, since I'm probably going to learn more important things from how they answer rather than specific answers.

      1. Tell me a bit about the history of the position?
      2. Your web site said blah about foo. Please tell me why that's important?
      3. Who will be my resource people when I start working here? Can you tell me a little bit about their backgrounds?
      4. Anything else specific tha
  • First and foremost, it is important to be yourself. While you may think it is better to do whatever you can to get your job -- many times they are also trying to determine how good of a fit you are for their team -- and being compatible is in your best interest.

    If they tell you of a specific project that you will be working on, show your enthusiasm for seeing it hit the market. This shows that you will have motivation other than just the paycheck. While they understand that motivation, they are most likely
  • Ask for a tour of the facilities, and most importantly to see where you will be sitting. I've always had the warmest response to this request, in part because the person interviewing you will be relaxed in their duties as well. They can just walk around, point, and introduce you to everyone, but it takes away the stressful interview room mentality.

    The bonus for you is great. You get to see where exactly you will work, is it a cube-farm, office, middle of the center of a huge open room with loud fans blowing

    • Also, you get to see the breakroom. Is it clean, spacious, stocked with food/drink or not? I've found that the breakroom is a great glimpse into the soul of an employer and a good way to see how you will be treated as an employee. If the breakroom is nothing but a sink with a giant poster stating "DO YOUR DISHES, I AM NOT YOUR MOMMY" that may be a hint that management is less than warm. Trust me on this one, I know.

      Everywhere I've worked, it's not management who does the dishes in the break room. It's s

  • Show Me Your Code (Score:3, Insightful)

    by FreshMeat-BWG ( 541411 ) <bengoodwyn AT me DOT com> on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:32PM (#14294750) Homepage
    I am a software developer and recently changed employers. I asked all of the questions that come to mind as far as advancement, training, standards, tools, etc, etc, but I missed the most important one.

    Would you please show me a tour of your codebase?

    This would have made a drastic change in which position I accepted. My new employer most likely would have willingly provided that tour since they were quite interested in hiring me.

    Unfortunately, it wasn't until after I was hired that I realized exactly what shape it was in. Ten minutes of looking over someones shoulder probably would of had me running the other direction.

    Of the four interviews I had that resulted in offers, one company most definitely wouldn't have shown me their code, one company showed me their code without my asking, and the other two most likely would have shown if I had asked.

    I guess this question doesn't apply to open source companies though. :)

    • Re:Show Me Your Code (Score:3, Insightful)

      by tpv ( 155309 )
      Be careful with this one. I would certainly never show a potential employee our code. They haven't signed any employment documents yet, so they have no legal obligations with respect to the information they see.

      I work in the finance industry, so if an interviewee asked to see code my (internal) reaction would be "do you think we're crazy?" and if you get that reaction from me, it tends to decrease your hiring chances.

      It's not necessarily bad advice, but watch where you use it.

      • Good point. Given that you work in the finance industry, do you think there is a way the question can be asked or the point raised, in a way that would not be off-putting?

        Basically, this question serves 2 purposes:

        - find out how good/bad/high-maintenance the code base you'll be supporting is
        - demonstrate to the interviewer an interest in and an awareness of the importance of code quality

        There would be ways to find out something about the first concern even without seeing the code. If a techie is in the inte

  • Two catagories (Score:3, Insightful)

    by AuMatar ( 183847 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:37PM (#14294791)
    There's two catagories of questions you want to ask.

    1)What will I be going?

    Ask questions to figure out what you'd actually be doing at the job. Figure out how much is coding vs IT and support type work, how much is maintenance coding vs new coding, wether the project(s) itself interests you. If it doesn't fit you, you don't want the job.

    2)Will this environment fit me?

    Ask about anything in the work environment thats important to you. Dress code? Hours? Perks? If a teammate is interviewing you, try and figure out if he's friendly or not. Try and feel out if you'd enjoy working there.

    Of course there's money and benefits too, but that to me is a side issue- if 1 and 2 don't work, I won't take the job. Those only matter if you the answers to 1 and 2 sound good, or if you're desperate.

  • My List (Score:5, Informative)

    by mobilesteve ( 899951 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:44PM (#14294848)
    Why is this position available?
    Is this a new position? How long has this position existed?
    How many people have held this position in the last two years?
    Who would be my supervisor? To whom would I report?
    Whom will I supervise?
    With whom will I be working most closely?
    What do you like about working for this company?
    What are the current plans for expansion or cutbacks?
    What kind of turnover rate does the company have?
    How financially sound is this company?
    What projects and assignments will I be working on?
    What happened to the person that held this position before? Was he promoted or fired?
    What is this company's culture? (Ex: Is it rigid and formal or relaxed and flexible?)
    What are the current problems facing the company (or my department)?
    What do you like the most about working for this company? The least?
    What is the philosophy of the company?
    What do you consider to be the company's strengths and weaknesses?
    What are the company's long and short term goals?
    Describe the work environment.
    What attracted you (the interviewer) to this organization?
    Why do you enjoy working for this company?
    Describe the typical responsibilities of the position.
    What are the most challenging aspects of the position?
    Describe the opportunities for training and professional development.
    Will I receive any formal training?
    What is the company's promotional policy?
    Are there opportunities for advancement within the organization?
    When can I expect to hear from you?
  • 1) Make a list of all the key questions that you will want answered to determine whether you will enjoy a job.
    2) Check off all those that are clear to you after reading the provided material.
    3) Check off those that become clear during the interview.
    4) Ask the remaining questions.

    As an interviewer, I have a much better idea than you what the culture in my company is, and what qualities we're looking for in our ideal candidate. If you're trying to pretend to be someone else for an interview, you won't be conv

  • If you want the job, ask questions like (Score:5, Insightful)

    by HD Webdev ( 247266 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @06:46PM (#14294865) Homepage Journal
    If you already know you want to work at the place, ask questions like you already work there.

    Questions similar to "What dress code will I need to follow?" can easily bump you up into the "you're hired" zone. When you ask questions like that, you are showing confidence AND you are acting like a fellow employee rather than a prospective one. (Salesmen will recognize this as "closing the sale/deal")

    This can make or break you getting a job when there are many similarly qualified people competing with you.

    Unless there isn't much serious competition for the job, DON'T ask questions like you are demanding things or expecting more than was offered very soon. Questions like "how long before new employees get an office?" or "how often are raises given out?" are very bad to ask if you really want the job. If the company gets the impression that the money they are offering is already bothering you, or that you're likely to bitch about your working environment, you're much less likely to get hired unless you don't have much competition.
    • Once when I was a young whippersnapper (well, ok, 2001 or so), I interviewed for a IT position at a local school district. Now my dad is an HR director, and one of the pieces of advice he gave me was that you should always ask a question when the interviewers ask if you have any questions. School districts (at least in this area) do group interviews, so you're not talking 1-on-1, you're talking to 5-7 employees, all from different departments. (I think a couple teachers, one of the custodial staff, a cou
    • Questions similar to "What dress code will I need to follow?" can easily bump you up into the "you're hired" zone.

      Do you want to work some place that has a "dress code"? Look around and see what your future co-workers are wearing. Asking a question like that makes you look like a fool, or it shows that you don't care about meeting the company appearance standard and will only meet the written regulations.
      • Do you want to work some place that has a "dress code"?

        Well, of course. If there isn't a dress code at all (basics will do, it doesn't mean suits) that indicates that the company really has no idea of what they're doing. For example, it will have a serious impact if client visitors drop in and see (again, it's an example!) people with a bazillion piercings w/accessories attached. Sorry, but it looks bad very bad to clients when an employer appears to have Chaos reigning at his business. I'm not agai
    • If you were asking for a job at my company and asked that, I would laugh at the question. In part because I don't believe in hiding reactions and feelings, but also because questions like that and a focus on salary, holidays, benefits, and such show a focus on something other than an interest or desire to work in my company. They show a desire, and likely LACK of interest, in working for anyone who will hire the applicant.

      In one post here, someone said that they know the bottom line you want the job is th
      • That's you. That's fine. There will always be people who hire in different ways. It's a big world out there and everything under the sun is done.

        I was speaking in general. That is what the submitter is looking for . In most (already) successful businesses, the employer wants people who not only qualify, but also those who will fit in and not complain all of the time.

        OTOH, as you say, some business owners will accept that although it is not the norm. Try walking into work the first day for virtu
        • Whenever you speak in general, you have to be aware that you are addressing a range, and there are always people outside that range. The wider a range of human experience and expression one is exposed to, the wider the range of potentials and possibilities one can prepare for.

          Yes, I handle things quite differently. Basically, I want to scare off people that want the suit-and-tie environment where the boss is always telling them what to do. I like independent thinkers who will keep on top of what has to b
      • The bottom line is you do want a paycheck. No one works without being paid, even those of us who love our work. Even you.
        So yeah, I want my freaking paycheck. But that says absolutely nothing about my ability or work ethic. And I expect to be fairly compensated for the quality of my work, as I imagine everyone does.
        • Actually, it says everything about your work ethic.

          Yes, people want a paycheck.

          But there is far more to it than that. To be honest, this is one of those things that, if you don't get it, you never will.

          There are people who love to work as volunteers because they like doing a particular thing or just want to help. They work for the satisfaction. I have a part time job I work in 2 days a month. It is rather unique, and I do it simply because I'm good at it and can do it well. The pay is so low I barely n

  • Questions not to ask/say (Score:5, Funny)

    by SmallFurryCreature ( 593017 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @07:05PM (#14295005) Journal
    • So how much does your job pay?
    • Do you regonize satanist holidays?
    • 9-5 AM or PM?
    • I have serious case of XXXXX and spend at least 9 months of a year in hospital, have you got good medical care?
    • You expect me to start work at WHAT hour?
    • Any, you know, perks to this job? Last job at Intel me and my family never bought a pc, wink wink.
    • You want me to learn skill x, what is in it for me?
    • Pure hypothetical, If you send me on this 1 million dollar training course, can I still, in theory, quit 1 week later and work a company that pays me a decent wage and not the slave money you are offering me?
    • So where is my company car?
    • (To female interviewer) my boss won't be a woman right?
    • (To male interviewer) watch any good yaoi lately?
    • In Rotterdam: How about Ajax eh? (replace with town Y NOT owning soccer X)
    • My office machine, it is an alienware right?
    • How fast is your internet connection?
    • Slashdot isn't blocked is it?
    • I saw your companies product, I think I can seriously improve it. I mean who built the current version, a team of monkeys?
    • To owner of company: Communism really deserves a second try doesn't it.
    • To goverment interviewer: So is it really true bureaucrats spend all their day playing with their dicks?
    • To charity: I don't care what they say I think all immigrants should be dumped at sea.
    • (interview for santa job): Bah humbug
    • Interview in kansas: Wow, that darwin, what a guy.
    • Interview for sony: Information wants to be free man.
    • Interview at Microsoft: I never release a product if it contains a single bug and test my apps to destruction.
    • Interview for an advertising agency: don't you agree that a good product sells itself?
    • Can I have days of to visit my parole officer?
    • Does a criminal record count against you?
    • To a canadian on the subject of salary: So how much is that in real money?
    • To a german tech company: Can I work on the secret projects designing the weapons to start the next world war with?
    • To japanese company: Can I order my desk from the grownups section so it reaches above my knees?
    • To black interviewer: Will the company lunches always be fried chicken?

    Funnily enough, not all of them are made up.

  • I actually had a guy I was interviewing ask me: "So, do you guys drink alot?" He was serious. He didn't get hired.

  • Ask about their development practices (Score:3, Informative)

    by Jerf ( 17166 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @08:33PM (#14295516) Journal
    A number of other people had good questions, so this is not everything I'd suggest; I just didn't see this on a quick perusal.

    Ask about their development practices. The Joel Test [joelonsoftware.com] is a good place to start, even if you don't agree with everything he says or all of his points. I definately make sure to ask about unit testing, for instance, without which you are wasting everybody's time, especially mine as a developer. If you're going to yell at me for that, I want to know up front.

    To highlight the other things I consider a bare minimum: Source control is an absolute must, or again, you're going to have to pay me a lot more to deal with the stress. Bug databases of some kind are a must. In both of those cases, it is possible to deploy such things on your own initiative, as long as no-one is actively undercutting you. You'll also get a pretty good sense of what you're going into; if the answer is not just "no", but "why the hell would you want that?", then you're in trouble.

    Of course, if you yourself don't use any of these things... well, uh, more power to you and, ah, good luck with that "programming" thing...

    The good news is that this will tend to greatly impress anybody else who knows what you're talking about. I pretty much sealed my last two jobs with two little words, "unit test".

  • Interview list i use (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Vroom_Vroom ( 29347 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @08:44PM (#14295579)
    Firstly come with two copies of your CV printed on crisp 100mg paper. give that over to the interviewers - more likely than not your recruitment agent will have completely bastardised yours. Make sure its fantastic if you do this.

    Here is my list of question i keep to use:

    Position in the company
    1) What role do you see me performing in the company?
    2) Is it a client facing role?
    3) what would be typical projects i would be doing?
    4) what sort of department size is it?
    5) What scope would there be for me to lead a project now/ in the future(sort of relates to 1)?

    What the company does
    6) Which kind of projects are your bread and butter work?
    7) Do you have any major project (i.e. high profile ) jobs on the go?
    8) who are your main clients - do you get repeat buisness?
    9) which areas of the local region/world do you operate in?
    10)Which parts of the buisness are you hoping to expand further (a good
    question, which they shouldn't waffle on)?

    General training
    11) will they support you in your X institution training?
    12) will they support you in your future academic / part time learning (then ask about course fees and time off, don't get too awkard about this in the interview)?

    I sort of used them as bullet points, you tend to find a lot of them get
    answered as you go through the interview, they tend to ask themselves two
    questions:

    i) can you do the job (with a bit of additional training)
    ii) will you fit into my team

    all the rest are nice to haves

    other useful tips are to take a couple of pens/pencils and a pad of paper,
    i used to take a copy of all my questions to ask and obviously look down
    the sheet, when they ask you..'so do you have any questions?'

    As i said easy to use and it shows preparation (you did find out what the comapny does didn't you?)

    GOOD LUCK.

  • Well, here's what I look for when I hire (Score:4, Interesting)

    by gregwbrooks ( 512319 ) * <gregb AT west-third DOT net> on Monday December 19, 2005 @09:36PM (#14295859)
    Disclaimer: I don't hire coders or I.T. professionals, so your mileage may vary. I'm also spectacularly opinionated about hiring practices, so YMMV a lot.

    When I interview candidates, I generally talk most of the time - in fact, it's about an 80/20 ratio of my voice to theirs in the first interview.

    Why? Because the questions you bring up tell me more about you than any questions I could ask you directly.

    What questions are good questions? Ask me how I got my job. Ask me (as another poster mentioned) what I like best about the work environment. Ask me what, if anything, ticks me off on a day-to-day basis. Ask me about the team structure, who you'd be working with and what happened to the guy before you.

    What not to ask me: During the first interview, I don't want to hear questions about our family-leave or maternity policies - I am hiring you to work, not to hire on then take a bunch of time off.

    Neither do I want to hear about your upcoming wedding/vacation/spiritual retreat "that's been scheduled for several months and can't be moved." Got one of those? Then bring it up during negotiations when I've decided you're the right candidate and you have some leverage... because I can tell you right now, in the first interview, it's all about me: My company, my leverage, my needs being met.

    If you're female, don't wear an engagement ring without a wedding band, because I will think "OK, she's likely getting married soon and that'll chew up months of productivity." If you're male, don't mention to me that you coach your kids' soccer team because I'll have the same productivity concerns.

    Again: You can be more human in the second and subsequent interviews, but the first interview is a screen, and the only criteria really come down to: Are you engaged and inquisitive? Are you utterly focused on showing me the value you bring to the table? And are you of lower risk/liability than other applicants?

    • Very no-nonsense. To the point. Direct.
      Shit I like you already.
      Maybe you should set aside the interviewing for a while and start a cult following of no-nonsense, to the point, direct people.
      It would be a refreshing change for the world.
    • That was Truth. A particular kind of Truth that makes me want to pee on your teeth (and the teeth of your ilk) like a moo-cow on your mammaw's gravestone, but nontheless: The Truth.

      I just (seriously) got hired today for a hardware tech job at a venerable manufacturer here in my hometown. I told the guy in the course of the interview about:

      a) My preference for second shift so I can spend mornings with my new daughter.
      b) Old, worn-out crap that I nursed along for years at various places.
      c) Scripts I wrote and
  • If you really want to test them, ask for the names of 2 or 3 employees that you can talk to one-on-one. If you've already talked to some in an interview setting, ask if it's OK for you to talk to them some more later on (e.g., outside of work).

    A good company will encourage this. You're trying to get a feel for the real deal. A bad company will most likely hesitate because people know that employees will tell you about all the BS going on. If the interviewer presses you for a reason, be honest: You're tryin

  • Good One (Score:4, Interesting)

    by JLester ( 9518 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @10:00PM (#14295989)
    I like:

    "Based on my resume, my experience, and my interview; are there any concerns that I will not be the right person for the job?"

    Gives you a chance to head off any concerns or possible misunderstandings. I have never used it (same company for several years), but my wife has with great results.

    Jason
  • I would say that you should not save all your questions for the end, but try and work them into the interview - then you are having more of a conversation with the people interviewing you because you will be asking questions in a relevant part of the interview; then any topics not covered you can ask about at the end when they ask you for questions.
    My point being that if you've been alert and more interactive in the interview you probably don't need to worry about if you had some awkward, canned questions f
  • As a hiring manager, I like to get questions about our product. The tougher the better. During the interview I give an overview of what we make. I like people to pay attention to my overview then follow it up with questions about how it's done and why we don't do it some other way. In fact the best thing a candidate can do in a interview with me is pretent to be a venture capitalist and really drill me. Figure out my department's weaknesses and show how your strengths will compliment the team.

    On the

  • Monty Python. (Score:3, Funny)

    by transiit ( 33489 ) on Monday December 19, 2005 @11:05PM (#14296271) Homepage Journal
    I asked "What's the average airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?"

    They responded correctly.

    To be honest I thought it was the screw-off interview in which I got all the jokes and smartass remarks out of my system. Ended up taking the job. Whoops.

  • I used to work at a used CD/record/etc store. One application we got in, in the section for "Have you ever been convicted of X type of crime?" The person had written in "Yeah, possesion with intent to distribute marijuana. Btw do you guys need any?"

    So yes, make sure and ask if any additional skills and or resources you may have access to will be applicable to the job.
  • you wouldn't give the me the job.

    This then gives you the opporunity to address any problems they might see with your application and have no excuses for not hiring you...
  • The really smart prospective employees ask for references from the COMPANY. They check with people who are currently their employers. I've been on the interviewer's end and heard it asked like this:

    "Would it be okay if I took a couple of my future coworkers to lunch to talk about their jobs? I'd be interested to hear the challenges they face day-to-day."

    After the interviewer gets over the initial shock, their next reaction is a great measuring stick. Either they get it, and they hook you up with a coupl
  • Whenever I'm in an interview, I usually end up asking my questions during the interview, when the appropriate time arises. This also helps build up a rapport with the interviewer, and helps the time go by better. In the end, when they ask if I have any questions, they've always ended up agreeing with me when I say "Well, I've asked all my questions already, so not really" :-)
    Maybe I've been lucky and not had incredibly stiff and formal interviews...
  • What kind of cover sheet do you use for your TPS reports?
    Do you know what PC Load Letter means?
    If you had a million dollars, what would you do after you did two chicks at once?
    What is the minimum pieces of flair I have to wear?
    Do i get my own stapler?

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