Interview Questions

Before you ask, know what the question is doing for you:

• Does it help you decide “Is this right for me”?
• Does it help them see “I understand the role and I am serious about it”?

If it does neither, skip it.

Early on, avoid questions like “What is the salary” or “How much annual leave do I get” unless they bring it up first.

Instead, ask things like:

• “What would success look like in this role in the first 3 to 6 months”
• “What are your expectations for someone in this role over the first few months”

These questions say “I am already thinking about how to add value,” not “What can I take.”

If it is on the homepage or About page, do not waste your turn on it.

Skip:

• “What does your company do”
• “How many offices do you have”

Go for:

• “I saw that you are focusing on [X market or product]. How might that affect this team over the next year”
• “Your values mention [X]. What does that look like in day-to-day work here”

Use the internet for facts. Use the interviewer for insight.

Different people, different angles.

With the hiring manager:

• “What are your top priorities for this role in the next few months”
• “What does a strong performer on your team do differently”

With a team member or junior staff:

• “What do you wish you had known before you joined”
• “How would you describe the team culture day to day”

With HR or a recruiter:

• “What are the next steps and timeline in the process”
• “How is onboarding structured for new joiners in this role”

You get better answers when you ask people about what they actually see and control.

Use these if this is your first internship, first graduate role, or you just feel you do not have much to say yet. They are simple and always appropriate.

You can ask:

• “What does a typical day or week look like in this role”
• “What are the main responsibilities or projects I would work on in the first few months”
• “What would success look like in this role in the first 3 to 6 months”
• “What skills or qualities help someone do well in this role or on this team”
• “What kind of training or support do new joiners receive”
• “How would you describe the team culture and the way people work together here”
• “What do you enjoy most about working here”

These questions do not require a long CV. They just show curiosity and maturity.

If you have done internships, part time jobs, leadership roles or serious projects, you can use your questions to think more like a future colleague.

Try asking:

• “Based on what you shared, where do you see someone with my background adding the most value in this role in the first 6 to 12 months”
• “What metrics or goals would you use to measure success for this position”
• “People in my last internship really valued that I [brief strength, for example improved a process or supported teammates]. What behaviours or contributions are most appreciated on this team”
• “What are the biggest challenges previous people in this role have faced, and what helped them succeed”
• “How does someone typically grow from this role in two to three years if they perform well”
• “How often do you give feedback, and what does the performance review process look like”

If you already have experience, your questions should connect what you have done before with what this team needs next. You are not just a student any more. You are testing whether this next step will actually move you forward.

You are also interviewing them. Use your questions to check if you would actually be happy in this environment.

Good fit check questions:

• “How would you describe the work environment and team culture here”
• “What management style tends to work best on this team”
• “What opportunities are there for learning and progression from this role”
• “What are some of the biggest challenges someone in this role might face”

If the answers feel off, that is not you failing the interview. That is useful data that this might not be your place, which is just as important.

You do not need twenty questions. You need a few good ones that match this company and this interviewer.

Before each interview:

1. Spend ten minutes with the job description and company website.
2. Write down five questions using the ideas above.
3. Highlight your top two must ask questions for this specific interviewer.
4. During the interview, cross off anything they already answered and ask the best two or three at the end.

This works whether you are a first year going for your first internship or a final year student with multiple experiences.