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As the IT interview begins to wrap up, you wait for the inevitable question from the interviewer.

“Do you have any questions for me?”

Regardless of how prepared you were for the rest of the interview, many people find this question challenging, but you know that not asking anything isn’t a great plan either.  Instead of drawing a blank at the end of your last IT interview, make sure to keep these questions in your back pocket, and you will always be prepared to handle the end of an interview with professionalism and grace.

1.  What do you enjoy most about working here?

This gives your interviewer a chance to brag on behalf of the company, so their response can provide a great amount of insight.  If they have a lot of positive things to say, you can use this as a good sign about the work environment and company mission.  In contrast, if they have trouble coming up with positive aspects to share, it could be a signal that something unpleasant is happening behind the scenes.

2.  Are there any specific challenges facing this department today?

You can use this as an opportunity to discover the aspects of the job that may require additional effort, creative problem solving, or even patience.  It also shows the interviewer that you are interested in how things are functioning now, as well as coming up with ways to help the department move past the challenges that exist today.

If a challenge is mentioned that you have experience in managing, this is a prime opportunity to speak to it.  Not only will this show the interviewer that you have a skill set that can immediately be applied in a beneficial way, it also shows a level of enthusiasm for helping the organization succeed.

3.  Will there be opportunities for career development or advancement?

By asking the question this way, you are opening the door to find out about furthering your educational and training pursuits while also hearing about the change for promotion within the organization.  Ideally, the two concepts will be somewhat tied together, as this demonstrates that the company has specific plans as to how a person can progress within their career.

If the interviewer has issues providing information in these categories, it may be a sign that working into a better position in the organization may be challenging, or that there are not a lot of opportunities to further your skills through internal mechanisms.  This does not have to be seen as a deal-breaker if the position otherwise seems soundsm, and the company is viewed in a positive light, but it is helpful to know whether these opportunities are part of the package.

4.  Is there anything that would prevent me from being your top candidate for this position?

This question is designed to allow the interviewer to express any concerns, ask additional questions, or open a general dialogue regarding how they view you as a candidate.  If there is anything holding the interviewer back from considering you the best applicant, they can present it here, and you can respond accordingly.

This question can be especially helpful in situations where interviewers are restricted to specific questions that they can ask during the formal interview, as they may not otherwise be able to express these concerns.

If other questions came to mind during the interview, be sure to ask those as well, but be aware of the time while you do.  Even if you do not have an opportunity to get to every question, it is important that you end your interview on time.  Not only is failing to complete your interview in a timely fashion potentially inconvenient, or even rude, towards others, it also does not reflect well on your time management skills.

If you are interested in more IT interview tips, or finding your next position, the professionals at TempStaff are here to help.  Contact TempStaff Today!

 

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