We’ve talked on more than one occasion about how to respond in a job interview when the inevitable “Do you have any questions?” moment comes up. Here’s another important thing to remember: don’t ask a question where it would be easy to find the answer with some cursory online research.
Interview picture from Shutterstock
Pandora founder Tim Westergren makes the point well in a post on LinkedIn:
As a rule of thumb, don’t ask anything you couldn’t have answered yourself with some research on your own. And make sure you ask them early enough in the conversation to give you time to show off your work.
If company managers have frequently been giving interviews discussing their long-term goals for the business, then asking about that in your own interview suggests a lack of preparation. The more you prepare, the better your questions can be.
Hidden Key to a Successful Interview [LinkedIn via Business Insider]
Comments
One response to “Avoid Asking Interview Questions Where The Answer Is Easy To Find”
“First things first, why is the interview being held in a dreary room on a cramped couch and a terribly small table?”
“Secondly, why is the guy on the left giving me a look of contempt?”
“Next, why is the guy on the right asleep?”
“Oh and last but not least, when do I start?”
3rd guy looks like he needs some moisturizer and a tailor. Looks like he lifted the suit from a corpse he dug up.
As far as what to ask, you need to have at least 5 questions in your back pocket. You’ll only use 2 or 3, but you want to have extra in case many questions get answered in the interview.
I like this guide about the 12 best question to ask:
http://biginterview.com/blog/2011/08/best-questions-to-ask-end-interview.html
And completely agree with the fact that you shouldn’t ask questions you could have easily answered online. They can make you look clueless and unresourceful. You should give these questions as much thought as the other aspects of the interview.