What questions do you recommend I ask in an interview?

Be sure to research the company for which you are interviewing. It is important to understand their products, who their competitors are, which markets they compete in, and their priorities. I always find it interesting to hear what their current challenges and obstacles are as it provides great context for any problems you may be helping them to solve. As an intern, it is also important to understand what your opportunities are for a full-time position once the internship has ended. Good luck!

Focus questions on understanding the deliverable associated with the internship. I would probe on expectations, time frames, resources available, and reporting structure. Beyond that, you may want to find out how the company is planning to use the work you deliver and how you might use it to build your resume.

Do your research about the company to which you are applying - understand their business, their priorities, the market they're in, who their competitors are, etc. Ask questions about the business challenges they face and how they plan to to tackle them, ask questions about their priorities and how those align with where the industry is headed, and ask them what key problems you as a new hire can help them solve. Then let them know you can assure them you won't let them down!

Hi!

Do your research on the company so you can align some questions around their business model and products. My best interviews were the ones where I was prepared with knowledge about the company. Tell them why you chose to apply for the position and what excites you about the company and the role. Have a positive attitude, show confidence in your abilities, eagerness to learn and be honest.

I like to ask the interviewer how they got to where they are at the company.
Some good questions I saw on Linked in recently:
1. What skills will I gain to prepare me for a full time position with the company after graduation?
2. What more can I tell you about myself to help you make the decision that I am the right person for this position?
Good Luck!

Hi,

Believe it or not, interviews are often as stressful for the interviewer as they are for the interviewee. If you keep this in mind, it may help you to feel less nervous and create more of an interactive conversation with your interviewer rather than a question/answer session. Being conversational will help your interviewer to feel more comfortable and also feel more positively about their experience talking with you which is ultimately what you want-- to make the best first impression!

To be more conversational, sit up tall and slightly forward in your chair (this helps you to pay attention and focus on the other person), listen to what they are telling you and look for opportunities to ask related questions such as "Can you tell me more about...?" or to build on what they have said by highlighting something about you or your experience that is related.

Great questions directly stem from the information shared by the other person. Some additional ideas are "What issues are you currently facing that I could begin to alleviate on day 1?" "What will be the best way for me to get up to speed and begin contributing quickly?" "What benefit(s) do you hope we each get out of this internship opportunity?" and if the interviewer said anything that is especially interesting or there is something you find particularly appealing about the role, let them know what it is! Good luck!

Hi ,

When you ask an interviewer a question, it also reflects on how much you are interested in the job and company. Most likely , you are going to work with your interviewer or report to them if you get selected.

Some questions that I have asked or have been asked from me :

-- What has your experience been like at this company?

-- What is one thing you don't like at all about your job or company?

-- Where do you see this company 5 years from now?

-- What is the company's plan for my career growth?

-- How can I convert this internship role to a permanent position once I finish my degree.

I agree with the comments above, particularly with respect to doing research. I would suggest re-framing your thinking slightly. Instead of considering which questions to ask, think about what you will share with and describe to your interviewer in terms of how you will contribute to the long-term success of the company. In other words, demonstrate your competence of the company and industry and paint a picture of how you will succeed. I have even seen some people whiteboard proposals on the spot. You will demonstrate both a bias towards action and your competence.

What was the most difficult situation in your career and how did you manage it?

Make sure you have plenty relevant questions it's key to a successful interview.....make them feel like you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. This creates an air of confidence and suggests you have plenty options and are trying to make the best choice for you. I like when people ask lots of questions about how to be really successful in the role. How do they best prepare, how to they get up to speed quickly? What traits do the top performers in this role exhibit. Do not recap on area's that have already been covered. Also work towards a natural close....making sure you get confirmation from the recruiter that they feel you are suitable for the role and get the discussing the next steps in the process with you.

What will my day to day activities include? What other departments will I be interacting with?

Ask questions related to the job. Ask questions based on what's on the interview criteria list.

Understand what current strategies the company is pursuing going in, and then ask what this role can do to further those strategies. The best question I've received is from someone asking where I saw this role going in two or three years after accomplishing all the immediate objectives. It showed they were in it for the long haul and forced me to think career path right away.

The question I like the best is at the end of the interview when the candidate asks me - "Is there anything else you'd like to know about me or anything else I can answer. I think a candidate asking a lot of questions about the role and doing as much homework before the interview to be prepared is key but closing it out the way I mention above I really like.