The interview is just about over, and you're ready to breathe a sigh of relief. The interviewer asks if you have any questions you'd like to put to them — "No thank you," you smile, "Everything has been covered in great detail."

Wrong response! Say this, and interviewers may feel that you have insufficient interest in the job and just want to get home. A better response is always, "Yes, I do have a question..."

Since an interview is a two-way conversation with a purpose, applicants should also ask questions. A well-balanced interview gives both parties sufficient information to come to a decision — the questions you ask during the interview are important.

Before every interview, as part of the preparation, think up three or four questions you feel you may be able to ask at the end. Line up a small selection, so that if one or two are covered during the interview, you still have a couple left.

Write your questions down and keep them short and simple. Don't read them aloud, but try to make them sound reasonably spontaneous. And be careful not to waste precious interview time asking questions which could be answered by a visit to the company's website or other sources, such as staff on reception or suppliers and external consultants.

Just to be clear...
You may want to ask some questions to confirm whether the job is exactly what you think it is. These questions may help you decide whether to accept a job offer. Ask about any areas of job content you feel need clarifying, such as:

"Would I be responsible for bringing in new business?"

or, "What training and learning opportunities are available?"

If you feel the job is almost a perfect fit but needs a little tailoring, you may get a chance to seek some flexibility, for example:

"How open would you be to my delegating some of the process parts of this job and initiating some new projects to add to the income stream?"

Your chance to shine
The questions you ask at the end of an interview are there for one purpose only: to give you a last, memorable opportunity to shine. Remember, the final things you say will have a lasting impact, particularly if you are the final candidate of the day.

Before you ask questions at the end of the interview, say something positive about the role. That's because there's a chance that the overall message behind your question is that you are not sure whether you want the job or not. At this stage, this could be a reason to exclude you. Preface your questions with a positive comment: "First of all, I'd like to say how interesting this job sounds. I just want to clarify one or two things..."

Now, just think what impression an interviewer would have if you asked these types of questions:

"I've got some ideas about developing this department, but before pitching them, I'd like to ask how you see its future..."

"Given time, I'd be really interested in helping out with planning the annual conference. Do you think I might be able to have a role in that?"

"I've a number of useful contacts in the publishing business. How would you feel about extending your consultancy services to that sector?"

"One thing I'd really like to add to this new role is the prospect of building up a formal mentoring programme. How would you react to that?"

Using questions effectively
There are two types of questions that work well at the end of the interview: questions which probe the future of the job, and those which focus on the challenges of the job. In both cases, you're focusing more on message re-inforcement than information gathering.

Ask more about the future of the role, by questions such as these:

"How is the job likely to change in the next two years or so?"

"What learning opportunities are there?"

"What kind of clients (internal departments, project teams, etc) would I be working with?"

And use questions to find out more about what it entails:

"What kind of results would you expect me to achieve in the first 6 months?"

"What would you say I will learn as a result of this job?"

These questions have several effects. They communicate your serious interest in the job, and provide you with some vital insights into the role. However, what they also do is to create a strong mental picture in the interviewer's mind — a picture of you doing the job. This could be the difference between being number 2 and number 1 on the shortlist. Once the interviewer has that strong mental image, it's hard to shake off.

To be avoided at all costs!
And here, to finish with, are some thoughts on questions that may damage your chances. Try to avoid any of these types of questions:

• Questions that show that you really haven't grasped what the job is about!



• Questions that could have been answered by five minutes on the company website ("What exactly do you manufacture?", "How many offices have you got?", etc).



• Questions about pay and flexibility of pay – this is the wrong moment, and could exclude you. Deal with this when you're offered the job.



• Questions that the interviewer is almost certainly unable to answer! Don't embarrass them.



• Questions that are smart, ironic or abstract – you don't want to make it look like you're trying to get your own back for their probing and difficult questions.



• Questions that imply you're looking for any special considerations to be given to you.

Some time given during preparation to the right kind of questions to finish your interview with, can make a huge impact on your prospective employer, and leave them with an unshakeable, and very favourable, impression of you. So don't miss the opportunity to stand out from the crowd – it could mean the job is yours!