Why good questions can make the difference at job interviews and mark you apart

Asking good questions at an interview can make a good impression

I have heard some awful stories of how media interviews have been handled. From interviewers looking at their phone all the way through, to an interviewer sitting on the floor. I was even asked if I was gay during one job interview. Extraordinary!

So they are random things. Much depends on the personalities involved of course. Both from the potential employer and from the job seeker. There are people that say as an interviewee you have some control in the process, as you can say no to the job. But really you have very little power. The people on the other side of the desk or at the end of the Zoom/Teams call have all the control. Ultimately, they can give you the job or not.

Where you do have some control is when you are invited to ask questions. Too often these questions can be generic. I advocate for being much more impactful at this point. But what does that mean?

Here are some tips:

1 Avoid generic or predicatble questions

What would a typical day in this role look like?

If this is the best you can come up with as a question it says a lot about your creativity and knowledge. For most media jobs, the employer would you expect you to have some idea given you have read the job specification!

See also: Tell me about the company culture. What are the next steps in the recruitment process?

This second one above doesn't count as a question - it's a must to know this.

2 Don't get ahead of yourself

What does career progression look like?

Whilst this is an understanable question - it does indicate someone already thinking of the next step. The employer wants you to be invested in the job you are applying to - not thinking too far ahead. They don't want to think they will be going through the whole recruitment process again within six months.

3 Use questions to 'peacock'

The key thing for me as an interviewer, was seeing a candidate show that they knew the brand they were applying to. In the creative industries it is really important to show that you 'get it'. An insightful question or two at the end about something you have read or consumed from the company is good. Especially if you link that to some of your previous work and use it to highlight your experience and skills.

For example: "I see you have launched a Snapchat channel, and when I did that at NAME, we faced a few challenges getting the content and tone right. What lessons have you learned during the launch?"

4 Research the interviewers

Once you know the names of the people interviewing you, do some online research. Find out about their work history. See if there is something that you could discuss at the end of the interview. Showing that you have spent the time to look at their career history is a positive. If you then ask a good question related to that - it is even better.

5 Never have no questions

This sucks the air out of an interview. If you have nothing to ask it indicates a lack of understanding or enthusiasm for the role. Even if all your key points have been answered in the interview, have something different to ask (using point 3 as a guide). Never say 'no I think we have covered everything'.

6 General questions are OK when combined with points 3 or 4

I do think there are some bad or boring questions but some of the more typical ones that careers advisers tell you are OK - if you combine them with something more interesting. If you ask a good question about the role and company it can make a really positive impact. You want the hiring manager to walk away at the end of the interview and remember you. A good question can do this.

Interviews are hard and you will be nervous, but if you follow these steps it could be the thing that moves you from reject to being offered the job.