Sometimes, you’re so grateful for an interview that you might overlook a company’s shortcomings. If your job search has been long, you might jump at the chance to attend any interview. Asking the right kinds of questions during your interview, however, will help ensure that you find a job that’s a better fit for you, preventing you from ending up right back on the hunt in a matter of weeks or months.

What kind of turnover does the office see?

You want to know how often other employees are moving out of the business and on to something else. Is this a company where people tend to stay for the long haul? Is it a stepping stone to a better position a year or two down the road? Understanding more about their employee retention will give you clues about the nature of the company and your potential coworkers’ attitude towards it.

Why is this position open?

This will help you understand more about the type of turnover that occurs in the office and the office culture. If a new position has been created, you’ll know that the business is growing. Knowing that a previous employee has moved on to a better job will let you know that the company might not make the best offers in your field.

What are the responsibilities associated with this position?

This question is your opportunity to learn what the job is really about. An entry-level position might still require a higher-level understanding of the company and your field. In other cases, you might find that, in spite of hiring on for a higher-level position, you’ll be expected to handle some basic tasks for a while. Make sure you know what you’re getting into before you get started!

Who are the team members I’ll be working with?

In some interviews, you might get the chance to interact with the team. In others, you’ll at least be able to get a feel for the personalities that you’ll be working with. Keep in mind that working with similar personalities is often a better way to find a job you enjoy.

Asking the right questions during a job interview will help you get a feel for the company and choose a job that you’ll enjoy. Even better, it will let the interviewer know that you’re serious about the position.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.