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Ever wondered what questions not to ask in an interview?
So you’re doing your research to be prepared on how to ace that interview you just got. Along with knowing the things that you should do and the insightful questions you should ask, you should also know what questions not to ask in an interview!
What questions not to ask in an interview
Don’t ask questions you can find on the job listing
The worst thing you can do is to ask questions that are on the job listing. This is definitely an example of what questions not to ask in an interview. You should have read the job listing in great detail and should have read it when you were tailoring your resume to the job description.
You can ask for clarifications about things that were not clear or vague. This will show that you did read the job posting, but would like to know more details.
Don’t ask questions you can find on the company website
In line with the first tip of what questions not to ask in an interview, is to not ask questions you can easily find on the company website or a little google search. This demonstrates that you were lazy and did not put in the effort to do a little research. These are not desirable qualities that companies would want in an employee
Don’t ask about salary and benefits
Asking about salary and benefits may seem tacky. It will make you look like you are only in it for the money – which let’s face it, most of us are and that’s ok! BUT employers do not want to hear this.
It is also a waste of everyone’s time because it’s assuming you already have the job. What questions not to ask in an interview includes questions that make it seem like you already have the job.
The salary and entire compensation package can be discussed and negotiated after you’re extended an offer. This is the time to discuss salary and the entire compensation package.
Related: 5 Benefits to ask for as part of your compensation before accepting a job offer
An exception is if they bring up the salary topic first. Then you can discuss this topic.
Don’t ask about promotions
A part of what questions not to ask in an interview are questions involving promotions. Do not ask about how quickly you can be promoted or what career paths you could have if you take this role. Not only is this a silly question to ask, but it can also indicate that you’re not looking to do the current job for very long.
It’s a silly question because these questions are highly dependent on you – your work ethic and your interests.
How are they supposed to answer this without knowing you? How quickly you will get promoted will depend on how hard you work. Where you want to go next in your career depends on what your interests are. Neither of these things are things they are aware of.
These questions can also indicate that you won’t be dedicated to the current job for long. It can show your lack of commitment to the role since you’re just seeing it as a stepping stone and always looking for the next thing.
This means they’ll have to hire for the role again fairly shortly after they’ve trained you, and no one wants to do that.
Don’t be cheeky
DO NOT be sassy. These are definitely part of what questions not to ask in an interview.
Do not ask questions like “how do I get your job?” or “What time should I start on monday?” even if you are joking. This will not be appreciated. It will make you look arrogant.
This is not the time to demonstrate your strong personality. You want to show that you will be a pleasant person to manage and work with.
Don’t ask for feedback
What questions not to ask in an interview? DON’T ask for feedback! This is not the time to ask how the interview went or how you could improve. You will not get an honest answer. If it went poorly, they would not tell you. It could also be a legal issue where they don’t want to be sued for negative feedback.
If it went well, they will still not tell you. They would want to discuss your applicant with the team and would want to finish interviewing the entire panel of candidates before they make any decisions.
Either way, asking this question will not help you and will give no information. Even worse, it could make you look insecure and not confident in your candidacy.
If you did not get the job and they call you to tell you that they will not be extending an offer, you can ask for feedback then. This is the time to ask for feedback to improve for future interviews.
Hopefully after you’ve learned about what questions not to ask in an interview, you won’t make these mistakes and you’ll ace that interview!