What questions should I ask in an interview?

The worst answer to “What questions do you have for me?” is “None.” The second worst is a question about PTO, remote days, or salary — asked before you have an offer. These signal that you are shopping, not evaluating.

The interviewer is not being polite when they ask what you want to know. They are testing your judgment. A good question shows you have thought about the work, the team, and the constraints. A bad question shows you have not.

What the interviewer is testing

Interviewers use your questions to score three things: curiosity, preparation, and whether you think like an owner or a passenger. A JobScore survey found that only 24% of people are happy with the interview process — and a big part of that dissatisfaction comes from people who treat the interview as a one-way audition instead of a mutual evaluation.

The interview is a conversation. Your questions should prove you have done your homework and that you are thinking about what you would actually do in the role. The bar is low. Most people ask nothing, or they ask something they could have learned from the job post.

The six questions that signal judgment

These six questions work for most roles and most levels. They are ordered from safest to strongest. Use two or three, not all six.

1. 1
   “What are the priorities for this role in the first 90 days?” This shows you are thinking about outcomes, not just tasks. It also surfaces whether the hiring manager has a clear plan or is still figuring it out.
2. 2
   “What does success look like at six months?” This forces specificity. If the answer is vague, the role may be vague. If the answer is concrete, you now know what you are being measured against.
3. 3
   “What is the team’s biggest challenge right now?” This shows you are thinking about the reality of the work, not the ideal version on the website. It also gives you a chance to connect your experience to their problem.
4. 4
   “Why is this role open?” Growth, backfill, or new initiative? The answer tells you about stability, urgency, and scope. If the previous person left after three months, that is information you want before you sign.
5. 5
   “What is the interview process from here, and when do you expect to make a decision?” This shows organization and confidence. It also gives you a timeline for follow-up. The playbook for follow-up is in how to follow up on a job application.
6. 6
   “What do you wish the last person in this role had done differently?” This is the strongest question. It signals that you learn from history and that you are thinking about how to avoid the same mistakes. Use it only if the conversation has gone well.

What not to ask (and when)

Avoid questions about benefits, vacation, or remote policy until you have an offer or are in final rounds. Asking too early signals that your priority is lifestyle, not work. That is not a moral failing — but it is a sequencing error. First, prove you can do the job. Then, negotiate the terms.

Also avoid questions you could answer with a Google search. “What does your company do?” or “Who are your competitors?” tell the interviewer you did zero preparation. If you are applying to a company, you should already know this.

If you are a new grad

Your questions should signal growth appetite, not entitlement. Ask about mentorship structure, what the first project typically looks like, and how the team handles code review. Avoid asking about promotion timelines in a first interview — it reads as impatient.

A strong new-grad question: “What would you tell someone in this role six months from now, looking back?” It shows you are thinking about your own development without making it the company’s responsibility.

If you are senior

Your questions should probe scope, autonomy, and decision-making authority. Ask about cross-team dependencies, how technical decisions get made, and what the engineering culture looks like under pressure. Senior hires are evaluated on judgment and influence, not just output.

A strong senior question: “What is the hardest technical decision this team made in the last year, and what would you do differently?” It signals intellectual honesty and a tolerance for ambiguity — the two traits that separate senior from staff.

Senior roles take longer to fill. Plan for three to seven months from first application to offer. The timeline breakdown is in how long does it take to find a job in 2026.

Where this leaves you

The questions you ask in an interview matter as much as the answers you give. They are the last impression you leave. A thoughtful question signals that you are thoughtful. A selfish question signals that you are selfish. The interviewer is still taking notes.

Before your next interview, pick two questions from the list above and write them down. Practice asking them out loud. The difference between someone who prepares and someone who wings it is visible in the first thirty seconds of the Q&A.

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