You may feel that you are doing well in an interview until asked that inevitable question, ‘do you have any questions for us?’. Particularly in interviews for jobs in Events or jobs in Marketing the sort of questions you ask will say a lot about you, and will be a great way of demonstrating you have the right enquiring mindset and approach to suit these stimulating career choices.

This is a question, however, which can cause candidates to stumble. Many end up saying ‘no’ and scurrying off into the day, full of regret. 

It is important to ask questions after an interview, as it shows you have a genuine interest in the company and the job. If you say nothing, it may come across that you are just attending interviews, without much thought as to what the job entails or the company actually does. 

To help you prepare in advance here are some suggestions for the types of questions to ask during your events or marketing interview to help ensure you stand out from the crowd.

Career opportunities - show that you’re thinking long term

Most employers will want to ensure they hire candidates who are there for the long term and who want to grow in the company. It is also important for employers to choose a candidate who has aspirations for their own career. You can show your desire to progress by asking the employer about the career opportunities available within the organisation. For instance, you might want to ask what the levels of progression are or where they see the role developing to in the next five years or so. 

If the employer sees that you have a desire to develop, and to do that with them, rather than to just stay in the same position for the next 20 years or leave for another opportunity in six months’ time, you will have a better chance of being successful in the role.

Future plans - show you have done your research on the company, and are keen to hear more!

Employers also want to know that you have conducted some research on the company and that you are not just attending interviews without knowing anything about the business. 

Asking about the future of the company shows you have some interest. Asking informed questions shows you’ve done your homework. Throw in some relevant pieces of information about the company and you could get extra brownie points. 

For instance, “I read that you have grown in the finance sector, what are the future plans” or “I know you provide marketing for SMEs, are there plans to offer services to larger organisations?” 

Anything you say which shows you are not only interested, but have taken steps to find out about the business, will instantly make you stand out.

Structure - show you are interested in the wider picture

Another good question to ask is about the structure of the business and how your role would sit within it. This question shows that you are interested in the position and that you want to find out as much as possible about it. This is exactly what employers want to hear; they want to make sure they employ someone who is taking all aspects of the role into consideration, as this means they are more likely to remain with the company for the long term.

Challenges - show you’re ready for one!

A great winning question is to ask what the interviewer feels is the biggest challenge of the role - this will show you are not afraid of challenges, and will also probably give you valuable additional insight into the role. It will also be a question the interviewer may need to think about themselves so you’ll heighten their engagement factor - and they’ll be impressed that you are interested to really get under the skin of the role and are taking a future with them seriously.

The culture - show you want to make sure it’s a good fit

Everyone is different in terms of what culture they work well in, so it is worth finding out more about the type of culture you should expect. Creative environments tend to be quite relaxed, but this may not be the case so it is worthwhile finding out. Again, it shows that you are making sure it is the right culture for you, which is important from the perspective of the employer.

And finally

And finally a note on what not to ask. NEVER let your last question be about the working hours, and what time you can leave each day!  Save that sort of question for your Recruitment Consultant, who will be able to find that out for you outside of the interview.  
Make sure the last impression you leave them with is a positive one, and hopefully our suggestions will help you do that.