The Right Questions: What Are The 3 Questions You Should Ask At The End of A Job Interview
- Rachel Huss
- Jun 7
- 3 min read
My little brother told me about his high school friend's epiphany. After graduating college, his friend texted my brother to say, "Wait… I'm not on summer break anymore. I'm just unemployed." This realization is a sucker punch to your so-called "game plan."
Summer used to mean beach days, internships, or travel plans. Now, it's a reminder that you're one of thousands flooding a saturated job market, all chasing the same thing: a way in. How do you stand out when everyone's swimming toward the same shore? You need to stand out.
A successful interview is defined not just by the answers you say but also by the questions you ask. You want your potential employer to understand your thought processes, social skills, and adaptability under pressure. Moreover, you want to learn about company culture, how to succeed, and determine if this job is worth your time.
The interview process is long and arduous. Most of the time, you develop a weird kinship with auditioning actors. You both are constantly looking for your next big break. The longer you are unemployed, the more self-doubt creeps in.
Full disclosure: that uncertainty lingers until you sign on the dotted line.
So, if you're a recent college grad or post-secondary student getting ready to level up, here are the three questions I'd ask in an interview—and why they leave a lasting impression.
The 3 Questions Everyone Should Ask at the End of a Job Interview
Question 1: What makes someone successful at (insert name of job)?
You're not just asking for the usual, generic, AI-generated job description. You're digging deeper to uncover the hard skills that really make someone succeed in this role. You're also sizing up the company culture.
Are the top performers the ones who show up early? Or those who stay late? Did they mention any skills or traits that aren't in the job listing? If so, that's your chance to weave those into your future answers and show you're already thinking like a winner.
Question 2: How have you evolved as a professional from your first day to today?
People love talking about themselves—and science backs that up. Harvard researchers Diana I. Tamir and Jason P. Mitchell found that "sharing personal information activated the brain's reward centers—the mesolimbic dopamine system, including the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area—areas also engaged by pleasurable stimuli like food, money, and sex" (Tamir & Mitchell, 2012).
By letting your interviewer talk about themselves, you're subconsciously telling them you see them as a whole person—and that you want to build a real connection.
Question 3: What soft skills make someone successful here?
Soft skills divide the good from the great. You can be the best at your job, but if you don't get along with your co-workers or management, your life will be a living hell. This question acknowledges that you understand the importance of social skills in your role and want to make your addition an asset rather than a liability.
Landing the job isn’t about having the perfect script or memorizing answers. It’s about your understanding of what success really looks like, making a genuine connection, and proving you’re ready to add value in all the ways that matter.
So, bring these questions with you. Use them to stand out. Because in a crowded job market, it’s not just what you say—it’s how you show up.
Sources
Tamir, D. I., & Mitchell, J. P. (2012). Disclosing information about the self is intrinsically rewarding. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(21), 8038–8043. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1202129109
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