The 4 Cs of Interview Questions (2024)

(Originally published in The Career News, Vol. 15, Issue 22, Job Search Edition, Week of June 06, 2016)

(J.T. O’Donnell, Careerealism CHICAGO, IL -- If you don't know what to ask and why, you will not only miss out on the opportunity to make a good impression, but also fail to get the insights you need to determine if this employer is right for you. The secret to asking great questions in an interview is to use the following 4Cs as your guidelines: Connect; Corporate Culture; Company Challenges; Closing Conversation.

When you use these correctly, you can craft questions that will make you look friendly, collaborative, well-researched, and professional - all great qualities to display to a recruiter or hiring manager in an interview!

Here are 8 simple interview questions you can ask.

• How did you come to work here? (CONNECT)
• What do you love most about working here? (CONNECT)
• Who's the most successful person hired here in the last year and how have they succeeded? (CORPORATE CULTURE)

• Who's been least successful person hired and what did they do wrong? (CORPORATE CULTURE)
• What's the biggest challenge the company will face this year and how will it be overcome? (COMPANY CHALLENGES)
• As an employee, what can I do to make a difference and have an impact on the company this year? (COMPANY CHALLENGES)
• Is there anything about my candidacy that you would change to make me a better fit for this job? (CLOSE CONVERSATION)

• What are the next steps in the hiring process? (CLOSE CONVERSATION)