How to ask for a pay rise

Asking your employer for a pay rise can feel like an awkward conversation. But if you’re not satisfied with your current salary, it’s better to address this head on rather than brush it under the rug.

Use our tips for asking for a salary increase to give yourself the best shot of success!

  • Find an appropriate moment
  • Catch your manager at the right time
  • Prepare examples
  • Use facts and figures
  • Remain professional
  • Research market value
  • Be clear
  • Prepare to negotiate
  • Have a backup plan

Valid reasons to ask for a salary increase

  • You’ve been given new responsibilities and duties
  • Through experience, you’ve become a more knowledgeable and skilled worker
  • You’ve not received a pay rise for many years
  • You’ve moved into a more Senior role
  • Your current salary is below market value

The best way to ask for a pay rise

1. Find an appropriate moment

When asking for a raise, you need to pick the right time. Don’t just pull your manager aside spontaneously. Make sure you either book in a meeting (for a minimum of 30 minutes), address it during a performance review, or book a meeting when you’ve successfully completed a project.

2. Catch your manager at the right time

Avoid booking a meeting when your manager is under a lot of stress or is dealing with a particularly busy period. It helps to catch your manager during a time when they’re happy with the team performance and things are running smoothly.

3. Prepare examples

As part of your preparation for your meeting, make sure you prepare examples of your achievements. You’ll need to use these examples as a means of justifying your pay rise, so dig deep!

4. Use facts and figures

Where possible, use any facts or stats to reflect your performance like Key Performance Indicators or targets. This will make your argument more compelling!

5. Remain professional

It’s important to remain professional, positive and non-emotional during your meeting. Even if you’re frustrated about your current salary, don’t let this show and keep the tone upbeat.

6. Research market value

Always use a salary checker to research the average UK salary for your job beforehand. This will help you to decide how much of a pay rise to ask for. As a general rule of thumb, it’s acceptable to ask for a 10% raise, but always do your research to double-check the going rate!

7. Be clear

During the meeting, make your desired salary clear and tell your manager what you’d hope to be earning. Avoid being vague as this could result in miscommunication and disappointment!

8. Prepare to negotiate

When asking for a pay rise, you may need to negotiate a little. It’s possible your employer will want to give you an increase, but maybe just not as much as you’re asking for. Be prepared to come down a little on your request, but don’t be afraid to ask for other benefits to compensate, such as more annual leave, private healthcare etc.

9. Have a backup plan

Unfortunately, you may not be successful in your quest for a pay rise. If that’s the case, be respectful of their decision and make a plan with your manager to understand the steps you need to take in order to gain your raise. If this isn’t a possibility, it may be time to consider new opportunities.

Know your worth

Every employee has the right to ask for a raise, but knowing when and how to ask for a raise is key to your success. Always prepare in advance, remain professional, and be confident in putting your case forward.

Looking for a career move? Take a look at our article on defining your dream job!

Examples of problem-solving

Interviewers will often ask you to give an example of when you solved a problem in the workplace. Problem-solving is an essential part of any role, and employers want to know you have the initiative to tackle problems head on.

Read on for the best examples of problem-solving in the workplace.

  • Covering for a sick colleague
  • Working to achieve a tight deadline
  • Dealing with an unhappy customer
  • Resolving conflict between colleagues
  • Spotting process inefficiencies
  • Resolving technical issues
  • Researching competitors to outshine them

What’s the STAR method?

The STAR method is a 4-step technique to structure your interview answers. First, you outline the Situation (the job you were working in and when). Next, you detail the Task (the difficulty you were faced with). Then, you talk about the Action you took to overcome the problem. Finally, you describe the Result (what you achieved).

  • Situation
  • Task
  • Action
  • Result

7 best examples of problem-solving at work

1. Covering for a sick colleague

When a colleague is off sick, this can cause disruption to any business. Can you think of a time where you covered for a sick colleague, or organised your colleagues to share the workload?

2. Working to achieve a tight deadline

Deadlines come with most jobs. So being able to demonstrate how you successfully worked to a tight deadline will impress the hiring manager. Whether you worked late or worked well as part of a team, these are great examples.

3. Dealing with an unhappy customer

If you’re interviewing for a customer-facing role, it’s great if you can talk about a time when you dealt with an unhappy customer. This will be sure to show you have great listening and communication skills, as well as problem-solving!

4. Resolving conflict between colleagues

Sometimes colleagues have very different ideas about how something should be done. Having an employee who is able to bring colleagues together and find a compromise is an incredible asset to any company.

5. Spotting process inefficiencies

Processes are the backbone of any successful business. And employees who are on the frontline have the best insight as to how effective these processes are. If you can share a time when you made a process more efficient, employers will be intrigued to see what you can do for their company!

6. Resolving technical issues

Technical issues happen all the time, whether your computer randomly switches off or your Excel formula isn’t adding up. Having the ability to troubleshoot technical issues is a great quality to have.

7. Researching competitors to outshine them

Every company has to stay ahead of the competition. This might mean you’ve brushed up on your knowledge of your competitors to be able to better pitch customers. Or perhaps your research enabled you to make product improvement suggestions.

Crisis averted!

Questions about problem-solving are one of the most common interview questions because you’ll be sure to encounter problems in any job. Companies value employees who have this skill so be sure to prepare a few examples of workplace problem-solving as part of your interview preparation. And most importantly, don’t forget to use the STAR method to make your answer as impactful as possible!

What are your weaknesses?

‘What is your weakness?’. This is perhaps the most dreaded of all interview questions and one where many candidates stumble. It’s not an easy question to answer because it’s essentially admitting you’re not perfect, and drawing attention to your… well, weaknesses! And when you’re trying to impress an interviewer, this can feel very counter-intuitive.

But the reality is that this is a common job interview question and you’ll likely face it at some point in your job search. So let’s take a look at some original examples of how to answer this interview question.

  • Time-keeping
  • Lacking confidence
  • Asking for help

How to talk about weaknesses in an interview

1. Avoid cliches

Avoid using cliches like ‘I’m a perfectionist’ when answering this question. Cliches are a bit of a copout, and interviewers hear these answers time and time again. 

2. Be honest

Really take time to reflect on your weaknesses so you can give an honest answer in the interview. You want to ensure your answer is original. But try not to pick a weakness that will severely impact your ability to do the role.

3. Have a solution

The most important part of this answer is explaining how you rectify the problem. Everyone has weaknesses, but not everyone finds a solution for them. Close your answer off by listing the practical ways you overcome your weakness.

3 answers to ‘What is your weakness?’ interview question

Example 1: I’ve struggled with time-keeping

Time-keeping is an essential part of any role, but it doesn’t come naturally to everyone – and that’s okay so long as you have solutions in place.

“My biggest challenge has been time-keeping. I know this is an essential part of the job, but growing up I was always the person who struggled to be on time. Professionally, I’ve had to address this to get to where I am today. I’ve trained myself to always leave well in advance, I use calendars and reminders religiously so nothing slips through the net. I’ve created a bulletproof system for myself to correct the problem, and that’s the most important thing.”

Example 2: I’ve been known to lack confidence

Lacking confidence in a role is a weakness, but it’s something that can be corrected. It also shows you’re a humble person who maybe just needs a little more encouragement to realise your full potential. Include some positive feedback you’ve had from your managers in your answer.

“In my career, I’ve had to really work on my confidence. I’ll sometimes hesitate to put an idea forward or second guess myself, and this has held me back at times. But thankfully I’ve become more aware of this weakness and I’ve made a conscious decision to step more out of my comfort zone and recognise all the positive feedback I get from my managers.”

Example 3: I sometimes hesitate to ask for help

This is a good weakness to talk about because it shows you like to use your own initiative to solve problems by yourself. In one sense, this can be an admirable quality. But if you let too much pile up on top of you, it can be to your own detriment.

“I’ve always struggled with asking others for help. I feel a sense of responsibility to resolve problems myself but sometimes it can end up causing more problems. So, I’ve learnt the hard way that it’s okay to ask for help. I’ve learnt to identify boundaries for myself. If I feel myself becoming overwhelmed with a task, I now know it’s better to ask for help.”

Come out stronger

It’s important to remember everyone has weaknesses and the interviewer knows this. They just want to see you’ve got a good level of self-awareness and that you have the ability to recognise and address your own areas for growth. Just remember to always talk about how you correct your weaknesses!

Recently rejected from an interview? Learn how to overcome interview rejection and plow on with your career move.

What are skills on a CV?

Picking the best skills for your CV is an important step in the job search process. Having a skills section on your CV makes it easy for employers to pick up on your strengths at a glance. 

Follow our guide to choosing the right skills to put on your CV.

  • Interpersonal
  • Listening
  • Leadership
  • Organisation
  • Problem-solving
  • Customer service
  • Administration
  • Computer skills
  • Management

What skills should you list on your CV?

The skills you put on your CV will vary from job to job depending on what the employer is looking for. You should highlight both hard and soft skills that relate to the job you’re applying to, always ensuring you provide examples of how you’ve used these skills in the workplace.

What are hard and soft skills?

Hard skills are tangible skills such as knowledge of a particular software or computer skills. Soft skills are more personality based and could include organisation, listening or leadership skills.

9 best skills to include on your CV

Interpersonal

All employers like to hire people with strong interpersonal skills. This is important in any job, whether you’re working with the public, or you just need to communicate with your team members.

Listening

Believe it or not, being an active listener is a real skill. Listening is important to be able to carry out work and projects correctly, to be able to understand a customer’s needs, and to be able to follow direction from your manager.

Leadership

Leadership is an admirable soft skill to have. Any time you show initiative, take the lead in a group task, or help to motivate other team members, you’re actually demonstrating strong leadership ability – and employers love to see this!

Organisation

Being organised is a key skill for any role. Employers want to hire people who are able to plan, prioritise tasks, and manage heavy workloads. This is a winning skill for your CV!

Problem-solving

Every business has its problems. So it only makes sense that hiring managers would love problem-solvers! Share an example of a time when you used your initiative to solve a workplace problem to wow the hiring manager.

Customer service

If you’re applying for a role that involves interacting with the public, customer service is an excellent skill to put on your CV. Employers want to know you can deliver first-class service and have experience dealing with complaints.

Administration

Most jobs contain some degree of administration. Whether it’s ticking off checklists, filing important documents, or dealing with confidential data, employers like to know your admin tasks won’t fall by the wayside.

Computer skills

Unless you’re applying for a job in manual labour, computer skills will likely be an essential part of your role. If you’ve got experience using different types of software, or you’re a master touch-typer, include this skill in your CV.

Management

Management is a very attractive quality to put on your CV. It shows employers you have the ability to take on more Senior roles. Whether you’ve managed a team for a day or for a year, be sure to write about it in your CV.

Where should you write your skills on your CV?

There are two places you could write your skills on your CV. The first is in a designated ‘Key skills’ section towards the top of your CV. List 3-5 of your most relevant skills with an example of how you used each one. The second place is in your past work history. Your key skills should be incorporated into the description of each job.

Applying for jobs? Take the time to nail your CV and write a killer cover letter to make sure you land that dream job!

How to start a cover letter

What’s the best way to start a cover letter in the UK? Those opening lines of your cover letter can mean the difference between receiving an interview invitation and getting rejected. Your cover letter is really your chance to stand out against the crowd, and those opening lines must grab the hiring manager’s attention.

So read on to discover the best ways to begin your cover letter!

  • Address the hiring manager by name
  • Show enthusiasm
  • Use keywords
  • Be original
  • Name drop
  • Get to the point
  • Highlight selling points

What’s the best way to start a cover letter?

1. Address the hiring manager by name

People start their cover letters by writing ‘Dear sir/madam’. You can stand out by going the extra mile to find out the hiring manager’s name, and addressing them directly in the salutation. 

2. Show enthusiasm

The most important thing to convey in your opening lines is your excitement for the role. Avoid using dull and lifeless language. Instead, choose words that convey your personality and express excitement.

3. Use keywords

Most of the time hiring managers will scan your cover letter. So it’s the keywords that are going to capture their attention and make them want to read on. Scan the job advert for all the key skills and implement some of those words into your opening lines.

4. Be original

The best cover letters are ones that reflect you as an individual. Avoid being rigid and following generic cover letter templates. Give the hiring manager something different to read!

5. Name drop

Do you know somebody within the organisation? Perhaps you recently read an article with the company’s CEO? Mentioning someone’s name from the company is a great way to grab the hiring manager’s attention.

6. Get to the point

Those opening lines are precious so use every word carefully. Avoid being long-winded and be as direct as possible. Make it clear which position you’re applying for, and in which office.

7. Highlight selling points

If you have any achievements or relevant work experience to shout about, it’s a good idea to drop one of these into your first few lines. Whether you were the top salesperson, or you’re an expert at using a particular software, make this known at the start of your cover letter!

3 examples of how to start your cover letter

Opening lines example 1

“Dear Mrs. Taylor,

After reading your CEO, Dave Williams, impressive interview in Time Magazine, it is with great pleasure that I’m writing to apply for the position of Software Developer in your London office. With 3 years’ experience working as a Python developer, I believe I make a strong candidate for this position.”

Opening lines example 2

“Dear Mr. Smith,

As the top car salesperson in my current role at Ford, I am excited to apply for the position of Senior Sales Associate at Toyota’s new Manchester office. With a track record of successfully conducting face-to-face consultations, I am greatly interested in the opportunity to assist Toyota in expanding its client base in its new location.”

Opening lines example 3

“Dear Mr. Walford,

It is with great enthusiasm that I write to apply for the position of Carer in Hartland’s Birmingham branch. As a naturally empathic person who has 2 years’ experience working in elderly care, I feel I would make an excellent addition to the Hartland team.”

Cover letters for the win!

Cover letters are a fantastic way to make your application stand out, but only if you take the time to do it right! For more help writing yours, check out our guide on how to write a cover letter or check out our post on keeping your cover letter to one page.

Top reasons for leaving a job

There comes a time in every interview when the hiring manager will ask, ‘Why are you leaving your current job?’. This can be a tricky question to answer and, if not answered correctly, you could end up raising concerns with the hiring manager.

Check out our top reasons for leaving a job and examples of the best ways to answer this question in an interview.

  • No career progression
  • Lack of job satisfaction
  • Wanting more flexibility
  • Location
  • Company instability

How to explain why you’re leaving your job in an interview

When asked in an interview why you’re leaving your current job, it’s important to keep your reasons professional, avoiding going into detail about any office politics. Never speak negatively of your employer, and always mention some positive aspects of your previous role in your answer.

5 best reasons for leaving a job (with examples)

1. No career progression

Career progression is something most employees seek, but not every employer can provide. This is a good reason to give in an interview because it shows you’re keen to progress your career, and are looking for a long-term opportunity.

Example

“Although I enjoyed the content of the work, there was nowhere for me to progress into and develop. I’m a driven person and want to find an opportunity that allows me to grow in the long-term.”

2. Lack of job satisfaction

In order to excel in any role, you really need to have job satisfaction. Without this, your job will soon feel like a chore and it won’t be long before you seek out a new opportunity.

Example

“Although I found my company very supportive, I realised I was lacking satisfaction. I really want to find an opportunity where I can get my teeth stuck into it and feel I’m making a big impact on the company.”

3. Wanting more flexibility

There’s no shame in wanting more flexibility in your work, particularly in today’s day and age where employers are now offering more flexible working options as a result of the pandemic.

Example

“I really enjoyed my previous role, however due to business demands, they were understandably unable to offer more flexible working arrangements. As a result, I’m now seeking a role that will allow a little more flexibility.”

4. Location

Trading in a job for one in a more convenient location is completely reasonable. A long commute can really affect your work-life balance, so it’s only natural to want to work somewhere closer to home.

Example

“There was a lot I really enjoyed about my role, including the people and the company mission. But unfortunately, the commute is just too long so I need to find an opportunity a little closer to home.”

5. Company instability

Company instability comes in different shapes and sizes. It could be redundancies, staff leaving, underachieving revenue, or even restructuring. These are all valid reasons for wanting to find a more stable opportunity.

Example

“Although I’ve enjoyed many years at this company and gained a lot of skills, the company is unfortunately going through some difficulties whereby the future looks very uncertain. Therefore, I’ve made the difficult decision to look for a career opportunity with a new company.”

Be prepared

The best way to prepare for this question is to practise your answer beforehand! For your best shot at nailing your interview, don’t forget to also prepare answers to the most common interview questions and be sure to prepare questions to ask the hiring manager at the end of the interview!

Interview questions with answers

You can never be too prepared for an interview, but you can be underprepared! An essential part of finding a job should be practising your answers to the most common interview questions. You’ll likely encounter most (if not all) of these questions in your interview, so follow our lead to bag that role with these top 5 interview questions and sample answers!

  • Tell me about yourself
  • What interests you about this position?
  • What makes you right for this role?
  • Tell me a time when you worked well as part of a team
  • What are your strongest and weakest areas?

The 5 most common job interview questions and answers

1. Tell me about yourself

Hiring managers like to kick off an interview with this question. It’s an invitation for you to speak openly about your interests, personal life, and your professional background. Start off by giving a short overview of your personal life to show your personality, and then move over to a brief summary of your work experience.

Example

“I come from a big family of 7 in South London. I’m the eldest of my siblings. I’ve always been a keen sportsman having played football most of my life for local teams. Professionally, I’ve always worked in sales since the age of 16, having most recently worked selling technology to businesses. Currently looking for a new challenge in high-end sales.”

2. What interests you about this position?

The most powerful way to answer this question is to do your research on the company and incorporate their achievements, products, mission and culture into your answer. You want to convey a genuine interest in the company.

Example

“I have a personal interest in tech, so working for a tech manufacturer as well reputed as yours is really appealing to me. I have looked into different companies but not only did your product stand out, but I really like the look of your company culture and values too – it seems like a very collaborative and innovative place to work.”

3. What makes you right for this role?

The key to answering this question is to know the skills listed in the job description, and use examples from your work experience that demonstrate you have those skills.

Example

“To succeed in this role, you really need to be able to communicate effectively and be very self-motivated, which are two skills I developed in my last role as a Sales Consultant. In this role, I was carrying out face-to-face sales consultations with Senior decision makers daily, and also set myself personal daily, weekly and monthly goals to give me something to strive towards.”

4. Tell me about a time when you worked well as part of a team

Teamwork is an essential part of most roles. Hiring managers want to hear details about your teamwork, including the role you had to play, any targets, any challenges you overcame and, most importantly, the end result.

Example

“Our sales team had our biggest monthly target to hit of £24,000 worth of sales. As part of our planning process, I initiated a team meeting whereby I split our team up into sub-teams to tackle different areas of the country to get the maximum coverage. Each day, our team would have a debrief call and share tips on what sales practices brought about the best results and encourage one another. As a result, we exceeded our monthly target and received a bonus!”

5. What are your strongest and weakest areas?

By asking this question, hiring managers want to see you have a good level of self-awareness. Don’t be cliche with your answers, try to be as honest as possible. At the same time, pick a strength that is very important to the success of the role, and pick a weakness that won’t severely impact your ability to do the role. It’s also important to talk about how you overcome your weaknesses too!

Example

“For my strength, I’ve always been told I’m a strong communicator and have a way with people. I think this is true and I really enjoy interacting with people. As for my weakness, I must admit I’ve had to work hard at my organisational skills as this doesn’t come naturally to me. To help me be more organised, I’ve gotten into the habit of making daily checklists and setting reminders to make sure nothing gets missed.”

You can never be too prepared

Never walk into an interview without rehearsing your answers first! Practising will give an edge and help you feel more confident. Don’t forget to also prepare your own questions to ask the interviewer – this is an absolute must, guys!

Got an upcoming interview? Head over to our blog for more interview advice.

How to update your CV

Have you been thinking about refreshing your CV? It’s a good idea to update your CV regularly, especially if you’re planning a career move. With every position you hold, you’ll be acquiring new skills, so it’s important that your CV reflects your skill set as accurately as possible.

Follow our checklist to update your CV:

  • Rewrite your summary
  • Update your most recent role
  • Condense past jobs
  • Implement keywords
  • Check your contact details
  • Adjust the formatting
  • Add any new qualifications

Top tips for updating your CV

Rewrite your summary

Your summary is the first thing hiring managers will see when viewing your CV, so you need to make sure this section is up to date highlighting your key skills, and accurately reflecting your career aspirations. You may even want to go a step further and tailor your summary to each job you apply to.

Update your most recent role

Chances are you’ll have gained new skills and received training in your current role. So make sure you update your most recent position to include all the main responsibilities, and include any details of specific projects or achievements.

Condense past jobs

The more time goes on, the less significant your past roles become. If you have job roles from 10-15 years ago, consider removing any entry-level positions from your CV or reducing their description to just one point. Hiring managers are more concerned with your more recent experience, so save the details for those!

Implement keywords

One of the most important parts about updating your CV is making sure you’ve included relevant keywords. Think about the jobs you’re applying for, and what skills they’re looking for. Those are the top skills for your CV. This will help your CV to get found on search engines and, more importantly, get noticed.

Check your contact details

If your CV doesn’t have the right contact details, you won’t get far in your job search. Make sure your address, email and phone number are all up to date!

Adjust the formatting

On average, hiring managers look at your CV for 6 seconds before deciding whether to move on. So your CV needs to look neat and tidy to help keep the hiring manager’s attention. To do this, follow these CV formatting tips:

Use bullet points

Instead of writing paragraph descriptions under each job, use 3-6 bullet points per role. This makes it easier for the hiring manager to read.

Pick the right font

Keep the font clear and easy to read. The best fonts for your CV are Times New Roman or Arial (size 11).

Keep headings uniform

Make sure all your job headings are written in the same way so they look neat and tidy. Structure them like this:

EMPLOYMENT DATES, JOB TITLE, COMPANY NAME, LOCATION

Example:

Feb 2019 – Sept 2020, Admin Assistant, Hemingway Solicitors, London

Add any new qualifications

If you’ve gained any new qualifications, remember to add these to your CV. Whether it’s a course in Excel, First Aid or Management, these are great things to highlight.

Up, up and away!

Although updating your CV might not be the most exciting task in the world, it will have a huge impact on the success of your job search. Remember to keep your CV as relevant and easy to read as possible, tailoring it to the jobs you’re applying for. If you really want to stand out, check out our blog on how to write a cover letter or take a look at more of our CV writing tips.

How to nail a video interview

Since the start of the pandemic, video interviews have become a common part of the hiring process. This is particularly common for people applying for remote jobs where it can be much more convenient to interview online. But online interviewing is a completely different ball game and can be even more nerve-wracking than a regular interview. So, follow our video interview tips to learn how to stand out:

  • Get the lighting right
  • Minimise disturbances
  • Use body language
  • Look into the camera
  • Carry out a test run
  • Dress smartly
  • Practise practise practise
  • Prepare questions

How to stand out in a video interview

Get the lighting right

With face-to-face interviews, you never had to think about lighting. But a video interview is different! It’s really important to nail your lighting in a video interview so the hiring managers can see you clearly. For the best lighting, set yourself up in a well lit room, either facing a window or with lamps shining in your direction.

Minimise disturbances

Online interviewing can be difficult if you live with other people or have pets. Try to find a space where you won’t be disturbed, and also make sure your phone and laptop notifications are on silent.

Use body language

Since you won’t have the benefit of meeting the interviewer in person, you have to put extra effort into your body language to compensate and make the interview more engaging. During the video interview, be sure to use your hands when talking, speak with a smile and avoid putting your hands on your face.

Use a desktop/laptop

Always opt for a desktop or laptop for online interviews instead of using your phone. Using a mobile phone can poorly effect the quality of the call for both you and the interviewer. You’ll also want to make sure your laptop is placed on a flat, steady surface (not your lap!) so the camera doesn’t shake.

Look into the camera

In an online interview, it’s easy to just end up looking at the people on the screen. But you want to create as much ‘eye contact’ as possible during the interview to engage the hiring managers. To do this, make sure your eyes don’t drift around the room, and look into the camera as often as possible, especially when you’re speaking.

Carry out a test run

A lot of technical errors can happen during a video interview. That’s why it’s always a good idea to carry out a test run before the real interview. Make sure the lighting and angle look good, the software is fully updated and you know how to confidently navigate the tech. 

Dress smartly

Although you may only be sitting in your living room, you still need to act as though you’re attending an in-person interview. That means dressing the part! Wear your best interview attire because first impressions count… even online!

Practise practise practise

You can’t always predict every interview question, but you can look up the most common interview questions and answers. So before your interview, make sure you practise answering these questions, and always include an example in your answer to make it even more powerful.

Prepare questions

Hiring managers love it when you ask questions. It shows you’re engaged and are taking the opportunity seriously. So always prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer at the end of the interview to finish on a strong note.

Lights, camera, interview!

Video interviews can feel daunting, especially if you’ve not done many before. But just like any other interview, the more you practise and prepare, the more confident you’re going to feel. Are you ready? It’s time to take the stage!

What questions should you ask the person who is interviewing you?

You’ve made it through most of your interview without falling to pieces, and now the interviewer asks if you have any questions for them. This is the final hurdle – don’t fall! Asking questions at the end of an interview is a fantastic way to leave a lasting impression. Don’t be shy to ask questions – interviewers LOVE this because it shows you’re engaged and are taking the opportunity seriously.

Before your interview, write down a list of questions for the interviewer that you can refer to:

  • What do you like about working here?
  • Can you tell me more about the training?
  • What would my first week look like?
  • What opportunities are there for career progression?
  • What are the company’s plans for growth over the next 5 years?
  • What is the company culture like?
  • What are the most challenging parts of the role?
  • Do you have any concerns about my ability to succeed in this role?

What are the best questions to ask at the end of an interview?

The best questions to ask at the end of an interview are about the role, duties, company, values and mission. Avoid asking more tedious questions about break times and whether there’s a canteen – these can be verified later down the line and aren’t a deal breaker.

What do you like about working here?

Although the job advert will contain some details about the role, it will never compare to a real life account from an employee. If the interviewer answers this question convincingly and has a lot to say, this is a good sign that this is a great company to work for.

Can you tell me more about the training?

With any new role, you’d hope to receive thorough training to give you the best possible chance of succeeding in the role. But not every company delivers on their training. Asking this question will help you find out if this company is going to set you up for success!

What would my first week look like?

This is a great way to find out about the company’s onboarding process. You want to hear how they’re going to integrate you into the company and teach you the ropes. Ideally, companies will have a structured plan for your orientation and won’t throw you in at the deep end.

What opportunities are there for career progression?

Chances are you want to find a company that can provide plenty of opportunities to progress. If there aren’t any opportunities for you to develop into a more senior role, it doesn’t show promising signs of offering a long-term career opportunity. Look for employers who can provide tangible details about career progression.

What are the company’s plans for growth over the next 5 years?

Employers want to hire people who are genuinely enthusiastic about their mission, and asking this question shows just that. Equally, you want to work for companies who are passionate about their growth and have lots of vision. So be sure to ask this question if it wasn’t covered in the interview.

What is the company culture like?

Finding a new job isn’t just about your skills. It’s also about your personality and how you’ll fit in with the team. In order to flourish, it’s important you find a job you can integrate with culturally, otherwise you may not enjoy your time at the company. Find out if the company culture is sociable, formal, corporate or more laid back. Everyone is different, so make sure it suits your style!

What are the most challenging parts of the role?

You want to get a realistic visual of the role. Every role has its challenges, so be bold and ask the interviewer about the most difficult aspects of the role. You want the interviewer to be transparent with you and to share the details of the role that you might not enjoy.

Do you have any doubts about my ability to succeed in the role?

This is the final question you should ask an interviewer before leaving. Many candidates will shy away from asking this for fear of rejection. But it’s the perfect opportunity to find out about any concerns and address them head on. Not only does this show a great amount of courage, but it will show you’re open to criticism too.

Good questions, good outcome

Asking the hiring manager good questions at the end of your interview can be the difference between a job offer and a job rejection. So take time to prepare your questions in advance! Don’t forget to also look up the UK’s most common interview questions and answers to make sure you’re fully prepared!

For more interview advice, head over to our blog!