Career Advice

What should I ask at the end of my interview?

“Do you have any questions for us?” That’s not just a courtesy question. It’s an important part of a job interview.

March 10, 2026 3 minute read

After all of your hard work looking for a job, you’ve started having interviews and you’re one step closer to landing your next position. Don’t get tripped up when an interviewer asks if you have any questions of your own. Be prepared for it with these insider tips so you can get the most out of this opportunity.

Key takeaways

Prepare questions ahead of your interview.
Stick with two or three important questions.
Ask questions that show you’ve researched the company.

At the end of an interview, applicants are often asked if they have any questions of their own. This is an opportunity to gain vital information about the company and the role. There’s no reason to panic. It’s not a trick question. Interviewers ask because they want to give you the information you need about the position.

Just because it’s your turn to ask the questions doesn’t mean that you aren’t still being interviewed. Interviewers are still gathering information about you. They’ll be looking for a few things:

Is this person prepared?
Do they know enough about our company to ask a relevant question?
Do they express a genuine interest in the company and the role?
Do they show curiosity about other people?

This part of the interview is a golden opportunity for you. Show them that you are a curious person. Demonstrate your interest in the job, the people, and the company. Prove that you know how to do research and prep for a meeting.

Interviewers expect you to have some questions. If you don’t ask at least one question, you run the risk of seeming unprepared or uninterested.

The company you’re interviewing with has a need, too. They need someone smart and reliable, someone who can help them achieve their goals. Remember that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. “At the end of the day, the interview is a two-way street,” says Lori, a Fidelity recruiter. Interviews are essentially conversations. It’s normal to ask questions during a conversation.

Questions to ask at the end of an interview

While it’s expected that you’ll have questions for your interviewer, some questions are better than others. Think ahead of time about what you want to know about before you leave the interview.

Try to have questions that address a few areas that are relevant to the job. Think about these categories:

What day-to-day operations look like
How you’ll be evaluated in your role
The people who are interviewing you
Company-wide goals and initiatives

Heather, a Fidelity talent acquisition partner, likes when candidates express interest in her as a person. She says, “I like for them to ask me what I like about the group or what brought me here.”

Lori says that your questions should “show that you’ve listened during the interview.”

Questions to avoid asking during an interview

Are there topics you should steer clear of completely? In a word, yes.

Questions that are too personal

It’s okay to ask questions about your interviewer’s role within the organization. You can ask what they find challenging about their job or what they like best. Steer clear of asking about their personal lives. Even if it seems you have a good rapport, respect the social boundaries of the interview process.

Inappropriate questions about the company

Don’t ask about office dynamics or difficult bosses. That can come across as nosy or prying.

Questions you should know the answer to

There’s no reason to be in the dark about the company basics. Look at the company website and do a quick search for recent news about the organization.

Final thoughts

Preparing questions ahead will give you one less thing to stress about when you interview. Know that you’re being interviewed for a reason. You’ve impressed the hiring team enough that they want to talk with you. By asking thoughtful, relevant questions, you’ll make them want to keep talking to you.