I have been on both sides of job interviews for developer positions more times than I can remember. Most of them close with a “so, do you have any questions for us?”

Here’s how you can get the most value out of that opportunity.

#100DaysOfCode #CodeNewbie

Job interviews are two-sided conversations. As much as they’re interviewing you, you’re interviewing them as well. After the interview, you have to KNOW if you really want to work for that company at all.

If you don’t ask any questions, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.

“What big challenges are you working on this year?”

Writing code is fun, but what would you write that code FOR? We spend a lot of time at work, and ideally you’ll spend that time working on something that excites you. Find out early if you’d work on interesting tasks.

“How do you decide what to work on next?”

Can the team decide what next step is most important for them, the product, and the company? Is the direction given by Corporate with no way to veto bad ideas? Find out how much influence you would have over what you work on.

“What can you tell me about the members of my team?”

If everybody’s winging it, you won’t find a lot of opportunities to learn from others. Find a team that has people from different fields and experience levels so you can absorb as much of their knowledge as possible.

That’s it. That’s the thread.

These questions have worked really well for me these past years. What are your top picks when asked “so, do you have any questions for us?”