“Do YOU have any questions?” Finally, the interviewer has stopped spouting off questions, and he is curious to hear your queries.

There is nothing more disconcerting than a candidate who has no questions at the end of the interview. Sure, the company is trying to get to know you, but you also are interviewing the company to see if it’s a good fit for you. Your questions are a great way to explore and see if it’s a nice match. There are a few things to keep in mind as the all-important interview draws to a close:

1. Have a couple questions – good questions. It doesn’t matter how many interviews you have at the same company or even with same person, you always want to have two or three (not fifteen) questions at the end of every interview. You should ask questions that will help you discover if this is the place where you want to spend at least eight hours a day, five times a week. Questions often fall into three camps: business-related, job-related, or personal. You should brainstorm a few before the interview. Here are some samples to get your ideas flowing:

Business-Related Questions
o How has the business been influenced by the shaky economy?
o Where do you see the company in ten years?
o What have been some of the effects of the recent merger?

Job-related questions
o How would you describe the corporate culture?
o What is the management style in this department?
o What are some of the skills and abilities necessary for someone to succeed in this job?
o What makes someone successful at this company?
o How do you measure and determine success for this position?

Personal questions
o Why did you decide to join this company?
o What do you like most about working here?
o What is the most challenging thing about working here?
o If you could change one thing about the company, what would it be?
o What do you consider your company’s strengths and weaknesses?

You should always have a few “soft” questions in your back pocket, if you find your inquisitive nature going dry at the end of an interview. It’s nice to have personal questions that you can ask anyone in any department or at any level, and it’s OK to ask different interviewers the same personal questions.

You never want to ask obvious questions that you can find out from the job description or the web site such as “Who are your clients?” or “Where are your offices located?”

Also, don’t ask the salary question during the first interview. You wait to ask those questions once you have received the job offer.

2. Pay attention to the answer and ask a follow up question. A great question-and-answer session and conversation at the end of your interview can leave a lasting impression.

3. Ask about next steps. You should always leave the interview knowing the company’s timeline.
o When can I expect to hear from you regarding next steps?
o When would be a good time for me to follow up?

4. Say thank you and restate why you would be a great fit. As the interview draws to a close, you want to sum up everything:

“Thank you for taking the time to interview me. After hearing more about ABC Company, I am confident I would be a great fit here. I’ll look forward to hearing from you next week.”

By closing the interview with great questions and comments, you show that you are curious and strongly interested in the position and the company.