Preparation5 min read

Prepare your own questions

The "any questions for us?" moment is not a formality — it is a graded part of the interview.

When the interviewer asks if you have questions, "No, I think you covered everything" is a missed scoring opportunity and a signal of low interest. Thoughtful questions show engagement and — just as importantly — help you decide if you actually want the job.

Questions that land well

Tailor these to your interviewer — engineers, managers, and HR want different things.

To an engineer: "What does the on-call rotation look like, and how often do you ship to production?"
To a manager: "How do you measure success for this role in the first six months?"
About growth: "What separates a senior engineer from a staff engineer on your team?"
About reality: "What is the most frustrating part of working here that you wish were different?"

Questions to skip

Avoid anything you could have Googled (company size, what the product does) and avoid leading with compensation or leave policy in a technical round — save those for the HR conversation. Keep two or three strong questions ready per interviewer type.

Key takeaways

Always have 2–3 questions ready — tailored to engineer, manager, or HR.
Ask things that reveal the real day-to-day, not facts you could Google.
Save compensation and leave questions for the HR round.

Put it into practice

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