how many questions for your interviewer is too many?

[specialflava]

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any thoughts from past/current interviewees? i'm compiling lists of questions, but i'm wondering how many i'll actually be able to get to within time contraints, and before the interviewer starts getting irritated

 

[KublaiKhan]

I would prepare 3, but you probably won't even get a chance to ask them all. Usually the interviewer answers with very long winded and time consuming answers. In my experience, the interviewer will usually wrap up the interview for times sake. Just ask for an email address if you really really want an answer to your question from them.

 

[MahSpoon]

one of my interviewers started off with "do you have any questions for me?" and repeated that about 5 more times until our time ran out. He ended up asking be 2 or 3 real questions

 

[[pj]]

Usually I try to have maybe 2-3 very open-ended questions. And as previously stated, interviewers end up going off on a topic for a long, long time.

One way to know if it's too much is if you're asking questions that aren't necessarily related that makes the conversation rough and sporadic, if that makes sense.

 

[Law2Doc]

any thoughts from past/current interviewees? i'm compiling lists of questions, but i'm wondering how many i'll actually be able to get to within time contraints, and before the interviewer starts getting irritated

Have as many as you want - most interviewers will know how to wrap it up when you get to his/her limit. It's better to seem interested and have a ton of questions than to seem disintered and have too few. The worst case scenario, is you don't get them all answered. Know when the interviewer is wrapping things up. But if your interviewer is a clinician, s/he will be used to talking to patients who are talkers, and will have a host of ways of cutting folks off politely in his/her arsenal. So I wouldn't worry about irritating anyone -- they will let you know when they are done with you.

 

[Law2Doc]

one of my interviewers started off with "do you have any questions for me?" and repeated that about 5 more times until our time ran out. He ended up asking be 2 or 3 real questions

This happens more than you think -- be ready to steer the interview with questions if need be.

 

[lord_jeebus]

As an interviewer, I'd say ask as many as you want, but don't ask questions for the sake of asking questions.

 

[Disinence2]

Ask questions that you actually have. Its rather obvious when your just asking questions for the sake of asking questions.

If its a student interview ask about classes, what they like, dislike all that.

 

[Dr_Dan_the_man]

My interviewer made it easy for me, he just said "What is one thing, one burning question you've been dying to know about our school?"


.... Of course he was just looking for an opportunity to sell the school, as exemplified by his nearly 10 minute answer to my 10 second question

 

[KublaiKhan]

So when an interviewer predominantely wants you to ask them questions does that mean they think that you are already a good enough candidate to be accepted and will receieve a positive interview feedback from them? Or do they expect you to interrupt them during their long winded responses in a way in which you convince them that you are a good candidate? Because it seems to me that when you are forced to ask all the questions the interviewer does not get to know very much about you...

 

[Kikaku21]

Well, you want to have some questions of course. I mean, it'd be lame to just sit and stare at a guy, or just say "none that I can think of."

Although, "none that I can think of" may be a reasonable answer if it is your third interview and you exhausted your list on the first 2. Or, you can reask the questions and try to "get a different perspective" (i.e. a student vs. a dean, etc.)

Really though, be honest... Ask about crap you are actually interested in and that is actually important to you. I ask about culture, opportunities, student interaction and mentorship, etc. These things are important to me. I'd imagine that my interest shows... and hopefully that helps me out. If you are really interested in a TON of stuff. Ask questions until they stop you. They will politely tell you that they are out of time. No worries.