Why Should I Work Here?

This is a perfectly valid question, though I probably wouldn’t phrase it this way. Remember, the interview is as much about you learning about the company as it is about the company learning about you. When you leave the interview you should have the information you need to decide whether you want to work there.

Many people make the mistake of not asking enough questions about the company and the fit. For instance, they are afraid they might get answers they don’t really want to hear, and that it will result in a negative vibe. For instance, the candidate may ask, “Do you use Microsoft tools?”, and the interviewer may reply, “No, we hate Microsoft; we only use open source tools around here.” That should not necessarily make a candidate look worse for asking the question, but the candidate might see this answer opening a gulf between them and the company.

In fact, if there are any obstacles that might prevent you from working at the company, you need to expose them up front and as early as possible. If you do indeed want to work only with MS products, or only with open source, or whatever, it’s better to know the company’s position on the matter before you accept the offer. Likewise, if you prefer to work on new products rather than on maintaining existing ones, you should find out about the nature of your intended responsibilities if at all possible.

All too many people focus on getting the offer first to the exclusion of all else, then wonder later whether the job is the right one for them (in fact, many recruiters preach exactly this strategy). However, taking a job without sufficient information up front and then gauging the quality of the fit after you start is a bad idea.

Assuming that you are a good candidate (and of course we all are, right?), you have choices as to where you will work. You have a right and a responsibility to yourself to find out what a company has to offer before you commit yourself.