If you only prepare to answer questions during a marketing job interview, you’re leaving half the benefit of your interview on the table.

Asking questions at your interview not only conveys your enthusiasm, it also helps you determine whether a company that looks great on paper really offers the environment you need to thrive. Here are five questions you should ask before leaving any marketing job interview:

What is a typical day on this job like?

Many interviewers ask you about your skills, approach to work and long-term goals. By asking about the day-to-day tasks of the job, you gain a better sense of what you’ll really be doing while you’re in the office—and thus a better sense of whether this is the job for you.

How would you describe your most successful people in this department?

Job descriptions tend to focus heavily on the specific experience, education, skills and job demands involved in a marketing position. By asking for a description of the department’s superstars, you gain a better understanding of the “cultural” qualities valued by the team, which in turn helps you determine whether you’ll thrive here.

What does success look like in the first 30 days? 60 days? One year?

Listen not only for which benchmarks are articulated, but how they are articulated. An employer who can only give you vague answers in an interview (“well, it depends…there are no hard and fast rules….”) is one who won’t be able to tell you when you’re succeeding on the job or when you’ve earned a promotion, either.

Where do you think the company is headed in the next five years?

This question shows you’re thinking of the future. It also helps you determine whether the company is growing in a direction that fits your own career growth plans.

What are the next steps in the interview process?

Asking about the next steps helps you decide how and when you’ll contact the company next, plus you can gauge concern for time the company has.

At SMR Group Ltd, our recruiters specialize in connecting sales and marketing professionals to the best employers and jobs available in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries. Contact us today to learn more.