The two questions
Don't let the opportunities of these interview questions pass you by.
“Do you have any questions for us?”
This section of the interview, usually at the end, is a great opportunity to differentiate yourself. The problem is, many people waste it with questions like “What’s the culture here?” or “What do you like about working here?”
Those questions are a waste of time because they don’t tell you anything real about the company, and they don’t tell your prospective employer anything about you. Everything in the interview should do one or both of those things.
If you have questions about the company based on your research, definitely ask them. But I also recommend these two:
What is the biggest problem you want the person in this job to solve?
If you hire me, how will you judge my success after six months?
These may seem similar. But the first one is about the company, and the second one is about you. They both show you are engaged and ready to face the challenges ahead.
Take their answers to these questions and use them to “do the job in the interview.” With the first question, use examples from your experience solving similar problems. With the second, again tie their metrics to your experience.
This is all about being engaged, not passive. Look at it as not an interview for a job you want, but the first staff meeting for the job you already have. That puts you in the strongest possible position as you conclude the interview.
Agree with this. They are trying to envision you in the job and on the team, so you should do the same. Especially as an older worker, there can be fear about age bias and having few opportunities so you might be inclined to try to "get" and "take" most any job you can. Totally get that, but if you take a job that isn't good for you it won't be good for anybody and there will be a lot of misery. So, the corollary here is they are interviewing you and you should be interviewing them. If you don't like what you hear, dig deeper. Don't be afraid to ask more than just two questions. And if you ask 2 or 20 questions and you are left with a bad feeling, listen to your little voice and move on.
I never thought about this before, bit you're 100% right: Look at it as not an interview for a job you want, but the first staff meeting for the job you already have.