Serious question, has anyone else tried the 'reverse interview' trick for job offers?

I was stuck in a job hunt for months, getting offers but never feeling good about them. A friend in Chicago told me to prepare 10 questions for the company, not just answer theirs. I asked things like 'What's the biggest challenge the team faced last quarter?' and 'How do you measure success for this role in the first 90 days?'. It changed the whole feel of the talk and helped me pick the right place. What other questions have you all found really work to figure out a job?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_claire8d ago

That "reverse interview" thing is spot on. It's like when you're buying a used car and you stop just nodding and start asking about the last oil change or if it's ever been in a wreck. The vibe totally shifts. I used to just take what I could get, but asking "what does a bad day look like in this role?" or "why did the last person leave?" filters out the bad fits fast. You stop being a beggar and start being a buyer.

scott.olivia8d ago

I read a blog post last year that called it "interviewing up." The writer said to always prepare three tough questions that make them sell the job to you. It changed how I go into those meetings... I used to just hope they liked me. Now I go in knowing I need to like them too. That shift in your head makes you way less nervous. You're checking if their answers match what you actually want from a job.

craig.viola7d ago

Totally agree, that mindset shift is everything. One question I always ask is "how do you handle mistakes here?" It tells you a ton about the team culture. If they get defensive or vague, that's a huge red flag. A good answer usually involves learning and fixing things together.