Why is it so important to ask the right questions during a phone interview or during a face to face job interview?

Because, as an applicant, the questions you ask may portray a positive light on your motivations for applying for the position, may even give the interviewer a good impression on your knowledge and skills - the questions you ask can increase your odds to get the job down the road.

Secondly, the job interview is a discussion – and a discussion relies on two persons that ask question and answer questions. Needless to say that, the job under question is a give and take issue. As the organization evaluates your competencies to the said job, so you should evaluate the job compatibilities to your requirements.  

Therefore, the answers to your questions can provide good information on the job and its benefits.

When it comes to select the questions to ask in a phone interview, these mainly depend on the interview flow and your previous knowledge about the job description.
In any case, you better not ask questions on issues that you are not really interested in, as the level of interest is easily identified over the phone. .

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Phone interview: Questions you should ask the employer in a phone interview

The following are some questions to consider asking during your phone interview:

1. What are the challenges for this position?

2. What are the main skills necessary for this position?

3. What are the personal strengths/traits required for making the difference in this postion?

4. What are the department/organization’s goals?

5. How do you describe the learning curve for this position?

6. Where is the department located within company organizational structure?

7. What particular software and hardware tools do I use?

8. What major responsibilities can I expect for this job? May I review the job description?

9. What are the opportunities to get promoted over the years? Is there a career progression program/policy?

10. To whom would I report? Who will review my performance and how often?

11. How much support is made available to individuals for professional development such as – professional courses, seminars and trainings?

12. When can I expect to be notified for the next interviewing process?