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Out of the classical screwed up interview questions that people ask I think "where do you see yourself in 5 years" would be a pretty good one to hear the real answer to from your interviewer.
I would add Am I allowed to have side projects that I own? Am I allowed to contribute to open source from work? ie bugfixes for libraries we use. How many meetings are there in an average month? Does your insurance cover my preferred doctors? (obviously more of an email question) How strict are the requirements in whatever tracking software we use (jira,rally, etc) How many required programs are there? Outlook? Slack…
> Am I allowed to have side projects that I own? > Does your insurance cover my preferred doctors? (obviously more of an email question) Your contract specifies that and other answers to other questions. Don't ask your interviewer this question, the only thing he/she can do is rely to HR. Best ask HR directly. > Why did the person before me leave? It is unlikely you are ever going to get answer to that and even if yo…
I would add Am I allowed to have side projects that I own? Am I allowed to contribute to open source from work? ie bugfixes for libraries we use. How many meetings are there in an average month? Does your insurance cover my preferred doctors? (obviously more of an email question) How strict are the requirements in whatever tracking software we use (jira,rally, etc) How many required programs are there? Outlook? Slack…
My go-to question is: Am I able to use Linux? This tells you a lot about the company. I avoided some Windows-only jobs in the past :)
I'd take a job that let me use Linux, but I too am a Mac guy at heart. I had a short stint on Windows not long ago and hated it. Where I work now they'll give developers Macs by default, though getting blanket approval for data scientists has been an uphill battle, stupidly enough.
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My go-to question is: Am I able to use Linux? This tells you a lot about the company. I avoided some Windows-only jobs in the past :)
Really depends on the sort of "windows-only" jobs you're thinking of. My startup is mostly Windows, but that's because we're doing AAA game development and still have some tooling that is Windows only at this stage. I find that with WSL2, I can do everything I need. A fair bit of my day is spent in emacs.
What do you do for fun after work?
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My go-to question is: Am I able to use Linux? This tells you a lot about the company. I avoided some Windows-only jobs in the past :)
One of my former coworkers who's an absolutely huge Apple guy recently left for another job. When I asked him whether he could use a Mac he told me he didn't know and hadn't asked ... he must've really wanted that job. Or really hated his old one. I'd take a job that let me use Linux, but I too am a Mac guy at heart. I had a short stint on Windows not long ago and hated it. Where I work now they'll give developers Ma…
VSCode can run from WSL2 and have access to its file system
Earlier quoted context omitted.
My go-to question is: Am I able to use Linux? This tells you a lot about the company. I avoided some Windows-only jobs in the past :)
I like to ask what version of software they're running, and why. You might catch some change-adverse or bleeding-edge jockeys that way.
1. What - from all the things you have accomplished while working here so far - are you most proud of?
2. What did they do for the last social outing?
(Look for their face reaction as they answer the two questions. If they look surprised, or don't have a good answer, you may want to look elsewhere.)
And, if not already covered in the interview (which they really should):
- How technical is the CTO? Can/does s/he program? Ph.D. Degree?
- Who (name and function) does the group (my boss' boss) report to?
- What does the company do for training its people? Is there an annual budget?
- What is the attrition rate in the team?
- What is the career path anticipated for the role under discussion?
1. How has the company changed in the past five years? How do you think it will change in the next five?
2. What was the biggest surprise about working here?
I like these because they force the interviewer to activate their brain a bit and really highlight differences over time and differences from expectation. The surprise question especially helps you figure out unknown-unknowns as a candidate.