10 Questions You Should NEVER Ask in an Online Job Interview

For some, interviews can be extremely stressful and nerve-wracking no matter it’s conducted on the spot or requires you to come up with answers to questions on the fly. What’s more, you need to seize good timing to ask employers proper questions which helps you to decide if the company is the best for you. But note that there’re some questions recognized as “killer” resulting in bad impression on the employers at the cost of failing the online interview. The following lists 10 questions that you should NEVER ask during a job interview online.

1. What does your company do?

Never ask any information that you could have gotten in a simple Google search. Before you have even written your resume and applied for the job, you should have already done some research and have a good understanding of the company. Asking this question shows the employer that you didn't take the time to prepare for your interview and instead, wasted their time interviewing you for a position you don't really care about.

2. How much does this job pay?

This question is a big no-no for employers. Employers want to know that you're in love with the job, not how much you're getting paid for it! Money is the elephant in the room for an interview and while you might be genuinely curious about the pay, salary shouldn't come up until after you've already been offered the job.

3. What kinds of benefits do I get from working here?

Similarly to the last questions, asking about benefits can be seen as selfish and may seem like you're only interested in the job for the money and special perks rather than the job itself. The employer may think that you won't be a devoted employee and won't be committed to the work since they think you are only interested in the money and the perks.

4. How fast do people get a promotion or pay raise?

Asking this question during an interview can make it seems like you're trying to climb the professional hierarchy and rather than trying to contribute to the company in a positive and effective way, an employer may think that you are trying to earn as much money possible and just want to be at the top.

5. Could I work on Fridays instead of Saturdays?

Changing schedules, salary, etc. should never come up in your interview. It makes it seem like you aren't satisfied with the job you're asking for and want to change it before it has even been offered to you. You can discuss scheduling after been given the offer but never ask when the employer is first starting to get to know you

6. Do you do background checks?

Will you check my Facebook, Twitter, etc? By asking if the company conducts background checks, it suggests that you have something to hide. It makes you look suspicious and the employer will be more cautious about hiring you (they may even assume you have a criminal record!).

7. Do you monitor internet usage?

Never ask about a company's internet surveillance. The employer may get the feeling that you are doing things that you shouldn't be doing while working (either legal or illegal). Every employer wants dedicated employees and asking about monitoring internet usage may look like you are going to do anything but work in the office.

8. Could I work from home?

Wait until after you have been given the job to discuss telecommuting. The employer may start to wonder why you don't want to work from the office when you haven't even seen it or been a part of the working environment.

9. What do you least like about your boss?

You may have started to hear some dirt about the company but your interview is not the time for a gossip session about your interviewer's boss. It will only make you look like you focus on the negatives of the company and don't respect authority figures.

10. Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend/partner/spouse?

Do not ask about the interviewer's personal life. You may have friendly intentions and may just want to get to know them better, but it might be a sensitive area and the questions really have nothing to do with the job so it is best that they are avoided entirely.

While all of these questions could potentially cause problems in an online interview, you should still ask questions! Not asking any questions at all makes it as if you weren't really interested in the company or you didn't really understand (or care to understand) what the company does or how it functions. Keep above no-no in mind and ask questions wisely!