#job-search

Don’t ask any questions during your job interview and you are doomed. Days packed with calls, vague tasks descriptions, bureaucratic release process and micro-management — I’ve seen all of these.

The more you know the company, the less likely you will be negatively surprised later. It can be a dealbreaker if company values or views contradict yours.

“Spend more time making the big decisions. There are basically three really big decisions you make in your early life: where you live, who you’re with, and what you do.” — Naval Ravikant

Here I’m trying to collect all the useful questions grouped by different areas. Feel free to pick the ones that resonate with you.

Work Process

• What is the entire process for a one line change in code to make it to production?
• How common are incidents and how are they handled (check status page)?
• How many calls do developers have each week on average?
• Do you favor async communication over calls?
• Do you allow hours for deep work (being offline)?
• What tools the team is using for task management?
• Is there time to do side work and research?
• Any required time overlap?

Team & Technology

• Can I see an example of a task (description, spec, etc)?
• How do you deploy features and who is responsible for that?
• Do you have a release schedule or continuous delivery?
• What is your approach for tests (pyramid testing)?
• What technology stack do you use (with versions)?
• Who makes up the team (seniority, specialization)?
• Are there performance reviews, 1-on-1s, etc?

Company

• Are there any major plans for the company: acquisition, IPO, investments?
• How many clients does the company have?
• Why the position has opened up?

Am I missing an important question? Please let me know in the comments section below.

Thanks to Fyodor Ivanischev and Mario Perez for helping with this list.

Written by Anton Mironov.
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