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Preparation is the golden key for job interviews. One of the most common mistakes is thinking you can just "wing it". The truth is that nothing beats preparation. If you rehearse answering tricky career-related questions, you'll be more capable of responding to them confidently.

Usually at the end of an interview, the interviewer or panel will ask ‘do you have any questions?’ Always remember that you are at an interview, and are not facing an interrogation. This is not a situation where one person asks all the questions and the other is obliged to give all the answers. An interview is a two-way conversation. It is a professional dialogue in which both sides ask and respond to questions. What you ask is just as important as how you answer their questions

This is also a chance for you to decide if the job and company are right for you. So don’t be afraid to ask questions that give you some feel about what it would be like to work there – and what they really expect, apart from anything in the job description.

An important point to note is that through your questions and answers, you can control and steer the interview to the path you want it to take, toward your own comfort zone.

One of the smartest questions you can ask, once your resume has been discussed, is "Now that we have talked about my qualifications and experience, do you have any concerns about my capabilities regarding this position?" This enables any latent lingering doubts in the minds of the interviewers to be brought out in the open, and gives you the chance to defend yourself against any objections.

If it is a first interview, now is not the time to ask about pay or benefits so focus on what you can do for the company not what the company can do for you.

A few good questions to ask include:

• How does this position fit in with the rest of the company/organisation?
• What would a typical work day/week be like for me?
• After I start, what would the first few weeks look like for me?
• Are there any special projects coming up that you’d like me to work on?
• Where do you see this department/company going over the next year?

Finish up by restating why you're the most logical candidate for the opening to ensure you leave the best impression so you are remembered.

Heading into an interview? Answer all those tricky interview questions with ease by checking out our other helpful tips.