“Ask Great Questions: How Curiosity Signals Competence”**
with John Light, CEO - SBR2TH
By this point in the framework, something important has already happened.
You’ve shown up as yourself.
You’ve demonstrated your value through clear, quantified examples.
Now comes the moment that quietly separates average interviews from memorable ones.
The questions you ask.
Most candidates underestimate this part.
Some rush it.
Some treat it as a formality.
Others get it completely wrong.
John Light sees it differently.
“Asking great questions is not about getting answers.
It’s about demonstrating how you think.”
Why Questions Matter More Than Answers
When an interviewer asks,
“Do you have any questions for me?”
They are not being polite.
They are assessing:
Your intellectual curiosity
Your judgment
Your level of preparation
Your genuine interest in the role
And there is one answer that immediately works against you:
“No, I think you covered everything.”
John is direct about this:
“That answer tells the interviewer you’re either not interested, not curious, or not prepared.”
None of those are signals you want to send.
The Rule: Avoid Conversation Killers
Any question that can be answered with “yes” or “no” is a mistake.
Why?
Because it shuts the conversation down.
Examples of bad questions:
“Is the team collaborative?”
“Is there room for growth?”
“Is this a fast-paced environment?”
These don’t create dialogue.
They end it.
John’s rule is simple:
Great questions are open-ended.
They start with:
How. What. When. Why. Where. Who.
What Great Questions Actually Do
The right question accomplishes three things at once:
Signals strategic thinking
Invites the interviewer to reflect
Shifts the interview from Q&A to conversation
At this stage, the goal is subtle but powerful: You want the interviewer talking 60–70% of the time.
When that happens, something changes.
You stop feeling like a candidate, and start feeling like a peer.
Examples of Great Questions
Here are two that John consistently recommends:
“What are your expectations for success in this role?”
And:
“What are the top three or four things you want to see accomplished in the first 6–12 months that would really define success?”
Why these work:
They focus on outcomes, not perks
They show you’re thinking beyond the interview
They invite detail, nuance, and storytelling
And most importantly, they give you insight into what actually matters.
How Many Questions Should You Ask?
Another common mistake: extremes.
One question → feels underprepared
Four or five questions → feels scripted or unfocused
John’s guidance:
Have two or three strong questions in your back pocket.
That’s it.
Enough to show depth.
Not so many that it feels performative.
What Not to Ask (Yet)
In professional and executive-level interviews, there’s an important boundary:
Do not lead with compensation or benefits in the first conversation.
Not because those things don’t matter, but because timing matters more.
John explains it this way:
“You want mutual interest established first.
Once that’s clear, everything else becomes easier.”
Early interviews are about alignment, impact, and fit.
Once those are locked in, the rest follows naturally.
The Real Objective of Great Questions
You are not trying to impress.
You are trying to engage.
Great questions create space for:
Mutual discovery
Shared language
Forward momentum
They tell the interviewer:
This person thinks ahead.
This person listens.
This person is already imagining success in the role.
And those signals linger long after the call ends.
Coming Next: Part 4 - “You’ve Got to Close”
The final pillar of the framework addresses the moment most candidates mishandle:
How you end the interview.
In Part 4, we’ll cover:
Why binary closing questions create discomfort
The emotional memory interviewers carry forward
The two-step affirmative close that works without pressure
How to leave the room with clarity, confidence, and momentum
The close doesn’t secure the job.
But it does secure the feeling that makes the next step inevitable.
Part 4 is coming next.
