The last question.

It's the question that few people think to prepare for in a job interview. Or maybe I'm the only one that forgets about it...

Perhaps it's because you've already spent so much time preparing your answers to the typical job interview questions: "Why do you want to work here?", "What's your greatest weakness?", "What kind of experience do you have?", etc...and you don't think about that ever-so-important last question.

Perhaps it's because you're already so confident that you'll get the job, you don't think that last question will mean much when all is said and done.

Perhaps it's because you expect to walk in there and astonish them so much with your brand new professional attire and charming demeanor that they'll just hand you the job before you even have to answer the first question.

And then, sitting in that chair in your well-cooked state, having endured 15-20 minutes of grilling...the interviewer shuffles his papers and says,

"Do you have any questions for me?"

Crap.

You frantically start racking your brain for one last shred of creativity and intelligence that will mask the fact that you didn't do your homework. You don't know enough about the company to ask an intelligent question with regards to the position your interviewing for or the infrastructure of the company as a whole. So you timidly offer some weak, nuts-and-bolts question about the hiring process or the shifts you'd be working.

The interviewer peers over the rims of his glasses with a look that could burn holes in your skin. It's the look that says, "You've just made my job so much easier. Thank you for making a complete fool of yourself." He calmly answers your question and then waits to see if you'll think of something better to say. But you can't.

Way to go, tiger.

He stands up and shows you to the door, tells you he'll make a decision by the beginning of next week, and sends you and your mangled ego out into the cold, rainy day.

It's that last question that makes all the difference.