That application you submitted resulted in an interview, and now you are ready to get an offer for the job. You have researched the company and laid out your outfit, but is there anything else you can do to get an edge, to further impress your interviewer? As it happens, there is: Nearly every interview ends with an opportunity to ask questions and asking the right ones will put you ahead of the pack.

What are the biggest challenges faced by your company/department today?
Asking this question gets a real sense of what the company feels is most needed in their business. It could be a specific skill, improved processes or just additional resources to handle workload. Answers to this question will help you understand what your job will entail and give you the opportunity to explain how you could tackle your employer’s biggest challenge.

What makes you different from your competitors?
It is always good to ask about the company’s competitors and how they differentiated themselves. This is a good question to ask because companies want to see that you are diligent enough to do your homework in advance of the meeting and have a genuine interest in the field you are moving into.

How do you respond when an employee comes up with a good idea?
It’s important to ask this question innocently, because if you’re not careful it will come off like a challenge. But it’s an invitation to the interviewer to explain a bit of the company culture, namely how it values and responds to employees, and makes you seem like you’re ready to start improving things right off the bat.

What are my advancement opportunities in the long-term?
You probably want to add the “in the long-term” part because otherwise this question could be taken to mean you’re not satisfied with the job at stake in the interview. But this is another question that shows you’re thinking of committing to the job, because you’re thinking about an extended future with the company.

What is your training program like?
This is always an important question to ask because it every important that a company offers training. Any new job comes with a learning curve; a good company will offer thorough training and help employees to obtain all the skills they need to be successful in the company.

What do you find most exciting about this company?
A fun, feel-good question that gives the interviewer an opportunity to talk, and which will give you a practical look at daily life working there and/or an idea of the practical goals of the company.

What are the most successful team members doing differently from the average team member?
If there is one thing that interviewees could do that would help them stand out from other candidates, it would be to be bold, speak with confidence and ask questions that hint you are a high performer who is looking to succeed with the company. This question shows drive to outperform mediocracy while also learning more about the expectations of the work required to achieve excellence in the position.

How will you know whether you hired the right person three months from now?
As a job seeker, it gives you a clear idea of the hiring manager’s goals, expectations and objectives for you if you are hired. It also gives you a chance to pause and consider if the answer sounds like things you will enjoy. It can add a bit more clarity to the job and the results the company is hoping to achieve by filling this position.

Remember that you need this interview to result in a job offer, and that largely depends on the impression of the interviewer. What will distinguish you in his/her mind from other seemingly qualified candidates is whether you seem like a good fit. The game here is to make them like and respect you while feeling comfortable that you’d be a good addition. You have a lot more leverage for negotiation when they finally offer you the job.

Good luck!