At the end of nearly every interview comes the inevitable question from the hiring manager: “Do you have any questions for me?”

While some job seekers hesitate to ask anything, this should actually be viewed as an opportunity, and one that shouldn’t be passed up, particularly since failing to do so can seriously hurt your chances of getting hired.

Asking a smart question at the close of an interview can help you stand out as a candidate and make getting hired simple. How do you craft an intelligent inquiry? Here are some tips to get you started.

A strong question is going to tap into one of four areas: Connection, culture, challenges, and closing in on the next steps. Ultimately, you want to bond with the hiring manager over your final ask, work to understand what working for the organization is like, identify any challenges the company is facing, or gain additional information about what comes next.

You don’t have to cover all of those points in a single question, but any inquiry that touches on one of those points can be a valuable one to ask.

If you find yourself struggling to come up with a suitable question, there is one that almost always makes a great impression. When in doubt, ask, “What is the organization’s biggest threat to success currently, and how can I help you overcome this threat in this role?”

By asking this question, the hiring manager has an opportunity to discuss how the job can add the most value to the business, giving you critical insights into how to excel in the position. Plus, it starts a dialog where you can provide additional input, including references to how your past experience can make overcoming the challenge easier.

This allows you to talk about points that truly matter to the hiring manager and organization in the moment while increasing their level of confidence in your abilities.

You don’t have to limit yourself to this single question, as it generally works well in conjunction with other inquiries that allow you to gather important information about the company’s priorities, what the culture is like, and how the role fits into the bigger picture.

However, it is essential to be mindful of the time when you begin asking questions, as you want to make sure that everything is finished up within your allotted appointment time. This means you should start with the questions you (and they) view as the most critical, so you can wrap things up in a timely manner.

If you are looking for a job this year, the professionals at The Advance Group can assist you in preparing smart questions while connecting you with top employers in the area. Contact us today to learn more about how our services can work for you. You’ll be getting hired in no time.