“So, do you have any questions for me?”

Uh-oh. You didn’t prepare for this. You know your top three strengths and weaknesses, your work history and examples of progressive responsibility like the back of your hand. You had a firm handshake at the beginning of the interview. You even looked up what the company does first instead of just applying at random. You’ve got stellar qualifications and rocked the rest of the questions, but this simple little inquiry has you stuttering.

In most cases, not having twenty soul-searching questions for a recruiter probably won’t make or break your candidacy. But why not add a nice cherry on top of a great interview and a gleaming resume by asking questions that highlight what a thoughtful, dedicated worker you are?

Ideally, interviews are not just a chance for companies to scrutinize potential employees, but also an opportunity for job-seekers to find out more about what they could be signing up for with a new job. Here are five questions you can ask interviewers that give you valuable information to consider before accepting a job offer and show your future employer that you mean business.

1. Tell me about the team I’ll be working with

Ask instead of: tell me about your company’s culture

This question will give you a preview of what other employees, departments and backgrounds you’ll be operating with on a regular basis. It also gives you a picture of what the structure or hierarchy may be like for your functional area. The words the employer uses to describe the team and your position’s relationship to them might give a more genuine answer to the question “tell me about your company’s culture” than actually asking that question.

Read between the lines when the employer responds with “you’ll be reporting to Janet” versus “you’ll be collaborating with Sam.” One of these cultures may have a more hierarchical structure and culture, while the other could be more cooperative.

2. What is the biggest challenge someone in this position would face

Ask instead of: describe a typical day in this position.

Should you ask a recruiter what a typical day is like in a given job, they will most likely tell you the canned response: every day is different. The position description already gives you a glossy, rose-colored view of what the role could be like. What you might not get out of this carefully packaged marketing is the tough parts of a job.

What will you struggle with? What problems will you be faced with on day one? Asking about the challenges you could face in a job not only gives you a more realistic job preview, it also shows the interviewer that you are thinking deeply about how you match with the role.

3. You mentioned you’ve been at ABC company for # years, what made you decide to stay and grow within the company

Ask instead of: what do you like about your job?

Instead of soliciting a slew of generic responses, asking what made someone accept or keep a position at the company you are exploring shows the recruiter you care about the organization, not just the open position. This question also opens the door for follow up inquiries on potential room for growth and promotion from entry-level openings. Referencing something the recruiter shared about themselves during their introduction also shows you listened and considered the information they brought to the interview, and overall, makes the experience more of a conversation than a questionnaire.

4. What are some short-term and long-term goals this position would strive to meet

Ask instead of: what are you looking for in an ideal candidate?

Now that you’ve spent twenty plus minutes discussing you, this is your time to dig deeper into what benchmarks you’ll need to meet if you land the job. By asking specifically about short-term versus long-term expectations, you’ll get a feel for what you’ll be dipping your toes into right away, and what you’ll be making strides for once you have a few months under your belt. This also might indicate types of project or work that could come your way farther down the line once your shiny new employee status has worn off a bit.

5. What are the next steps

Ask instead of: smiling and shyly exiting hoping you’ll hear from them in the near future.

Make this your last question, and don’t be too shy to ask. Some recruiters will give you this information voluntarily, but don’t be afraid to ask what the expected timeline will be. This demonstrates to them, one last time before leaving the interview, that you are truly excited about the opportunity, and want to understand their process.

Remember: a little confidence goes a long way. Your dream job is out there, waiting for you to go and get it.