In order to make a good impression at the interview, you should have a short list of questions memorized. To help get you started, here is a list of seven questions to ask potential employers and explanations of what the employers' answers could reveal.

1. "What kind of qualities and skills would it take to really succeed and make a difference in this position?"
This question allows you to determine whether or not you are a good match.

2. "What would be the top priority of the person who accepts this job?"
You want to know whether or not you would enjoy the tasks to which you will be assigned. For a variety of reasons, sometimes the job description does not accurately describe the job. Asking a few open ended questions about the specific duties you would be expected to perform can clarify this up front and save everyone a lot of time later down the road.

3. "Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position?"
This will clarify the duties you will be asked to perform. If the tasks are a close match to those you identified on your personal inventory worksheet you should consider this job.

4. "Why is this position available?"
You ask this question because you want to make sure that the boss isn't Meryl Streep's character from The Devil Wears Prada. You also want to make sure that you won't be set up to fail. If you receive an answer like, "We just haven't been able to find the right person yet and we've been through five hires in the past four months," that is a sign that something is not right with the management of the company. Drop that position from your list.

5. "Was the person who previously held this position promoted? What is the usual progression for successful employees that have held this position previously?"
It's smart to be realistic about how likely you are to succeed in a specific position. If the company is well organized they will be set-up to help you succeed because replacing employees is expensive and time-consuming. If the interviewer says that no one who held the position previously ever moved up in the company, you may not want to pursue this job.

6. "What are the most immediate challenges of the position that need to be addressed in the first six months?"
You want to make sure that you will get to spend time working on assignments you will enjoy and find challenging. However, keep in mind that no one gets to start out at the top. There will be tasks you do not enjoy, but doing them well will ensure you are assigned more interesting work.

7. "What are the performance expectations of this position and what is the evaluation process?"
For many recent graduates a lack of feedback can be a real disappointment. In the working world your boss is unlikely to stop by your desk every day to tell you what a wonderful job you are doing. In fact, at some offices, the only time you may receive any feedback is during a midyear or end of the year review. Some companies do not even have performance reviews. This is a good question to ask so you know what to expect and you can decide if that type of process will work for you.