Each month, career coach Liz Bentley answers your candid job-related questions.

In an increasingly competitive world, standing out in an interview is becoming as difficult as everything else. I often hear from my clients and friends that they were not hired for a job that they thought was a perfect fit for them. The wake-up call we all face is that we must be more diligent today to get the same results we got yesterday. Whether you want a promotion at your current company or to knock on the door of a new one, you must work hard, work smart, and show that you can adapt to changing times. Asking thoughtful and provocative questions in an interview can be a game changer because it allows you to showcase these traits in real time.

It is wise to come prepared. The questions are your chance to learn about the company, the position, the team you will be working with, and the manager. Their answers will help you explore what you want and need from the job. Equally important, your questions will show potential supervisors and colleagues how your mind works. Here are three ways to be successful:

1. Do your homework.

Always start with Google. Research the company, the people, and the industry. That way you will know the latest news, trends, issues, and players. Your goal is to go in with a good understanding of the company's product, market, and how they brand and present themselves. Pay attention to what they emphasize about their products/services and where they have an advantage. This information can then be used to ask targeted questions about the opportunities and challenges facing the team and company, how the culture is driving success, or short- or long-term company plans that may change the nature of the job. If you can connect the questions to what you have learned about the company, you can demonstrate that you have done the work and have been prepared.

You should have specific questions for each person you meet. They should be relevant to the person's role, as long as you have the information beforehand. Also, knowing the person's background, such as their love of tennis, having children, attending boarding school, having a law degree, etc., will help you connect with them. A thorough search may reveal a person's background, education, bits and pieces of their personal life, and news articles in which they are featured or quoted. Take note of anything relevant or interesting and ask about it. For example, one time I met a new client and found out she was writing a book called "Look Better Naked," which made the interview questions much more interesting. Background research can also tell you what kind of people a company likes to hire. Often, companies tend to favor certain types of people based on their corporate culture.

When reviewing an industry, look for the latest trends. What are the hot topics, who are the obvious competitors, who is winning?" Get an overall picture of the industry and how it relates to you and the job you are seeking. Knowing this information will help you ask the more interesting "how" questions, e.g., how will this event affect the company, how might this technological advancement disrupt the industry, etc.

2. listen and adapt.

While it is really important to be prepared, the best interviewers and interviewees are able to change rapidly and adapt to the dialogue at hand. In other words, they are able to listen not only to the words, but to the meaning of what the person is saying. What are they passionate about, where are their interests?" Most interviewees make the mistake of being so focused on themselves and what they want to say next that they forget to really listen and be present. They listen to answer, not to understand. Don't make this mistake. Listen intently and elicit questions from the other person's content. They will be impressed by your ability to connect with them, will appreciate that you are not talking only about yourself, and will ask better questions.

This is especially important when speaking with potential managers and team members. Pick up directly on what they are talking about, such as traits needed for success, skills the team lacks that you can fill in, professional development opportunities, social aspects of the job, new initiatives and growth plans, etc. Engage in the discussion and allow your best questions to develop organically from there.

3. Ask personal questions.

Be prepared and be ready to improvise questions about the interviewer. To do this well, first diagnose what type of person you are interviewing. Are they extroverts (people who speak their mind) or introverts (people who think before they speak)? Externals (extroverts) are more willing to share, but they are also more likely to dominate the conversation, making it more difficult for you to control it. However, you will need to have some control over the conversation, so be sure to answer your own questions as reasonably well as you can. It will be harder to extract information from an introvert, but they will still appreciate that you are thinking about them. Possible questions include "How did you get hired?", "What do you enjoy most about working for this company?", "Have you held any other positions?"

The purpose of asking personal questions is to get to know the people you may be working with, understand the company culture, and get a good feel for what a career path in this organization might look like.

As a whole, think about the big picture and how these questions fit together. Remember to listen for meaning (rather than listening for a response) and be interested and engaged during the interview. Good luck.