You’ve secured an in-person interview with a company that is offering a position you can fill. That’s great! However, are you ready to ace that interview? Meeting someone in person and discussing the role and company can take
a lot of preparation. However, one thing many interviewees tend to skimp out on is doing research on both the job and, more importantly, the company that’s hiring. A good job interview comes with knowing as much about the employer as you can. That way, you can explain how you fit within its environment and culture. In fact, it’s very likely that you’ll be asked questions about the company. It’s therefore essential to look through as much information as you can on the business before you step into the office. Noteworthy among the available information is the company’s vision, mission and values. In addition, be careful to note the business model, challenges and opportunities within their market, their financial performance (if available), their competitors and their clients.
Looking at the face of it
The most important step in the company research process is finding out where to get the necessary information. CBS News suggests multiple approaches on this front. For example,
an organic search on Google or Bing should lead you to the company website as well as additional information from other sources. You can create list of links to look at in this manner. The first thing you should look at is the company website, of course. There, you will find out what the business is actually providing in terms of products and services to the consumer, as it serves as the face of the company on the Internet. You should be able to reconcile your role in the company in this manner.
Looking at a company’s website should give you ideas.
You may also want to look at the company’s corporate blogs. Many companies offer a blog that provides industry insights . More importantly, it gives you some clues as to what the company is like on the inside and how it functions as both an environment and a culture. From there, you can see how you relate to the company based on your own beliefs and ethics.
Being a socialite
“A company’s website serves as its face on the Internet.”
Along with looking at the basic website, you should see if the company has a LinkedIn profile, according to job search blog Job Hunt. The LinkedIn profile will show not only information on the company and job postings,
but it will also link to profiles of the people who work there. You should look to see if you have any connections to the company that you don’t already know of and perhaps contact them in the event that you do. You should be able to hold a discussion on some of the basics of the company.
At the same time, in the event that you know the names of your interviewers, you should also look at their LinkedIn profiles. During this time, you should be able to learn a little bit about them and use that to your advantage, such as where they went to school and who they’ve worked with in the past. You can build up questions based on their experiences at the company. By turning the interview into a conversation through what you research, you create a rapport that can help solidify your chances of securing the position.
