Preparation for an interview is crucial for your success as a job candidate. Not only must you be prepared to talk about your accomplishments and how you can help the company, you must also learn as much about the company, its mission, and culture as you can. Here are 5 ways to research a company and the people who will interview you:
1.Company website and company LinkedIn page. Learn as much as you can about the company purpose, history, issues and projects. Read the annual report to find out the highlights of the past year, the financials and other info the company wants you to know about. Review the section for investors to find out the score on where the company stands against its competitors.
2. Read reviews on Glass Door by former employees. Here you will find out info on salaries, benefits, people, and the company culture, and maybe, if you are lucky, some negatives they don’t want you to know about.
3. Research the interviewers on their personal LinkedIn pages. Learn about their education, past job history, connections, and interests. See if you have anything in common with the interviewer. This can be a good opener for conversation, just don’t spend a lot of time on it during the interview. Or, maybe you know someone who went to the same school or worked in the same company who knows them.
4. Read trade publications to get further insight. If you are staying in the same industry, you should already be reading your industry publications. If you are changing industries then you definitely must do the research. Every industry has a professional association with free information and more if you become a member. Go to the association homepage for the industry to learn even more
5. Talk to real people who work or have worked in the company. Do you know someone who works there? Talk to them before the interview. If not, do you know someone who can introduce you to someone at the company? Talk to them before the interview. If not, write directly to a hiring manager to get a 15-minute informational meeting. Nothing takes the place of talking to an insider.
(c) Copyright 2018 Amy Geffen All rights reserved