Before your interview, there’s plenty to prepare for. What professional outfit will you wear? Do you have your CV printed out and ready to discuss? Will you arrive early enough so you’re not rushing or flustered? Do you know who you’ll be meeting with?
There’s plenty you can do to prepare for a job interview, but doing your research on the company before you arrive will help you respond to the interviewer’s questions with an expertise not everybody else will have. You wouldn’t want to be caught off guard when the interviewer starts asking questions after all.
Also note that the preparation you do for a job interview will aid you even after you’ve secured the job. In reality, many jobseekers apply for a job without researching the company, only to be surprised by what they’ll actually be doing in that role when they get hired.
Avoid the surprise, and research these top things to know about a company before going in for an interview. You’ll feel ready for the job and be able to communicate it to your interviewers.
Who They Are and What They Do
This may seem like an obvious step — after all, what else do you expect to talk about with the hiring manager? But what may not be so obvious is what to research or read about.
Start with the company’s website — their “About Us” section will often detail the company’s history, founding year and senior leadership. It will also clarify the organisation’s goals, company culture, and any recent acquisitions. You can read about their products, major sales or company figures as well. This is one of the best resources to research first because it spells out exactly what the company wants you to know.
From there, you can search for the organisation on social media or business news websites. Reading outside sources about the company will give you a more well-rounded view of who they are and whether you’re a good fit for their organisation.
Who the Company’s Competitors Are, and How the Company Differentiates Itself from Them
This is an extension of the previous point. No company exists in a vacuum – there’s always some form of competition that exists somewhere, and it’d be myopic if you fail to acknowledge this.
Find out how the company you’re interviewing for tries to set itself apart. Whether it’s by offering unique products and services or providing better customer experience, there’s always some way an organisation would be trying to distinguish itself.
Chances are that you’ve also looked into other companies within the same field, so dig deeper and study up on the competition. Your knowledge of how a company does things differently is a great point to emphasise during your interview, particularly if the interviewer asks you what attracted you to the company.
Here’s an example of an answer you can provide: “I’ve noticed that other companies don’t have sustainable business practices in the way that your company does. As someone who believes strongly in environmental conservation, I thought that this would be an organisation that I could really get on board with.” Providing such an answer would show that you’ve thought about your decision to apply for a job at the company, and also demonstrate how you would fit in within the context of the business.
What Your Role Would Be within the Company
If you work in sales, for instance, you might assume most companies are pretty similar in how they do business. But read the job description of the company before you apply to make sure you understand what comes along with the role. What if this organisation has different standards for how its sales teams operate and earn?
Also write down any questions you have as you’re researching. You might still be a good fit even if the role sounds different than what you had in mind. However, you’ll need to actually verbalise your concerns – ask the interviewer about your qualifications and how he or she sees this role functioning both in the short and long term. By asking these important questions, you will be able to get a better picture of how it would look to work there.
Product and Industry Background Information
If the company you’re interviewing for has spent the last two years transitioning its brand, or has launched a new product that is the star of its line-up, you should know about it. Not only will you win major points with the interviewer, but you’ll be able to speak more intelligently about the way you see yourself fitting in with the company.
In addition, find ways to connect these company focuses with your own experience. If you regularly use their brand, what are the benefits you see in their products? What strengths does the company have that affect your daily life? Or you can go broader and speak about how any clubs or volunteer work you’ve done have related to the goals of the organisation. If you’ve tutored students and taught coding for the past several years, for instance, bringing up that experience and how it’s affected your outlook on the tech industry’s future can majorly impress your interviewer.
Preparing for an interview can be stressful. Yet, if you focus on the most important areas to research, you’ll ensure that you are ready to go into your interview and get the job.