Researching a Company Before a Job Interview
Alice Tutunjian
The amount of work and effort a candidate places into job search these days can be overwhelming. If you land a face-to-face interview, then you have to work even harder to leave the potential employer with a great impression and come across as the ideal candidate for the position.
Do you want to be well-informed and come across as really prepared at a job interview?
Whether you are targeting a specific company or an industry, or both, do your research so that you can come across as intelligent, well-versed and knowledgeable, one more way of standing apart from other candidates.
By researching the company before the interview you will come across as a well-informed individual who cared enough to take the time to learn. Moreover, based on the information you acquired, you can then ask thoughtful and targeted questions during the interview.
If you need information on a specific business, consider the following:
- Review firm’s entire website including news, events, blogs, archived info, R&D, mission and vision, goals and financial information
- Read electronic brochures and statement of qualifications and similar documents
- Review stock and other financial information on Yahoo finance
- Go to Google News and type in firm’s name to read about the company in recent news articles
- Set up a Google News Alert on the company/industry so that news comes directly to your inbox
- Attend industry conferences, association meetings and tradeshows
- Review firm’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- Review firm’s reviews, salary, info., etc. on sites such as Glassdoor.com, Indeed.com or CareerBliss.com
- Find someone in your network (LinkedIn) who may be connected to an employee at the firm and ask for insider information such as company culture, benefits, interview tips
- Speak with industry leaders, vendors and suppliers
- If interviewing at a publicly traded firm, review their annual 10-K report which can be found on firm’s website under Investor Relations. This is an excellent report that provides financial information, competitive environment, management’s discussions, any pending legal issues, and other pertinent info.
- Read the local business journal and other industry publications
- Review on-line databases which you can access for free via local public or university library (Reference USA, Mergent, Hoovers, etc.)
If you need information on a specific industry, consider the following:
- Review information above as some of the items may apply
- Go to LinkedIn and search for Industry Groups
- Research industry on Google News, YouTube, etc.
- Research industry organizations and associations by conducting search; use databases at local library (Gale Directory) or ask for help at local public library
- Attend networking events with associations and organizations once you have determined which ones are the most important
- Review and read IBIS world Report. This report is available at many local university libraries and provides excellent industry information. Before you search for this report, you need to know the SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) and NAIC (North American Industry Classification) code numbers which can be found on the following websites:
Links to Good Reads on Conducting Company and Industry Research
7 Things to Research Before a Job Interview - GlassDoor
Glassdoor.com writer, Heather Huhaman discusses seven advantages of conducting research on employers. She emphasizes “Researching employers is one of the best ways to become a stand-out candidate during the hiring process. By putting on your detective hat and investigating potential employers, you’ll discover details about the employer that will better prepare you for any interview”…read more
How to Research a Company - The Ladders
Tess Parajon of Ladders makes an excellent point, “As a bonus, any research you do now into your prospective employer will pay dividends during the interview. You can always point to some piece of knowledge you uncovered, being careful to tie it into your skills and why you are the ideal candidate for the job”. Learn how you can ask intelligent questions based on your research…read more
Research a Company Before the Job Interview
So that you don’t use information you have gleamed from your research in an inappropriate way, Alina Dizik interviews Career expert Cynthia Shapiro who offers useful advice in this article…read more