As somebody who has interviewed thousands of candidates I can tell you that it is very sad to meet a candidate who is smart and friendly but also, sadly unprepared for the interview.
When you ask a candidate, "What do you know about our company so far?" and their answer is, "Not too much, to be honest just what's in the job ad!" it's a sad moment.
How can the candidate recover from that unfortunate start? They've already sent the message that they don't care very much about the opportunity.
If the job is the kind of entry-level job people often take at the very start of their career, that's one thing. A teenager doesn't need to know the intricacies of Target's corporate structure in order to a great job as a Target cart attendant.
It's different when you're interviewing for a so-called Staff Professional role or any Knowledge Worker job. You have to do your research before the interview.
Your research not only equips you with information that will help you create the connection you want to make at the job interview (if it turns out that you like and respect the people you meet, and the job sounds interesting to you), although that is one benefit.
The other important reason to do your research before a job interview is to help you compose questions about the job.
There are certain things the employer needs to know about before they will hire you. There are certain things you need to know about the role and your prospective next boss, too before you'll know whether or not you want the job.
You should plan on at least two hours of preparation time before an interview.
If that sounds like a lot, think about how many brain and heart cells you will invest in the job if you take it!
You need to know as much as possible about the people you're thinking about working with -- before the interview begins.
Here are ten things you must bring with you to every job interview.
1. Extra copies of your resume.
2. A pad-folio with a notebook tucked inside it.
3. A good pen.
4. Printed directions to the interview location (in case you lose your connection).
5. Your questions for the interviewer, written out on your notepad.
6. Answers to ten questions about the organization (you'll learn these answers through your pre-interview research project):
- What does the company do?
- Who are its customers, and who are its chief competitors?
- How large is the firm?
- How old is it?
- Where does the company have locations?
- What is the job title for this job (from the job ad)?
- How do you think this job fits into the organization's overall goals? (You'll check this out with your interviewer.)
- Who owns the company? Is it publicly traded, or privately owned?
- What have you learned about the company by checking Glassdoor?
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