Researching Companies before Job Interviews
1 of 10 in Series: The Essentials of Preparing for a Job Interview
Information is everything — and everywhere. Many job seekers have become nonchalant about researching a company before a job interview. An indifferent attitude toward pre-interview research may not devalue your candidacy during a screening interview (especially when a recruiter makes the initial contact), but it will badly bite you at an in-person selection interview.
Here’s why you need to research a company before you interview with them:
You’ll have the facts to demonstrate a convincing fit between your qualifications and the job’s requirements.
You can give brilliant answers when asked, “What do you know about our company?”
You’re better prepared to absorb and evaluate new facts the interviewer adds during the interview.
Getting a ton of free information on most public — and some private — companies is as fast and as easy as “click here.” In just an hour or two, you can lay your eyes on:
Annual reports
Financial data
News releases
Information about products and services
Industry trends
Competitor information
You may also be able to find out about:
Employee views on a company
Pending mergers and acquisitions
Pending layoffs
Shifts in management personnel
Corporate culture
Wall Street’s outlook for the company
If you discover that the company you're researching is dealing with financial or legal problems or dumping employees, take a pass on the interview. But when you discover no impending corporate collapse or toxic bosses running the show, and you want the job, research is a tiebreaker in a tight race with another candidate.
