How to Prepare for a Job Interview

After interviewing hundreds of people over the years, I’m still shocked at how few people come prepared for an interview. While you need to be prepared to answer basic questions (“where do you want to be in 5 years”?) it is equally important to do research on the company itself and most important to research the person(s) who will be interviewing you

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• internet connection

1. Learn as much as you can about WHO you are meeting with and what role they play in the company. Face it, people often enjoy talking about themselves….so flatter them by knowing about them.

2. Google the name of the person who will interview you. Many executives today have spoken at conferences, were quoted in press releases, or industry papers, all of which can show up in a simple Google search. You can often learn where they went to college, their view on industry trends, companies they worked for prior to their current role, and maybe some personal information on a personal blog.

3. Read all the press releases from the company in the past few years. Look on the company’s site for the “About Us” section which often has a link to “Press Releases”. Companies issue press releases to educate the public markets and potential partners about the most important issues.

4. If it is a publicly traded company, one of the best ways to learn about the state of the business is to listen to the quarterly calls with the financial community. These archived audio files can be found at the Investor Relations section of their website. This will also allow you to learn the language/vocabulary the company’s executives user when talking about their business. If you can come prepared to the interview and speak the same language” you will stand out from the crowd.

5. Repeat steps #3 and #4 for the companies top 2-3 competitors. By doing this, you will learn about the strengths and weaknesses of your future company.

6. Try/Buy/Use the company's and competitive products in the days running up to the interview. Be prepared to share a story about what you liked and disliked about your experiences and provide ideas and insights on how you could help improve their position in the marketplace

7. On the morning of the interview, check the company website again for any new press releases or any mentions in the press. You'll be amazed how well your interviewer will react if you are fully up to speed on him/her, the company, the competition, and the industry.

Tips & Warnings

• Print out copies of all the press releases and other relevant information you discover online and bring them with you to the interview in a folder.
• The hiring manager is looking to hire someone to help them solve a problem -- your research will help you know what problems they have. Make sure you describe how YOU will help solve their problems.

[paigeturner]

on 6/2/2009 Excellent article! I especially liked #4 and #5. Its not as typical for people to research the competitors of the company they are interviewing with. Thanks for sharing.