How to Read Up on a Company Before a Job Interview
You worked hard to get the interview. Before you land the job you have to research the company, review industry trends and anticipate those tough interview questions. The more you prepare, the greater your chances of blowing away the competition. Going beyond basic research is a great way to show creative problem solving skills and resourcefulness.
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Instructions
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Look up the official website for the company. Observe the tone and notice what age and socioeconomic group the site appeals to most. Look for clues as to the corporate climate and make note of any business partners linked to the site. Pay careful attention to keywords, or words that are repeated throughout the site, and try to use them during the interview.
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Check up on the company stock. Track industry wide trends and be sure to make note of how the competition is doing financially. Keep an eye out for sharp drops in the price of the stock or rapid growth.
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Read up on the products and services offered by the company. Test out the products in local stores before the interview and read up about services in newspapers and trade publications. Your local library is a great resource for archived information.
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Read up on the specifics of your position. Find newspaper articles about people with the same job title, and make note of their daily tasks. Brainstorm ways to expand your responsibilities at your new job.
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Contact friends or acquaintances that work for the company and pick their brains. Ask for inside information about the corporate climate, the staff and special policies. Find out if you have hobbies or shared interests with the interviewer, and try to work them into the interview.
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Read up on key financial information, get the names of top executives and review the company profile online at Hoovers.com (see Resources below). Keep in mind that Hoovers offers basic overviews for free, but you'll have to subscribe or buy a Hoover Report for detailed information.
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Use Bizjournals.com to read news articles sorted by company or by industry (see Resources below).
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Tips & Warnings
In addition to facts and figures, be prepared to answer personal questions, such as your career goals, your strengths and weaknesses and your potential contribution to the company.
If you unearth unsavory or unethical information about a company during the course of your research, remember that you don't have to take the job.
