Your CV has ticked all the boxes, and you’ve been offered an interview. The recruitment agent who has been dealing with the position tells you: “Make sure to research the company!” But what does that mean? Where do you go from here? What’s the best way to prepare for a job interview?
Browse the company website
There are three main points that are useful to look for:
1 ) What the core business of the company is (whether that’s the job you’ll be doing or not!)
Even when you’ll just be doing the payroll or administration, if you know what the rest of the business is all about it demonstrates your enthusiasm for the role.
2) The company’s values, history and ethos
These can tell you a lot about the culture of the company. Being able to demonstrate how you can fit in with these values will help you tick that important box for the interviewer of whether or not you will integrate well into the existing team.
3) Recent press releases about the current projects the company is working on
If there’s any previous experience or interest you have that overlaps with a current project, bringing it up in your interview can give you the edge over other applicants. You could be showing valuable experience that the interviewer might not have thought to be looking for.
Get social
Use social media to connect with the company. Like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter and Linked In. If you know your interviewers’ names, you can look them up on Linked In too. You don’t need to connect with them, but they’ll see you’ve been on their profile: it shows you’ve been doing your homework!
Make sure your profile is up to date and professional too. They’ll be looking you up as well, so you want to be making a good impression.
Use your connections
If the job is with a large local employer, you’ll probably know someone who has worked for (or at least interviewed with) the company: they should be able to tell you about what to expect, and who you’ll be speaking with. When you’ve been referred by an agency, ask them! They will probably have dealt with the business before and can let you know how long you should expect an interview to last, what sorts of questions they’re likely to ask you, as well as answering any other queries you might have.
Interviews are often all about attitude. And knowing that you’re the most prepared applicant is the best way to boost your confidence and the interview will be a breeze. Of course, doing the job is another matter entirely…
