Does Interview Preparedness Include Learning about the Organization?

Does interview preparedness include learning about the Organization?  Have you taken the time to research the company?  Do you know who is interviewing you?  What do you know about them?

There are definitely some things that you can do to prepare yourself before the interview.  One of the most important pieces of that preparation is to learn as much as you can about the company for which you are being interviewed.  What is important to them in their employees?  How do you match those traits?  How can you help them?

• Do some research.  Check out their website. What does their structure look like?  What are their priorities?
• Can you find out who some of their executives are and learn more about them? Are they on LinkedIn?  Can you make contact with anyone?  This can often be a very effective networking opportunity.
• Be ready to tell them why you are a good fit for their organization using information that you have learned.  If their website indicates that they are looking for well rounded individuals and not just technically sound employees, be prepared to highlight some of your outside activities, i.e. volunteer work, sporting associations, etc.
• Anticipate the questions they might ask based on that research and be able to discuss your past experiences.  For example, if during your research of the company you learn that they are looking for people who are team players, be prepared to talk about what makes you a good team player.  Have an example ready.  Simply stating that you are a team player isn’t enough.
• Have relevant questions ready to ask the interviewer that relate back to your research.  Show them that you took the time to learn about the company and want to know more.  Be careful that you don’t ask questions for which  you should already know the answer, like “what are the main duties of this job”.  If that information was on the job advertisement, then you should already know that.
• Research other companies in the same field to learn more about industry standards.  This will show that you have a more global understanding of the field.

A lot of this information can be learned through the job advertisement itself.  Often times, the company will list the types of qualifications for which  they are looking, i.e. self starter, good communicator, etc.  Those are good trigger words.  Be ready to discuss how you meet them.  If you’re not sure what to look for on the job advertisement, you might want to consider discussing how best to prepare with a certified professional career coach.

Bottom line is, you  must be prepared.  One of the most beneficial ways to show that you have taken the time to get ready for the interview, and that you take this opportunity very seriously, is to learn about them.  Be ready to tell them what you can do for them.

Do you know someone who is faced with this challenge?  Feel free to share this post by using the share links at the top of this page.  Also, if you’d like more interview tips, feel free to check out the career coaching resource page.