What you Need to Know
When Preparing for Interviews

Preparing for interviews is key to your success as a job seeker. Start with conducting good background research on the company. Know the company information you need and how to use it to get the job you want.

Company Research Checklist - what you need to know and how to use it in preparing for interviews

• Company size - in terms of employees, locations and assets. This will help determine criteria such as your growth prospects at the company, promotion possibilities and company stability.


• Length of time the company has been established - this helps establish company reputation and possible job security.


• Company's products and services - prepare interview answers that are relevant to the company requirements. Interviewers often ask the question, “What do you know about this company?” If you don’t have a good and effective response, something more comprehensive than, "I know you are an excellent company,” you will come across as unprepared and uninformed. Provide a detailed answer that shows you have done your homework and impress the interviewer.
  

  Typically you will be asked the interview question "Why do you want to work for this company?" Vague and general responses such as "Because you are a market leader" are inadequate. Interviewers want to know specifically why you want to work for their company. Answer intelligently and confidently by highlighting why the company's products and services interest you and how you can contribute to them. Find out more about Answering Interview Questions that explore your understanding and knowledge of the company.



• Target market, market share and main competitors - when preparing for interviews you need to know the role the company plays in the marketplace. Develop some powerful questions around this information to ask at the interview. For example, "I noted on the website that the company is currently enjoying a 12 percent market share. Where do you see this company in a year's time?"


• Company mission, vision and value statements - how does this organization view itself? When preparing for interviews you can use this information to customize your interview answers about why you are a suitable candidate and why you want to work for the company. Demonstrate a fit with the company culture. View Free Interview Questions and Answers to the question "What interests you most about this job?"


• Current special projects, new developments and events - go to the News or What's New buttons to research this information. Are there any new areas or projects which you can specifically contribute to? A typical interview question is "How can you contribute to our company?". Use your research to demonstrate how you can add value to the company.


• Strategic goals and plans - align your interview answers to questions such as "What will you bring to this organization?" to meet the strategic needs of the organization. When preparing for interviews, use this information to prepare some insightful questions to ask such as "I read on the company website that your company is planning to move into new markets this year. How will the successful candidate contribute to this plan?" Find out what are the main challenges facing the company and demonstrate how you can help in meeting these challenges? Select appropriate questions from this list of good Questions to Ask the Interviewer. Show you have done your homework.

• Financial status -awareness of the financial position of a company is important when you come to deciding on the job offer. Knowing in which direction the company is going is key to your decision


• Organizational structure - this helps you to see where the position you are interviewing for fits in. It also indicates any possible career paths and advancement opportunities.


• Community involvement - what social responsibility does the company demonstrate? How do your interests align with the company's community involvement projects? Refer to this when asked why you want to work for the company.


• Industry information - what are the current industry issues that impact on the company? How do they influence the position you are interviewing for? Prepare a question around this to ask in the interview.


• Any information on the person interviewing you - get the full name and job title and any biographical information. What is the interviewer's role within the company? This information can be used to develop a rapport-building opener such as, "Congratulations, I read that you received a promotion last month"


• Website layout - view the site as a whole. What clues does the site design give you about the company culture? Are they conservative, traditional or funky, creative and relaxed. The website often reflects the company's self image, however don't only rely on your site impressions.

Show your professionalism and commitment. Refer to your research in your job interview. Take notes with you, keep them in your portfolio along with your prepared Job Interview Question list. Review them before your interview and feel confident that you are well informed about the company. Preparing for interviews in this way gives you the competitive edge and makes you a winner.

Your preparation and research will help you to respond to Typical Interview Questions with relevant and well-considered answers.

Useful free resources available online to help you with Preparing for Job Interviews.

Conducting background research can also help you prepare Informational Interview Questions

Return to Preparing for a Job Interview homepage

Time spent doing some research before you attend your interview is time wisely spent. Use these guidelines to get the background details you need when preparing for interviews.

Return from Preparing for Interviews to Best Job Interview