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Preparing for Job Interviews
How to Find out about the Company
Original article "Preparing for Job Interviews" by the authors of best-job-interview.com
Summary:
Proper preparation for job interviews is the crucial difference between interview success and failure.
A prospective employer wants to know if you have spent sufficient time finding out about the company before the interview.
This indicates your commitment and interest in the job and employer.
You can use the information you find out to prepare good answers to common job interview questions.
Preparing for job interviews - company research
Doing a quick internet search on the prospective employer is a start but the successful job candidate needs to go beyond that.
The questions you ask in the interview and the way you respond to the interview questions you are asked will reflect the depth of your knowledge of the organization, the industry and the job.
1. The company website
The obvious starting point is the company website. Use the website to find out the following:
- a brief history of the organization
- organizational structure, subsidiaries, branches, holding company
- major competitors
- all products and services
- company culture including mission and vision
- most recent news and happenings (read through the latest media releases and visit the company's Facebook page)
2. Other online resources
- Corporateinformation.com provides information on both US and international companies including company profiles, earnings details and analyst reports.
- Business.com provides news and research for a large number of public and private companies in a variety of industries.
- Searchsystems.net is a Public Records Directory that provides free information on a private company
3. Get the latest news reports
- www.newspaperlinks.com provides links to online newspapers throughout the world. Search for your local newspaper and research back articles on the company.
- Google News also provides company news and updates.
- Bizjournals.com provides access to over 40 business journals where you can search for periodical articles that provide valuable information on the organization.
Preparing for job interviews includes updating yourself on the industry in which the company operates.
4. Industry information
Find out the the current industry trends, the leading companies in the industry and new developments in the industry.
- www.corporateinformation.com provides links to resources for over 30 industrial sectors.
- finance.yahoo.com is also a valuable source of industry news.
5. Social media
Search
for company information and news on social media and networking sites
including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Use your information to tailor your interview answers to be as relevant to the company as possible. Highlight areas that you can add value to. Ask insightful questions that demonstrate your hard work in preparing for the interview.
Have you got everything you need for the job interview? Go to the comprehensive and practical interview checklist to make sure you are properly prepared.
Tips for Interview Preparation
