Prepping for a job interview? By now we all (hopefully) know it’s important to arrive equipped with knowledge about the company for which you’re interviewing. If that’s news to you, consider this article your crash course!
It can be tough to narrow down which details are most important to note during your research. Not to worry – here are five aspects of the company to research for your next interview and where to start looking for the information:
- The basics. Starting with the low hanging fruit, make sure you know the company’s preliminary information. What product(s) and/or service(s) do they offer? Who are their customers? To learn these things, a great place to start is the company’s website. Read the About page and check if they have a tab for Products and/or Services as well. If they provide client testimonials on their website, these can provide additional insight about what they offer and who their satisfied customers are.
- Company history. In what year was the company founded? Who founded the company, and is the founder still involved? This information might be located on the company’s website as well. Check the About page and the “Meet the Team”-type page. If the company’s founder still plays an active role in operations, they will most likely be listed here. Has the company gone through any major rebrandings or transformations over the years? Do some web searching to see if there are any news articles or press releases about the company’s past and present.
- Mission statement & core values. What is the company’s mission statement? What does the company value and prioritize in its business practices? Some companies will list this information right on their About page. The company’s social media presence, if applicable, may also shed some light on their core values and business priorities. For example, a beverage company that values using real ingredients will likely promote those ingredients in their social media content and marketing campaigns.
- Competition & unique identifiers. Who are the company’s competitors? To research this, start by running some basic internet searches about that product or service on a local, national, or international scale depending on the size of the company. What sets them apart from their competitors? What makes their product or service unique? Social media can be helpful here as well. Check and see what elements of their business they post about and promote. For example, a clothing company that sources only sustainable materials for their apparel will most certainly share that unique information online. If you’re unable to locate any ways in which the company is different from their competitors, that could be a great question to ask during your interview!
- Company culture. Once you’ve covered the business aspects of the company, it’s also beneficial to see if you can identify any elements of the company’s culture or office atmosphere. Social media can be very helpful here as well. What’s the tone of the company’s online presence? Are they fun and humorous in their communications, or do they keep things a bit more serious and professionally focused? Do they have any social media posts about events in the office, company team building, or other items of that nature?
All these details can be a lot to remember, but being well-informed about the company can help you shine during your interview. When you’re knowledgeable about the company, you can speak about the ways in which your personality and work ethic would complement the brand and its core values. Let the research begin!