So, you’ve secured an interview for your dream job. What next?
Spend some time rehearsing answers to potential questions – preparation help is on hand here and this post may help with some of the questions you might get asked – and craft a few questions of your own. In order to do that, you need to do some research about the company. It’s one thing thinking that the job sounds perfect for you and liking the look of the company, however, the difference between a poor candidate and a good one is proving you have an affinity with the company and what it does. Everyone knows that right? That’s why candidates attempt to demonstrate a passion for the industry.
So what do you need to do to make sure you stand out from the rest? A great candidate will think about how they personally will make a difference to the business and come up with a heart felt, honest, answer to the question ‘Why do you want this job?’.
It isn’t sufficient in this day and age to do a quick Google search and pretend you know it all. Spend some time thinking about the following and writing down your research:
What do they do? This may sound obvious but without really understanding what a company does, you cannot begin to understand the space that they are in and what they are about.
What space are they in? Go into a bit more detail and learn about their market and their competitors – industry news sites, competitors sites and blogs can all help you understand the market.
What have they achieved? You can often find out from company websites or social media whether a company has achieved awards in their industry or perhaps they have signed up a particularly high profile customer or gained key funding.
What stage are they at? Well established or are they an infant business? Understanding what stage the business is at and therefore what skills and mindsets need bringing to the party is crucial in understanding where you may fit in.
Who works there or has worked there? This can help you get a good feel for the sort of people who manage the company and who they employ. A search on LinkedIn can often help with this kind of information.
How can you help with their goals? So you’ve taken the time to understand their market, now think about you might be able to contribute to helping the company achieve its goals and how you would fit into their organisation.
Doing your homework before an interview is what counts. It will stand you in good stead for answering some of the questions that could be thrown at you and will give you the confidence to ask some of your own.
