Research the Company

So you got the phone call. They can fit you for an interview at 2:30 on Tuesday between two other candidates. What is going to set you apart from the others? One sure thing is your interest in their company. You may have sent out thirty resumes to post office boxes with out any idea until the call came in of who they are. The key is to find out.

First of all, keep a paper and pencil handy so that when that call comes in you can write down all of the information, not just address and time, while you are on the phone. These are the clues you will need to find out more. Ask the person you are speaking with to repeat their name if you did not get it the first time and find out if you are interviewing with them or someone else. Now the research begins.

Learn about the company. Most companies have websites, so that is the first place to go to. Look and see what the corporate structure is, how long they have been in business, and try to get an idea of their business philosophy. See if you can place the names that you got in the phone call so that you know if you are interviewing with a department head or the Senior VP of Accounting. If it is for a tech position in the IT department, note the structure of the site and how it is running. Check out the company press releases to get an idea of any recent changes or big announcements, such as just going public. If you understand before going in how large (or small) the company is or how fast it is growing (or shrinking), you will gain an edge in the salary negotiation.

If the interview is with a large corporation, look on the internet or in local newspaper archives for any media reports. Is this company known for being a great place to work with great employee benefits or not? This will let you know just how strong the competition may be to land that job. It will also let you know if you might be willing to accept a lower starting salary or not. The flip side is to find out if the company has had legal or financial problems recently and how severe they might be. Remember, last in first out is usually the way it goes when layoffs occur.

Learn about the industry. If you are in accounting, human resources, or IT, for example, this is probably a different industry than you have worked for in the past. Although experience of the industry may not be required, doing your homework and getting up to speed should be done before the interview. This way you can speak intelligently about aspects of your field that may benefit their business. Also, you have shown a willingness and ability to apply your knowledge to their industry. It helps if you know the lingo a little bit. Be careful, however, that you are sure about what you are saying before opening your mouth. It could be very embarrassing start a conversation about industry trends and have statistics from 20 years ago.

Finally, know your interviewer. Make sure to learn titles, departments, and names of the people you are speaking with. If the name is difficult, find the correct pronunciation. You do not want to butcher your prospective employer’s name repeatedly throughout the interview. Again, go to the company website and see if there is some biographical information on your interviewer or prospective department head. See if there is anything that you may have in common with them such as fraternity/sorority associations, sports, churches, colleges, or birthplaces. These types of things will help them remember you out of all of those other applicants.

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