Do Your Homework

It is imperative that you are thoroughly prepared for your interview. Doing in-depth research beforehand will help you prepare better answers and impress the interviewer.

If you want to ace your job interview, then you must be prepared. If you do not take the time to do the necessary research, then it shows that you are not really interested in the job.

There are different things that you should find out about before you head to an interview.

1. Products, Services, and Clients

You should be able to discuss the company’s core products or services in detail. It would also be useful to know about the company’s main clients or target market.

You should spend at least a couple of hours finding out about the company’s products and services. If possible, try out the company’s products or services for yourself. You can sign up for a trial membership if the company provides an online service, or you can go to the store and check out a company’s product first-hand. Also, take some time to read reviews and blogs about the company’s products or talk to someone you know who uses the product so you can get an idea of the product or service’s strengths and weaknesses.

It would also be a good idea to think of some questions regarding the product or service to ask the interviewer. This way you can show off your knowledge and engage the interviewer in a meaningful conversation about the company.

You should have no trouble finding all the information you need on the company’s website, through a Google search, or by asking the people in your life.

2. News and Recent Events

It is important that you are up to date with the most recent events involving the company or the industry. If the interviewer asks you about an important event in the industry, and you have no idea what the interviewer is talking about, then your chances of landing the job are not great.

It is important that you are well-prepared. The more you know, the better. So, do not just read the headlines. You should be able to talk about the issues or events in detail, or you should have specific questions prepared for the interviewer regarding the news or events.

A great place to find this kind of information would be on the company’s website in the “Press Release” section. You can also check the company’s social media or do a Google search to find relevant information.

3. The Company’s Core Values, Mission, and Culture

It is important for a person to not only have the right skills and experience but also to be the right fit for a company’s culture.

By knowing a company’s core values and culture, you can prepare answers that make you seem like a better fit for the company. For example, if the company has an open and creative company culture, then you should prepare answers to show that you are creative and able to work independently.

The best place to find this information is on the company’s website or through blogs and reviews of people who have worked at the company. If possible, talk to someone who knows the company well.

4. The Skills and Experience the Company Values

You should read the job posting carefully or talk to people who work at the company to find out what skills and experience are highly valued at the company.

If you know this, then you can prepare answers or stories for your interview that highlight these things.

For example, if the company values results, then you can mention times in your career when you were successful and produced great results. Or if the company values teamwork, then you can give some examples of how you positively contributed to a team or how you work well with other people.

Read the company’s job posting carefully and pay attention to the skills and experience that they mention. Are there any skills or experience that they mention more than once? Anything that they seem to emphasize?

5. Key Players in the Company

You should be aware of the important people within the organization. Do some basic research on the people who hold the top positions or the people that you will meet during your interview.

Imagine how embarrassing it would be if the interviewer mentioned the CFO by name when discussing some recent news about the company, but you had no idea who the interviewer was talking about. This would not give a good impression. On the flip side, imagine how impressive it would be to the interviewer if you mentioned the CFO by name while discussing an action that the company took recently.

You can usually find this kind of information on the company’s website or by digging deeperonline. Remember that you do not need to know everything about these people but having general knowledge of the company’s leadership is a good thing.