Researching The Company

It is just as important to research the company you are interviewing for in detail as well as the position you are interviewing for with them

This may seem obvious and I think this may be listed on almost every job tip list, but it is still worthy of some mention because as important as this is – and it is up there on the important list - there are many, many so-called “smart” people that do not properly prepare in this regard.

Why? Why would you not take at least, say, 30 minutes to research the company from at least a helicopter point-of-view so you can assess their relative quality to their competition? More importantly for you is the question: Is this a quality company that I will be happy to work for and that will continue to accelerate my professional trajectory and career path in a healthy growth arc?

You need to be able to answer this last question so do not be lazy. There is just too much on the line for that right now.

Company Quality and Position Quality

Company X may have written the perfect job description to pique your interest and the initial phone screen with the recruiter or HR person may have seemed to give you every indication that this is a great opportunity worth pursuing, but if the company is not a good fit for you, it is more than likely that you are going to want to back away from the opportunity.

Again, it would almost seem that these things “should go without saying.” And I agree that they should. I am saying them again here to drive home the point that as obvious as this seems, there are far too many job candidates that end up wasting everyone’s time – most importantly their own - by not properly dedicating some research time to the company they are interviewing for.

Questions for Your Interview

By properly researching the company you are considering and thoroughly reviewing the job description in detail, you put yourself in a position to begin the process of comprehensively assessing the overall value or worth of the company and role. There is more to do within the interview process, but these are basics that you will want to spend some time on in the front of the process.

So, by the time you move to an onsite or video interview, you will want to thoroughly research the company you are interviewing with and the hiring manager on LinkedIn if possible. Information is power so arm yourself to the greatest degree possible.

Now, put a list of 10 questions together that you have around the open role and the company you are interviewing with. You can pare down your list from 10 to, say, 5 or 6 questions but the process will be illuminating for you.

More importantly, it will also facilitate a very positive and productive interview for you and the hiring manager, which is what both parties ultimately need.

More thoughts on interview questions to prepare within the next blog.