What Should You Research Before An Interview?

By 2nd City Resourcing

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Company research is about getting to know the organisation better and understanding their core values.

What you Should Know

Preparing for your interview should involve extensive research into the company and job you have applied for. It is not a case of just a quick Google and a brief browse over the company website. Company research is about getting to know the organisation better and understanding their core values. This means you can adpat your interview examples and answers to highlight your skills and attributes that match those desired by the business. It will also give you an idea of how well you’ll fit into the company’s culture.

Your research should cover the following areas;

  • The products/services they offer
  • Recent news about the company
  • Industry news and hot topics
  • The direction the company is going in
  • Who their main competitors are
  • What sort of a reputation they have  
  • The company culture and core values

Where to Look

Your network is a good place to start your research; use LinkedIn to see if anyone in your network is connected to the company in question; they can provide an accurate insight into what the company is like to work for. To get a feel for the company’s reputation and how they’re perceived by customers, take a look at what is being said online; search for reviews and testimonials and have a look at any social media accounts. Social media can also be great for getting up to date with the latest news and hot topics of the industry, join in conversations on LinkedIn and follow hashtags on twitter related to the latest trends of the industry.

Apply your Knowledge

With your research completed it is now essential you put this to good use. From your research think about ways you can improve the company relating to the position you have applied to. Have you found any gaps in their product offering, can you offer solutions to their problems? Be careful not to get carried away; the interview is not a time to question the company about procedures or any bad press they may have had, it is about displaying your understanding of the company showing that you’re serious and committed to working within their business.

Know the Role

Review the job description; understand the purpose of the job and why the company are recruiting this position. This can highlight areas of the role you may have reservations about and provide you with some informative questions to be asked at the end of the interview.

Know your Interviewer

During your research, you should also take the time to find out about your interviewer and get an overview of their background. Getting a heads up on your interviewer can help you relax, alleviating the uncertainty of meeting someone completely new for the first time and start your interview from a positive position.

 

You can’t research a company too much but be careful not to get over zealous about your findings and end up just showcasing your knowledge of the company. Apply your knowledge and come up with informative questions, showing you have a good understanding about the company and position you’ve applied for.

  

2nd City Resourcing purely recruits marketing, digital and communications professionals. We talk with marketers all day, every day. We get it and we get awards for it.

 

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