6 things you must know before you interview anywhere

Doing research on the company you’re interviewing with is key for many reasons. Not only will it make for a better interview, but it will also show potential employers that you’re someone who prepares for things.

On the other hand, if you go in planning to ‘wing it’ and ask questions that could easily be answered by a quick perusal of the employer’s website, your lack of preparedness will convey a lack of interest in the job and the company. No employer wants a candidate who seems disinterested.

Here are a few things that you should research before walking into your next interview:

1. The company culture

Companies don’t just recruit people to do jobs. They recruit people who fit within their organisations and their cultures and are also capable of doing the job. So it’s very important to do research on the company’s culture and mission. You’ll want to be sure you can identify with those things and really see yourself fitting in.

2. The context in which the company lives

Companies don’t exist in a vacuum. They exist in generally competitive marketplaces and work every day to achieve more and more market share within their industries. It’s critical to come prepared with a solid understanding of where the company fits within the current market and who its biggest competitors are so you can show that you not only are capable of doing the job, but also understand the company’s overall position.

3. The bigger picture

When you understand the company’s place in the market, you’ll be able to better explain how you can help the company achieve its goals – which is ultimately why the company is looking to recruit someone in the first place.

When a company recruit someone, they’re making an investment. You have to be able to show that you’re worth that investment and can offer good returns. The only way to do that is to show you understand the bigger picture – i.e., the company’s goals and mission.

4. Your Audience

It’s just as important to research your interviewers as it is to research the company itself. Look at the interviewer’s LinkedIn profile and educate yourself on their background. If you can also learn some things about the other members of the team – even if you aren’t scheduled to meet with them just yet – go for it. You’ll learn valuable things about the backgrounds of the people who get recruited within the department. You may see a pattern.

5. The product

If you’re interviewing with a product-driven company, you should know the ins and outs of how that product works (within reason). You should also know how the product was received by consumers and how it’s doing in comparison to its competitors. If you don’t know this info in basic terms, you really shouldn’t be interviewing for the job.

Product-based companies often ask candidates how they see the product in the marketplace and what they think the company is doing right or wrong vis-a-vis the competition. Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. Would you recruit someone who couldn’t answer that question?

Your answer doesn’t have to be 100 percent correct, but it has to show you’ve spent considerable time thinking about it.

6. Bin the script

Finally, it should be noted that memorisation is a dangerous path when it comes to job interviews. You want to come across as naturally as possible. The interview should feel like a real conversation, not like you’re firing off rehearsed responses.

Of course, you should know why you want to work for the company overall. You should also be well-versed in what the job entails. You should do your research diligently. But once you’re in the room, you need to do what actors do on stage: Trust in your preparation and react naturally in the moment.

Have a great week all!