Landing an interview for a job position you really want can be both very exciting and very stressful. There’s a chance you may get the job, but there’s also a chance you may lose the opportunity as well. So, how do you really prepare for such an interview?
Do your research
The first thing you should do is take some time to research the company. Whether it’s a corporation, a nonprofit, or even a small business, you should know the company really well going into the interview. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can go about doing this.
Start by checking out the organization’s website. If they’re a smaller business, then they may not have one, but check around and see if you can find it. Take time to read over their “about us” page, or mission statements and see what they present publicly as their organization’s goals. Knowing what services the company wants to provide for people is essential when going into an interview.
Also check out their employee pages, if they have them, then you can easily read about the people you could be working for. Familiarize yourself with the people before going in, so that you can be more comfortable when you meet them in person.
What’s on their social media page?
Next, you’ll want to take a look at their social media page (i.e. Facebook). What do you see? What topics are they posting about and what do they want the public to know about their organization?
This information you find from their posts can help you create a mental picture of what the company stands for and what they try to shape their public reputation as.
Read the organization reviews
Once you have gathered that information, start looking up the organization on sites like Glassdoor.com or Business Insights: Essentials. Look at their company description from an outside point of view. Any information you collect, or learn should be used to your advantage in an interview when asked what you know about the company. This will allow you to align yourself fully with the given organization.
Another important aspect of the company you should investigate is their customer feedback page. Most companies sell something, whether it be a product or service, so naturally they will have a part of their website dedicated to client’s giving feedback on the things they sell. Take this opportunity to look into their reviews online and see what people think of the company itself.
Remember: Most disgruntled clients will voice their concerns before a satisfied customer does, but read into what people say. However, if there is a repetitive complaint people are having with the company, make a note of it.
Maybe you can come up with an idea of how to help with it and mention your idea in the interview? Maybe you could even ask about it at the end to see how they are handling the situation?
Check out employee comments
Finally, take a few minutes to see what their previous and current employees say about the work environment as well. If they represent the environment you’ll be potentially be working in, then you would want to know what you’re getting into prior to starting the job.
Previous employee’s opinions might be skewed, depending on how they left the company, but knowing about their experiences can help you shape your own.
By showing all of this information in your interview, you showcase to the employer that you have not only taken the time to look into the organization, but that you did so thoroughly. This will depict the level of interest you have in the organization and make you more prepared for the interview than just rehearsing answers to general questions.