You’ve got a job interview… congrats!!!!
It’s a great company, a better salary and you’ll be in line for a promotion within 12 months – in short you want to smash your interview and get that job!
You’re making sure you’re prepared, booked the morning off from work, planned what train you’re getting, spent extra time on your hair, and picked your most impressive ‘smart casual workwear’. But, have you done the most important thing…. RESEARCHED THE COMPANY YOU’RE INTERVIEWING WITH?
Spoiler alert, this does not mean a quick look at their website on your journey to the interview!
As we’re entering a more competitive job market, it’s almost a guarantee that the best researched and presented person will get the job. With this in mind, we have put together some handy hints on what to research and what resources you can use:
LinkedIn
Make sure you’ve viewed and read the profile of who is interviewing you as well as any members of the senior management team and the company page itself on LinkedIn. It’s a great way to understand the background of the team and also any up-to-date activities the company is talking about e.g. new business wins, article sharing, and charity activity or events.
The company website
Not just the About Us page, make sure you’ve viewed the latest blog and are able to use the information on the website to answer the question ‘what can you tell us about the services we provide’. Also, don’t forget the Vision and Values page, as most likely the interview questions you’ll be asked will focus on how you demonstrate these – cultural fit is key!!
The company’s recent job adverts
This will tell you the typical job titles and salaries they recruit for and the volume of vacancies they have.
Who are their main competitors?
The best way to research this is by Googling the job titles and locations which they are advertising and finding out what other agencies have similar adverts running.
Companies House
This is especially relevant when you are interviewing for a non-entry-level role! You can find out about the directors, company financials, etc.
Social media
Most companies have an Instagram or Facebook page, some are more active than others, if a company is posting regularly it’s a fantastic way to learn about their culture!
It’s going to take you a bit of time to do this research well, but realistically all of this can be done in half an hour, time well spent when it means you’ll secure your dream job! Good luck!
