Research the Company
Employers don't have to hesitate when asked what they see as the
number one problem with job candidates: a complete lack of
preparation. True, a good many people are well-prepared to speak about
themselves and their accomplishments, but they should have some know
about the job, the origination, and the interviewer as well.
Unfortunately, gaining that knowledge requires research, and many
people resist doing it. As a result, many end up treating job
information research as they did their high school term papers: They
slap it together and hope for the best or avoid doing it completely.
This lack of preparation often shows in the interview.
Find Good Information About the Industry The industry
information you gather will be invaluable to you at the latter stages
of the interview process. Knowing that there are only 9,000 available
certified property managers and 250,000 real estate firms needing
agents, for example, allows you to present yourself as among the top 3
percent in the field - an excellent bargaining chip during the
interview and at the salary negotiation table. Let's say that you
have an interview tomorrow in a hospital. Even if you hope to work in
a nonmedical area such as accounting, you will do better in the
interview if you know something about the health care industry. The
following two resources can help you find information about any
industry in which you might be interested in working. Get More
Information on the Careers That Interest You Most You probably
know what sort of job you will seek. That certitude may come as the
result of past training, education, work experience, or other reasons.
If this is your situation, you may be thinking that you already know
about the jobs you want and don't need to learn more about them. But
learning more about the jobs you're interested in is a good idea, for
several reasons. By research various options, you can do the
following:
- Increase opportunities in your job search by identifying a wider
range of job targets. There are thousands of specialized job
titles, and if you don't do some research, you are almost certain to
overlook a number of them that would fit your needs very well.
Looking up a few job titles is a start, but reviewing all jobs
within clusters of similar jobs is likely to help you identify jobs
you don't know much about - but which would be good ones for you to
consider.
- Improve your interview skills. Sure, you may think you know
what's involved in a particular job, but you still need to prepare
for an interview. Most people with substantial education, training,
and work experience in a particular job do not do a good job of
presenting their skills for that job in the interview. People who do
their homework by carefully reading a job description and then
mentioning key skills that job requires in an interview often get
job offers over those with better credentials. Why? They do a more
convincing job in the interview by making it easier for employers to
understand why they should hire this job seeker over another.
- Write a better resume. Knowing the specific skills a job
requires allows you to focus on those skills in your resume.
Know About the Specific Company, Job, and Interview You
should evaluate employers just as carefully as they evaluate you.
Doing research on an employer is especially important if you plan on
interviewing with an organization that particularly interests you.
The best employer information comes from people who work (or used to
work) there. These people can often provide you with inside
information that can be invaluable in an interview. But let's
say that you don't know anyone who works there - what can you do? Go
to the source. Often, a receptionist can get you product catalogs,
brochures, reports, or other literature that explains the purpose,
products, or services of the organization. You can also find much of
this information online at the company's website. If you study this
information well, you will have more knowledge of the organization
than most other applicants.
You can also go the library and ask the librarian to help you
locate any local or national information about the organization. You
can often look up recent newspaper articles and, particularly for
larger organizations, information in various industrial and other
directories. The more you know about the job, the industry, and the
employer, the more likely you are to present yourself well in the
interview. More importantly, you will be better able to evaluate
whether a particular job is right for you. Researching the
Company When doing research on a company, you want to focus on
company missions, ethics, areas of recent growth, and weak spots.
According to librarian, the best sources for information on local
organizations are local newspaper articles, local directories, and
area trade journal. If the organization is a small, privately
owned company, this type of information may not be available at all.
In that case, explore comparable companies and apply what you find.
Don't forget: it's never a mistake to pick up the phone and talks
with the organization's suppliers, customers ,and current employees. |
