The Key to Successful Job Hunting: What to Research Before an Interview

December 8, 2015 | Career Blog

You’ve crafted your resume, posted it online, attended career fairs, and now you’ve finally landed an interview. Congratulations! Now comes possibly the hardest step – getting ready for the interview. While you want to brush up on the usual questions you’re bound to get asked like your strengths and weaknesses, a crucial element for successful job hunting is doing your research before the big interview to figure out how well you will fit in with the company interviewing you. Here are some key things to research:

The company’s values and/or mission

You already know what the company does, so now you need to find out why. Many companies will have a mission statement on their website. You might need to do some digging to figure out what other companies value. Start by figuring out their business model. Who do they work for (customers, clients, consumers, other businesses)? What is their purpose? What need are they filling within the community? Knowing the answer to these questions will help you figure out how you will fit in with the company, and you can use this information to stand out in the interview.

Current news and accolades

Do a little research to see what awards the company has won recently (or at all). Have they worked with charity organizations? What newsworthy accomplishments have they made? Or, conversely, what negative attention has the company received, and how was it handled? All of these will tell you a lot about the company’s culture.

Their employees

Search LinkedIn to find out who works there or has in the past. You can also search sites like Glassdoor, which post employee reviews about a company. Keep in mind that reviews are often one-sided and should not be taken as gospel. But if you are finding reviews to be lopsided one way or another, as in mostly good or mostly terrible, then it’s likely that the reviewers are all telling a similar story.

Going into an interview armed with information about the company’s culture and values will help you figure out how to sell yourself as the best candidate for the job. In addition, it will help you determine if you actually want to work at a company. Ready for your next interview? Join Our Talent Network Today or Contact Us to learn more about the types of jobs Allegiance Staffing can offer you.