You’ve probably heard it a million times: Do your research on the company before you walk into an interview!But what does that mean? Does that mean memorize a bunch of stuff that you can regurgit

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You’ve probably heard it a million times: Do your research on the company before you walk into an interview!

But what does that mean? Does that mean memorize a bunch of stuff that you can regurgitate during an interview in order to impress the interviewer with how you know every little thing the company has ever done or every foreign acquisition it has made in the last 6 months? Nope.

Key aspects to research and why include…

1) Skills and Experience that are important to a company

What better way to find out what a company is looking for than to do some digging? Key places to look include 1) job postings by the organization and 2) its career website.

2) “Who is who” within an organization

Before a networking event last year, I read an article about the CEO of one of the attending companies, and ended up having a 15 minute conversation with the recruiter about the CEO and what it is like to work for her. Easy conversation starter and a great way to show you are well-informed about what’s happening at a company. Check LinkedIn and the company’s website.

3) Current events/news about a company

A great way to learn more about how a company operates. Always a good conversation starter as well. Google News is awesome for this — also try checking a company’s website for recent news.

4) An organizations goals, values, etc.

Cultural fits are super important for recruiters/HR representatives making hiring decisions. There’s no quicker way to make sure your values line up with an employer’s than to do your homework ahead of the interview. Read about these on the company’s website!

5) Products? Clients? Services?

Learning about what your prospective employer actually does includes which companies are considered partners or clients, what types of products/services the organization offers, etc.  — again, check the company website.

6) What others think

Glassdoor and other review sites help shed light on what happens behind the scenes at a company. The best way to find out more is to reach out to Isenberg/UMass alumni or other people you may be connected to who work at the organization.

7) The person with whom you will be interviewing

Learning more about who is interviewing you will give you the chance to try to connect personally with him/her. LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn.

Were these tips helpful? This post on Glassdoor has a more in-depth explanation about why your research counts.


Article By Gabriel Sehringer