Kate Osman | On September 2, 2015
Congrats! You’ve landed an interview for your dream job or internship. As exciting as it might be, most of the hard work is still ahead of you.
Before you get the job, you’ll need to ace the interview, and in order for you to do that, thorough preparation is key.
Not only should you be prepared to explain everything on your resume, but there are several key things specific to the company you’re interviewing at that you should know about before an interview. If this seems overwhelming, here’s a complete guide to what you should be looking into:History of the company. Knowing as much about the company’s history as possible is probably the most important thing to look into before you interview somewhere. What are their goals and how have they evolved? Knowing the principles a company was founded on and how they’ve changed since then will offer insight into the company culture, possible future goals, and potential for growth in this job or internship. It’s also important to think about the company’s leadership. Look into people who are in high-up positions there and research their backgrounds and goals for the company—this can tell you a lot about the way the company is run and what it might be like to work there.
What the company does. This may sound painfully obvious, but if you’re looking to work at Facebook, for example, it’s important to know that they’re much, much more than just a social networking site. While working with a fashion designer this summer, I was exposed to areas of digital marketing analytics and financial planning in e-commerce that I didn’t even know a company like this would use. Since you may have to wear multiple hats, consider all aspects of the company and how or what else a job could involve beyond the description. That way, you’ll come to the interview with a comprehensive knowledge of all parts of the company. This kind of dynamic approach is sure to impress your interviewer.
Where the company’s looking to go or grow. Five years from now, where is the company looking to be? It’s crucial to consider the direction and vision the company has for itself. This might be useful in helping you figure out if this job is a good fit now and over the long term. Will the position you’re interviewing for be sustainable and important to the company a few years from now?
The company’s competition. What makes this company special? How does it measure up against its competition? In an interview for an internship, my interviewer asked me about my familiarity with other brands that were doing similar things. A company may model its efforts after a competitor that’s done exceptionally well in one area, but also may thrive in their unique and original approach in another. Grasping the way a company fits into the sphere of its competition gives you a big-picture understanding that can help you figure out what you can bring to the table. If your skills could be useful to help a company grow in an area in which they need to improve, you could be a great match for the job.
Your interviewer. Social networks like LinkedIn make it easy for you to access information about your potential future boss. While it’s not as encouraged as knowing about the company and the job description, it can give you other important kinds of insights. Checking out your interviewer’s public profile on LinkedIn anonymously (since it’s not appropriate to add them as a connection yet) can let you know things about their career history and experience prior to their current position. This might even help you better understand if this position fits your skill set, interests or career goals. I once learned that my interviewer (and future boss) had a lot of career experiences that were similar to things I was interested in through a little digging on LinkedIn. This research made me realize how much of a great fit that internship would be for me.
Finally, put this work to good use. After making the effort to fully prepare for an interview, it’s important to use your research to your advantage. You’ll now be more prepared to tailor your answers to interview questions better—you can even point out specifics that highlight the ways your skills and ideas could be useful for the company. You can say something like “I love the way you did X and I would love to work on something like that/take it in a new direction/improve it by doing X.” Just be careful not to criticize anything too much! Your preparation will shine through in your interview if you’ve put in the work and use this knowledge to your advantage.
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