Interview Tips: What to Research Before an Interview

Your KRG recruiter advised you to learn more about the company before your interview. Anxiously prepping in your car minutes before, you scroll through the company’s website on your phone. You find out what the company does, but is that enough?

In order to stand out against your competition in the interview process, you will need to dig deeper and learn more about the company than just the obvious. Here’s what should be researched (and where to find it) in order to be well-informed for your interview.

Where to look: Company Website

What they do – Of course it’s important to get an understanding of what the company does. However, while browsing their website, pay close attention to how your skills can benefit what they do. Where do you fit in? How do your past experiences relate? These will be essential points to make while interviewing.

Target Audience – When looking at their website, figure out who their target audience is. The company’s customer base is the most important piece that keeps their business going. Making mention of not only what they do, but their specific clientele as well will impress the interviewer and show that you are truly interested.

Where to look: Google/Search Engine

Industry Knowledge – Maybe you are interviewing for a marketing role at a manufacturing company, but your marketing experience is in the healthcare industry. Research the latest industry trends for the type of company you are interviewing with to get yourself up to speed. Make an effort to tie some of this research into the interview conversation. Knowing your background, they will be impressed that you went the extra mile.

Competition – Do a Google search to see who the company’s competition is and glance over their websites as well. This will give you different outlooks on the industry and can spark more questions you may have about the company during the interview.

Where to look: Social Media

Current News – To show the interviewer you are interested in working for their company, compliment them on exciting news you read online. The best place to find the most updated information on the company is their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Look for things like new product releases, recent awards in the industry, or news articles they were featured in. While you’re on the topic, mention that you followed their social media accounts to show them that you are interested in their future updates as well.

Find Interviewer on LinkedIn – To calm some nerves before an interview, most people look up the person they are interviewing with to see what they look like. However, searching your interviewer on LinkedIn can provide you with more information than just their photograph. Make note of their current title and see where they have worked previously to get a better understanding of their background. You should also check to see if you and the interviewer have any common connections. If you do, reach out to those people and see if they have any additional advice to help you land the job.

Interviewing is a nerve-racking experience for even the most outgoing candidates. However, doing your research before the interview will make you more informed about the organization, give you more confidence, and show the interviewer(s) that you care about their company. Not every candidate takes the time to research the company beforehand, and your preparation and effort will not go unnoticed.

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