Researching the Employer Is Crucial to Interview Success

A critical mistake many job-seekers make is not bothering to research potential employers, which is bad for several reasons. First, you should always research companies to help you decide if you even want to work at any of them; fit is such an important aspect of job enjoyment. Second, having information about the company can help you better prepare for the interview; the more you know about a company, the better you’ll understand all aspects of its operations. Third, you need to conduct some research on each company because you should expect the inevitable question from the interviewer: “What do you know about our company?” Sometimes it might be phrased as: “Why do you want to work for us?”

All job-seekers need to conduct research and develop critical information about each company — its products and services; key executives; new products, plants, or divisions; company culture; organizational structure; diversity and values; benefits; career paths; etc.

What’s the best source of company information? The company’s Website, of course! It’s absolutely amazing what you can find published on company Websites. You can either try directly entering the company name in your favorite browser. For example, if you were researching Aetna, you could simply try typing in www.aetna.com. Or, go to your favorite search engine (such as Google.com) and type in the company name in the search box. You can also go to the Quintessential Directory of Company Career Centers.

But not all companies have been quite so forthcoming on their Websites, so where else can you get company information? There are many, many sources — both online and in print — for both private and public companies.

Finally, you may also want to conduct some research on the main or key industries that the company operates within. To do so, simply use one or more of several industry sources available online and in print.

The last word(s): If you really want to make an impression, either add your company research to your portfolio or put the research into a binder. Then, when the interviewer asks you about what you know about the company, you can pull out the binder and do a little show and tell.

Want to learn more? Go to my article published on Quintessential Careers: Step-by-Step Guide to Researching Companies.

Find key country, industry, and company research tools here: Guide to Researching Companies, Industries, and Countries.