A 5 point checklist for doing the essential upfront RESEARCH before you head off to your job interview...

1. FacingaJobInterview?
5PrepTipsforAcingIt!

2. So,you’refacingajobinterview!
Needadviceabouthowtopreparefor
it?Well,there’snoshortageofadvice
availabletoyouontheinternet
A Google search for “how to
prepare for a job interview” yields
more than 200,000 hits. And some
of those hits will tell you that their
advice is “best” or “the ultimate”.

3. Here in “Prep Tips for Acing It!” we
divide the preparation into two parts:
PART 1 PART 2
Research The THINKING
that builds on
the research
you do

4. HERE IN PART I
ARE 5 TIPS FOR
THE RESEARCH
PHASE OF YOUR
PREPARATION:
PART 1

5. There are more online resources than ever to help you
with company research. Some questions to direct your
research: What businesses are they in? What
geographies are they in?
Who are their customers? How are their products or
services used? Are they getting into any new areas? Are
they moving away from old areas? Are they public or
private?
Researchthecompanyyou’llbeinterviewingwith1.

6. Read the job description carefully. What is
specifically included in the description and
what appears to be left out? What can you
infer from the job description about the “soft
skills” the ideal candidate should have, e.g.,
time management, decision-making, and
team member skills?
2.Researchthejobyou’llbeinterviewingfor

7. Who in your network has worked for, still
works for that company? Use your college
alumni directory, LinkedIn, and other social
media groups to identify personal or
professional acquaintances who can provide
some insight into the job candidates that
would be attractive to the company and why.
3.Researchthepeoplewhoworkatthatcompany

8. The contacts you find during your research in step
#3 above can also provide information and insight
regarding company culture, too, especially the
“unwritten rules” that typically govern day-to-day
work life.
4.Researchthecultureofthatcompany

9. If the company is publicly held, then numerous
online sources of financial performance
information are available, e.g., Yahoo Finance.
For both publicly traded and privately held
companies, check the company website for
downloadable management and financial
reports.
5.Researchhowthecompanyisdoingfinancially

10. The research you do in Part I of
your preparation will eliminate
much of the uncertainty regarding
your prospective new employer
and prospective new job. The
research findings will serve as the
raw material for the “thinking” part
of your preparation, which we’ll
cover in Part 2.
Stay tuned!

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