Research the Company
Employers don't have to hesitate when asked what they see
as the number one problem with job candidates: a complete
lack of preparation. True, a good many people are
well-prepared to speak about themselves and their
accomplishments, but they should have some know about the
job, the origination, and the interviewer as well.
Unfortunately, gaining that knowledge requires research,
and many people resist doing it. As a result, many end up
treating job information research as they did their high
school term papers: They slap it together and hope for the
best or avoid doing it completely. This lack of preparation
often shows in the interview.
Find Good Information About the Industry
The industry information you gather will be invaluable to
you at the latter stages of the interview process. Knowing
that there are only 9,000 available certified property
managers and 250,000 real estate firms needing agents, for
example, allows you to present yourself as among the top 3
percent in the field - an excellent bargaining chip during
the interview and at the salary negotiation table.
Let's say that you have an interview tomorrow in a
hospital. Even if you hope to work in a nonmedical area such
as accounting, you will do better in the interview if you
know something about the health care industry. The following
two resources can help you find information about any
industry in which you might be interested in working.
Get More Information on the Careers That Interest You
Most
You probably know what sort of job you will seek. That
certitude may come as the result of past training,
education, work experience, or other reasons. If this is
your situation, you may be thinking that you already know
about the jobs you want and don't need to learn more about
them. But learning more about the jobs you're interested in
is a good idea, for several reasons. By research various
options, you can do the following:
- Increase opportunities in your job search by
identifying a wider range of job targets. There
are thousands of specialized job titles, and if you
don't do some research, you are almost certain to
overlook a number of them that would fit your needs very
well. Looking up a few job titles is a start, but
reviewing all jobs within clusters of similar jobs is
likely to help you identify jobs you don't know much
about - but which would be good ones for you to
consider.
- Improve your interview skills. Sure, you may think
you know what's involved in a particular job, but you
still need to prepare for an interview. Most people with
substantial education, training, and work experience in
a particular job do not do a good job of presenting
their skills for that job in the interview. People who
do their homework by carefully reading a job description
and then mentioning key skills that job requires in an
interview often get job offers over those with better
credentials. Why? They do a more convincing job in the
interview by making it easier for employers to
understand why they should hire this job seeker over
another.
- Write a better resume. Knowing the specific skills a
job requires allows you to focus on those skills in your
resume.
Know About the Specific Company, Job, and Interview
You should evaluate employers just as carefully as they
evaluate you. Doing research on an employer is especially
important if you plan on interviewing with an organization
that particularly interests you.
The best employer information comes from people who work
(or used to work) there. These people can often provide you
with inside information that can be invaluable in an
interview. But let's say that you don't know anyone
who works there - what can you do? Go to the source. Often,
a receptionist can get you product catalogs, brochures,
reports, or other literature that explains the purpose,
products, or services of the organization. You can also find
much of this information online at the company's website. If
you study this information well, you will have more
knowledge of the organization than most other applicants.
You can also go the library and ask the librarian to help
you locate any local or national information about the
organization. You can often look up recent newspaper
articles and, particularly for larger organizations,
information in various industrial and other directories.
The more you know about the job, the industry, and the
employer, the more likely you are to present yourself well
in the interview. More importantly, you will be better able
to evaluate whether a particular job is right for you.
Researching the Company
When doing research on a company, you want to focus on
company missions, ethics, areas of recent growth, and weak
spots. According to librarian, the best sources for
information on local organizations are local newspaper
articles, local directories, and area trade journal.
If the organization is a small, privately owned company,
this type of information may not be available at all. In
that case, explore comparable companies and apply what you
find. Don't forget: it's never a mistake to pick up the
phone and talks with the organization's suppliers, customers
,and current employees.
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