Step 1 of Interview Preparation: Research the Company

by Nov 29, 2018

Getting to the interview stage is an accomplishment on its own but how well you prepare for the day the questions come can decide the outcome. Alia Hollback identifies 8 steps which you can take in your preparations which we will cover in individual posts. The first of these steps is to research the company. Hollback divides this research into three parts, the product, the role and the personality.

By product it is meant that you should know what the company makes or does. You should have a strong grasp of basics of the company’s business even if your role is rather unrelated to this. For example, the job may be with an engineering company but you are applying to work in their benefits department.

You should also know the role. Look over the job description and be sure you understand what your responsibilities are. Also, as Hollback observes, “Understanding the job role will help you ask thoughtful questions during the interview.”

Last, Hollback advises that you try to get a feel for the personality of the company by checking their social media posts and other information from the website and a google search. If these leads you to have some questions, your interview is a good place to ask as it also demonstrates the research you did in determining if the company is a good fit.

Photo: retrieved from Pixabay, available under the public domain.

This posting is brought to you by Contemporaries Inc., one of the best temp agencies in Boston MA. Also available for payrolling employees in Boston and Greater Boston

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