People commonly think of job interviews as being one-sided, such as the company is interviewing you. But in actuality, you are also interviewing the company. Having a job be a good fit is a two-way street. So before you go in for your interview, you’ll want to research the company to make sure it aligns with your goals and values. Here are a few areas to check out before you head in for your interview.
The Mission. Most companies have a mission statement for the purpose behind their organization. You can usually find it on a company’s website under their About Us section or somewhere similar. Their mission statement will tell you a lot about how they want to be viewed by the world and what drives the organization. Use it as a gauge for whether their values align with yours. It will also help you be prepared for the interview as you can have stories prepared that match their mission.
The Leaders. Researching the leaders of a company will provide you with a few pieces of information. First, it will give you clues as to the size of the organization and the background of those in charge. You may find similarities that you can discuss during the interview. It will also prepare you in case you actually meet one of these leaders during the interview, as you can speak about what you read about them instead of not even realizing who they are.
The Culture. Company culture is an important topic to research. Culture involves the values and traditions an organization holds dear. You can learn a lot about a company’s culture by researching them online and seeing what current and past employees are saying in reviews. You can also reach out to current employees through social media outlets like LinkedIn in order to ask them a few questions about the company’s culture.
Job interviews are stressful enough without feeling like you’re going in unprepared. When you do your homework, you not only have a better chance of impressing your interviewer and landing the job but you also make it so that you’re less nervous about what you’ll say during the process. Researching the company ahead of time is a key part of being prepared. Take some time to find out all the things you can about a company online so you are comfortable and ready to go.
Bottom line is this, the job market is becoming more competitive. This means, the more prepared you are, the more likely you will stand out and impress the interviewer. So let’s start researching!
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