Do Your Homework Before the Big Interview
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Next, get some vital statistics and independent perspectives on your prospective employer. A mutual fund account with a major broker may be able to provide more detailed research on publicly traded companies and industries, free of charge. “You may be able to go to competitors for the prospective employer's financials,” says Joyce Lain Kennedy, a career columnist and author of Job Interviews for Dummies. Also, it is worth taking a like at Hoover's online which gives an overview and details of most UK companies.
News Sources
Now broaden your perspective and see what general-interest and business publications and Web sites are writing about the employer and its industry. You can find a wide range of media outlets at NewsLink, notes Kennedy. Search national publications for news on major corporations; use local newspapers to learn about small businesses and how big businesses interact with their local communities.
Trade Journals
Taking cues from your research so far, drill down into your target company and its place in the industry by looking at trade journals and other specialised publications. “Get a few months of the relevant trade journal,” advises Fry. “You're going to find out about new products and what the trade is saying about the company.”
You may find hard copies of trade journals at university or public libraries. Some journals are available for free or by subscription through their own Web sites; the full text of thousands more is available through periodical databases like ProQuest and InfoTrac.
Industry Directories
By now, you've probably got some very specific issues regarding the employer and your potential role there. Go directly to the grapevine by making contact with other workers at your target company or elsewhere in the industry. “If you belong to a professional organisation, go to its directory,” says Marilyn Pincus, author of Interview Strategies that Lead to Job Offers.
Finally, if you hope to have a company ogling you, try Googling them first. You just might come up with a nugget you would have missed otherwise.
While you're at it, Google yourself to make sure you and the interviewer are on the same page. Because if he's savvy, he's doing unto you as you've just done unto him and his company.
Visit Monster's 'Ask the Interviewer' Forum for more tips and to post a question.
