Seven Things to Know in Advance
Review the following list several days before an interview to
give yourself time to prepare.
1. Who are they (the prospective employers) and what do
they do? Who owns the company? What are its products and services? How does
the department or group for which you are interviewing relate to the whole
company?
2. What has the company done? Know some history. Has it
recently merged or been deregulated? What have its last two or three years been
like? Know about the industry of which it's part. What is the company growth
rate. Who are its competitors?
3. Where are they headed? Know current predictions for
the company and industry. What new products are on the horizon? How does the
company stand in national and international competition? If they have new
leadership, what goals have they announced?
4. What is the competition? Where is this company at an
advantage or disadvantage? What are the trends in technology and profits? Get
the names of the company's biggest competitors and know what advantages or
disadvantages those competitors have.
5. What are the success factors? What influences the
company's ability to achieve its targets? One set of factors is external and
includes the economy, competition and technology. Other factors are more
internal, such as cost cutting, revitalization and penetration of new markets.
6. How can the job you are pursuing contribute to the
company's success? This may take more interpretation than research, but you
want to have a clear idea of how the department and job relate to the future
success of the organization. Even if the job you want is at a lower level, you
need to know how it relates to the whole.
7. Three successes. Be prepared to describe three
specific things you have done that demonstrate how you can contribute to the
organization's future success.
Adapted from Interview Express, Tom Jackson and Bill
Buckingham
Chris TALARICO &
Associates, Inc.
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