5 Best Ways to Research a Company Before Your Interview

By Allie Mitchell on December 27, 2016

Applying for jobs is hard enough, what with the constant asking for your work experience even though you already submitted your resume, and then with some jobs you may have to go through some sort of test as part of the application process. Then you have to sit and wait to see if all that work paid off, in hopes that you will get an interview and get your foot in the door. All of a sudden you get that call or that email stating that you got an interview and you do a happy dance.

But wait, hold on, most people tend to just apply to what sounds good or what appeals to them, but they do it without actually looking deeper into the company itself. Making sure that you are up to date on the details of the place you are looking to be employed is a good way to go into an interview. You should be so informed that you basically work there. Often in interviews they may ask you what you know about the company itself and you want to be completely aware of where you are and what they stand for.

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Sometimes a company website can be not so helpful though. You may have to look elsewhere or find other ways to get your information. You do not want to go into an interview blindly; you want to go into the interview with confidence and knowledge. When researching you want to find the right information, not the useless information that won’t do you any good in the first place. The companies want to feel like you want them just as much as they want you because if they do not see a good match, then you can kiss your dreams of working for them goodbye.

A bad interview most likely leads to no job offer; first impressions are crucial and you want to make sure you give off the impression that you are 100 percent sure of yourself. Knowing the best way to research your future employer could help you in the long run, so here are some tips on how to achieve just that.

Community Interactions: Nowadays we all know that companies are looking on your social media and/or are just looking you up in one way, shape or form. Why not do the same thing to them? Companies now typically have social media pages because they hire people to run them. Take a look at their pages and see what kind of news the company generates. See what they do during holiday times or how they celebrate when a good thing happens. See how they interact with their staffers through social media. It can make all the difference.

Competitors: All companies have competitors so when you look into the company you want, look at their competitors also. Going to the company’s LinkedIn page is always a good place to start for this. You are not looking to compare really, but to see who the players are in the line of work you are getting into. You are essentially getting a better feel for the work you will be doing, but on a larger scale. When you look up competitors you are also seeing what sets your company apart from the rest and it gives you something to talk about when you go in for your interview. You essentially know what makes them special, which can earn you brownie points.

Specific Questions: When you are looking into your company think about specific questions you would like to ask them. It does not always have to be about them asking you all the questions. At the end of the interview, employers usually ask if you have any questions for them and usually it is always a good thing to ask questions. Don’t overrun them with questions, but asking questions can show a sign that you are interested and want to really learn about the place you may be working at in the future.

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Future Boss: Just because you are looking into your future company does not mean you can’t look into your future boss as well. Don’t be a stalker about it, but do some small digging on the person you will be working for. Knowing who are working for and a few of their credentials never hurt anyone.

Useful Websites: There are many websites out there for you to use to your advantage when looking into a company for future employment. Those sites are there to help you get to all the small nooks and crannies of the company you are looking at. Some sites help you look at stocks, whereas others collect reviews on certain employers (such as Glassdoor) so you can see what other people are saying about them. No one can be too informed.

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