Research to Do Prior to a Job Interview
Prior to the actual interview, research should be done in four key areas:
- The Industry
- The first thing to realize is that the level of industry knowledge will depend on the role that you are interested. Senior level and executive roles will be expected to know the industry intimately, as this is one of the key reasons that the company would be interested in talking to you.
- Foundational industry knowledge should revolve around the structure of the industry. This would include competitors, potential competitors, economies of scale, distribution channels, product differentiation, product substitutes, customers, and suppliers.
- The Company
- In lieu of your level of experience, you should become highly literate about the company where you will be interviewing. Though depending on your level of experience, you may already be very familiar with the company you are intending on interiewing as you may have been in the industry for multiple years and may have worked for a competitor.
- Key areas when researching a company include:
- The company's main products and services.
- The main competitors of the company.
- What makes the company unique (i.e. competitive advantages).
- The company's strategy & mission.
- The company's profitability and growth. (if available)
- The corprate culture of the company.
- If you are not familiar with the company's key areas, the following AI prompt can make this research more productive.
- AI Prompt: What is/are [company's name] key area(s) of business?
- Specific Role/Job
- Before the actual interview, you should be as famaliar as possible with the job you are applyig for along with its associated roles and responsiblilities. You should seek out a formal job description for the source you are engaged.
- Specific People
- Finally, you should do your research about the person(s) that will be interviewing you. Leveraging today's social media platforms, it just takes a few clicks (if the individual has an account) to perform this type of research.
