Company research is the most important part of your interview preparation. You will not only prepare yourself to attend interview questions but also be able to find company’s culture to know whether the company is a good fit for you. While preparing for an interview, it’s always advised to do some research on the company beforehand.
Company’s website
Your prospective employer’s website is a great place to get all the company related information. Just go to the company’s website and try to collect it’s product related information. If it’s a service provider then try to have knowledge about the services they render. Note down the major product and/or services that contribute the most to its annual revenue.
Another most important thing you can get from the website is its mission, vision, strategic goals and value statement. It not only gives you an idea about the company’s culture but can have an added advantage over others to highlight why you are a good fit to the current position. In addition to company’s website you can also visit its competitor’s website to get information on recent development in the industry and relate that to your prospective employer’s achievement.
Use social media and LinkedIn
You can collect opinions of current and former employees and can have a different prospective on the company. People who already work at the company can be a great source of information if you use your right skills to get it from them. By using your Facebook and Google plus account, such peoples can give you insights into corporate culture and even personality dynamics. Company’s linkindin page can also provide you lots of information for your research. You can try even to get into the linkindin page of your interviewer to know something on him.
Google search
Do a Google search with the company’s name and visit those sites that refer to the company. You will get lots of additional information about the company that you would have not obtained from it’s website.
Annual Report research
Annual report provides summary of exactly how a company has performed in the past compare to present financial year and also provides a glimpse into the future. By reading it, you can determine it’s financial health and can learn the potential opportunities that you can get after joining the company. You need not read the entire annual report. Just try to understand the key message that it’s chairman and board of directors wants to make. You can have a glimpse of company’s achievement and strategies for future. Summary of financial results is a terrific place to look for trends in growth of revenues and net profits. One can even read the auditor’s opinion if required but we request you to note down the chairman’s message, key financial trends in profitability and growth of the company.
By learning about the company before your interview, you can gain the edge over other candidates. With a range of information about the company at your disposal, you can prepare questions and answers from your own experience and try to rehearse with your friends or relatives. This will let you to present the information in a positive way and can demonstrate how your skills relate to the company’s needs. Do a few hours research to rise above the other candidates.