College Grad Job Search Tip #8

Research the Company – dig deep. Before you head off to an interview you’ll need to be well prepared to answer the question “What do you know about us?” This is a common question asked of candidates for a number of reasons – the first and most important is to see how well the candidate prepared for the interview. You should be able to rattle off several details about what you know about the company, their products, customer base and who their competitors are. Additionally, you should know from your research who the top management team is and where they came from.

Don’t skip this step and think the employer will answer it for you. If you say something as unprepared as “I’ve seen your Company in the news and it looks like a good place to work”, the interviewer may bother to fill you in on more information, but more than likely it is a courtesy process out of politeness and you will not win over your well prepared competition. A second interview at this point will probably not happen.

So, where can you begin? First, of course, you will want to review the company’s website. Be sure to review the products, management team (also google each member of the management team to get even more info), philosophy, mission and press releases. Then start digging around online via news feeds, blogs, and research sites such as: Edgar Online, Wall Street Research Net, PRN News, CEO Express – for more great links visit our site.

Remember – research will set you apart from the competition…know your stuff.

Posted by Robin Ogden – FiredUP Careers

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