This post concludes my advice about how to research a company for which you’ll be interviewing.

Company Employees
If you’re lucky enough to know someone who works at the company, or even someone who knows someone who works at that company, you can find a goldmine of information that will help you prepare for your interview.

If you know someone who knows the hiring manager, you’ve hit the mother lode!  You can now get some insider information about out exactly what that person is looking for and can speak to that in your interview.

The Job Posting
It should be pretty obvious that you should read the job posting carefully but I’m continually amazed at how many applicants I see that haven’t done this.  As a Hiring Manager, I tell you exactly what I’m looking for in the job posting, so use that information!

What skills and experience does it specifically list?  Make sure you can state your experience and skills in terms of how they match the job.  You’ll then be able to answer interview questions in a way that demonstrates how your skills can help that company.

In all my (many!) years as a hiring manager, I can tell you that about 90% of the candidates I’ve interviewed knew very little about my company and/or the position for which they were interviewing.

I will tell you straight up that if you come into your interview as the most knowledgeable and prepared candidate, you will almost certainly be one of the finalists (of course, assuming  you are otherwise qualified).

What If You Can’t Find Any Information?
This can certainly happen if your interview is with a small or newly formed company.

Even though small companies will likely have a web site, it may not contain much more than the location and a short description of their services.

New companies may not have much information available other than what’s on the website.  There may not yet be any press releases or other information available for searching.

If you find this to be the case, you’ll need to modify your preparation strategy by using the following two ways of overcoming a lack of available information.

First, do research about the nature of the position and how you are the ideal person for that type of job.  Here’s an example.

Let’s say you’re interviewing at a small real estate office for a receptionist position.  Since there isn’t much specific information available about that office, you’re going to show that you know how to be successful in that position regardless of the company.

You could mention you read statistics in a recent article that real estate offices get over 40% of their new customers as a result of referrals from existing customers.  And that almost half of the referrals were a result of a positive experience with the office staff.  Play this up by saying that’s why you always work hard to make sure the patients are delighted with the office.

This tells the hiring manager that you understand how that particular position can help the company.  This is a very powerful way to show you’ve done your homework, even though there was no information available specific to that company.

A second way to overcome lack of company information is to show you are knowledgeable about the industry and what it takes to help the company succeed.  As an example, let’s say you’re interviewing for a programming position at a small start-up technology company for which there is little information available.

You might mention that you’ve been researching the growing trend of “cloud” based applications, as well as social media, and if either of those are an important part of their strategy, you can help them.

The point is to show you know the industry in which they operate and are able to think strategically about what is important to them for future growth.

Even without specific company information, you can still create the impression that you are a candidate that is very knowledgeable about their industry.

In my next post, we’ll move on to the other areas in which you should prepare for your job interview.

In my last post I talked about how to research a company using its web site, but there are many other sources of information you should explore before your interview.

Google
Search for news releases about the company, as well as a general search for “Information About Company XXX”.

Google may list some online discussion groups or forums, so check them out.  Frequently, company employees lurk on these sites and post information not available elsewhere.

See what the financial reporting agencies say about the company: its assets, how secure is it, which areas are doing well and which ones are struggling.  There may be information about possible mergers, takeovers, layoffs or expansion plans, all of which can give you an idea of things going on behind the scenes.  Areas that are struggling give you a particularly good opportunity to talk about how you can help them.

Annual Report
Read the latest Annual Report and Prospectus.  Many larger companies now post these on their web site, or you can usually find a copy in your local library.  You can also request a copy directly from the company itself, though it may take a while to get it.

In the Annual Report, you’ll find information about the goals and strategies of the company, what it considers its biggest challenges and biggest opportunities, and generally what is considers important as an organization.

This is valuable information that gives you clues as to what they’re looking for in employees.  This will help you come across as that type of an employee in your interview.

Check out Linkedin and Facebook
Here’s a suggestion frequently overlooked:  go to Linkedin and Facebook and search for the name of the hiring manager and other people you know will be on the interview panel.  You just may be able to find out some information that will help you during your interview.

You can also use LinkedIn to find the names of new hires at your target company.  If you contact them, they may be glad to give you some advice as to what to expect in the interview.

Further, you may find former employees who recently left the company.  They may be even more willing to give you some insights into the company and what it looks for in employees.

Linkedin has an excellent feature called “Company Profiles”.  If a company is in their database, it will show the people in your network who currently work there or used to work there, as well as people who have shared connections with you.  This is a great way to find people you can contact for information and advice.

In Facebook, if you’re fortunate enough to find pages for some of the key managers, you may be able to get information about some of their personal likes and dislikes.  I’m continually surprised by the things people share with the world on Facebook.

If you happen to have some common interests, try to work it into your interview answers.  Hiring managers are as human as anyone else (well, almost…) and tend to like people who share common interests.

You should also research some of the other popular social media sites, such as Twitter, Goggle +, YouTube, Squidoo, etc, for any company personnel names you’ve been able to identify.  These sites are constantly changing, so check them frequently.

Next time, we’ll wrap up how to do company research and I’ll tell you what to do if you can’t find any company information at all.

Researching the company for which you’ll be interviewing is the most important part of your interview preparation.  The best place to start in today’s world, naturally, is the company’s own web site.  Why?  Because that’s where you’ll find all the positive information and facts that the company wants you to know.  And believe me, Hiring Managers love it when you know them.

If you’re interviewing at a public sector organization, the web site will be an absolute gold mine  Since it’s all public information anyway, they put just about everything about their organization on their web site.  You can, literally, become more knowledgeable than most of the employees who work in that agency if you do your homework thoroughly.

Public or private sector, here are the things you should look for on the web site.

•    If you know the name of the hiring manager or any of the people with whom you will be interviewing, do a search for their names.  Use the search box if it has one, or there is frequently an “About Us” link that may have the names you’re seeking.   You just might be able to discover some information about them that you can use to establish rapport in the interview.  If you don’t know the name of the Hiring Manager or anyone else with whom you’ll be interviewing, call the HR department.  If you’re polite when asking and explain that you want to be sure that you get everyone’s name right, they will frequently be glad to tell you who will be on the interview panel.  Believe it or not, the HR department WANTS you to do well and get the job because filing positions quickly makes them look good.

•    Search for the name of the company’s key managers, executives, and the Board of Directors.  These high level positions are usually named on the web site.  Then, do a Google search on these names to see what you can learn about them.  You’ll frequently discover some additional things about the company and its strategies.

•    How long has the company been in business and what is its history?

•    Is there a link for “press releases” or something similar?  This is a great source for exactly the type of information that company wants you to know.  Quoting something from a press release in your interview will really drive home that you did your homework.

•    Has the organization been through a period of growth or expansion that may have impacted their operations or strategies?

•    What is the primary market for the company and who are its customers?  If it’s a government agency, which citizens does it serve?

•    What are the objectives of the organization and its goals for the future?  What are its biggest challenges?

•    If there is a Board of Directors, who’s on it?

•    How big is the organization now and how big does it want to be?

These are all things that can help you frame your answers in terms that are relevant to that specific company.  If my next post I’ll cover several additional ways to research the company and the people who work for it.

In my previous post I made the statement that when it comes to job interviews, preparation is the number one thing that distinguishes great candidates from merely good ones.   And the most important area in which to begin your preparation is researching the company for which you are interviewing.

After having hired hundreds of candidates over the years, I’m able to determine in the first ten minutes of the interview those applicants that have properly prepared.  They are the ones who can give me a concise 30 second overview of their qualifications (this is usually the first question I ask) and are also able to relate those qualifications to my specific job, as well as speak knowledgably about my company.

Even if you’re interviewing for clerical or entry level positions, you can – and should – still go into the interview with detailed knowledge about the company.  This is impressive regardless of the level of job for which you’re interviewing…because so few people do it!

One of the worst mistakes I see in interviews is when applicants ask me to tell them something about my company.  They have this backwards.  As the hiring manager, I expect you to be able to tell me something about my company.  This tells me you did your homework – something that over 90% of the people I interview have not done.

If you’ve done your research well, you’ll be able to frame some of your answers in terms of facts specific to that company.  And you’ll be able to do it smoothly and without hesitation.

As an example, let’s say you’re interviewing for a sales position.  You’ve done your research and found out that sales are down in the territory for which you’re interviewing.  You can now tell them you know their goal is to see growth in that territory and go on to explain how you increased sales in your last job.

Telling how you solved a specific problem being experienced by the company is an extremely powerful way to answer interview questions and I would send taxis for applicants like this.

Towards the end of most interviews, you’ll usually be asked if you have any question.  I usually get one or two general questions about the job, or no questions at all.  On the other hand, when I get an intelligent question or two about some aspect of my company and its specific challenges, this is an applicant I remember.   Sadly, most applicants miss out on this golden opportunity to stand out from the competition.

With the massive amount of data now available on the Internet, there’s simply no excuse for not researching the company when you get an interview.  In my next posts I’ll explain exactly what the best ways are to research any company and how to use that knowledge in ways that will impress any Hiring Manager.

So you’ve finally obtained that hard-to-get interview – congratulations!  But now what do you do?  What can you expect in the interview?

First and foremost, you must realize that in the job interview you’re a sales representative and the product you’re selling is….you!  This means you have to be ready to sell your skills and experiences as they apply specifically to the position for which you’re being interviewed.

Let me say that again: “you have to be ready to sell your skills and experiences as they apply specifically to the position for which you’re being interviewed”.  This is critically important that and I’ll go into greater detail in a subsequent post.
Also, bear in mind that the interview is about more than just your experience and qualifications.  Yes, you were invited to interview because of what was in your resume.  And while you’ll almost certainly be asked questions in the interview about your skills and experience, you must also be able to give examples of accomplishments to prove you been able to successfully apply those skills.
Additionally, the Hiring Manager wants to get a feel for your personality, particularly to determine if you’re “likeable”, which is of course completely subjective.

In fact, Hiring Managers don’t necessarily always offer the job to the most qualified candidate.  What they frequently do is offer the job to the candidate that is both qualified and likable.  This means that a pleasant personality, the ability to project an air of enthusiasm, and good communication and interpersonal skills count heavily, assuming of course that you’re also highly qualified.

As if all this isn’t enough, you also have to dress appropriately, thoroughly research the company, anticipate and have well prepared answers to common interview questions, along with many other details, all before you even you step through the door for the interview.
Unfortunately, many job applicants believe the interview starts when you first sit down to face the interviewers.  This is dead wrong.  In actuality, the interview begins as soon as you’re told what day and time to come in.  That’s when you need to begin your preparation.
Please believe me when I tell you that preparation is the number one thing that distinguishes great candidates from merely good ones.  And in today’s tough job market, you must be a great candidate to get that job offer.

Consequently, my next several posts will be about how you can properly prepare for any interview situation, focusing on areas such as:
•    Company Research
•    Preparing your “Marketing Message”
•    Why you need anecdotes
•    How to answer both common and difficult questions (and why you need to prepare questions of your own to ask).

At the end of this series, you will know how to be one of the most, if not the most, well prepared candidate in the eyes of any Hiring Manager.

This is the first in a series of job interview advice posts that are designed to put you ahead of the vast majority of your competition.

Believe it or not, hiring managers can also be uneasy during interviews, particularly so when we interview someone who is obviously unqualified and/or unprepared.  This means that everything you can do to make the hiring manager’s job easier in the interview will put you that much ahead of applicants who are not as well prepared.

To set the stage for the interview advice I’ll be giving, read carefully the following example of a scenario that is all too common in many interviews I’ve conducted over the years.

Candidates come into the interview room, dressed in jeans or something equally inappropriate, carrying nothing to write with and no notebook to write in.  They mumble their name and overall give the impression that they’ve done little or no preparation.  When asked to give an overview of their experience, they do so in a few short sentences which have little or no relevance to my job opening.  Their answers to my questions are generic and could apply to any position, with no indication that any research was done of my company.  They talk about their experience but not their accomplishments.
Some of the information they tell me contradicts what is on their resume, leading me to wonder if they’ve even read their own resume before the interview.

Worse yet, they sometimes display arrogance or otherwise try to look superior because of their experience and presumed abilities. Or, alternately, their lack of preparation becomes obvious after the first question and they are then too nervous to effectively answer subsequent questions.

At the close of the interview, the only questions they ask are related to salary, working hours and benefits.  They then call back in three days and wonder why I haven’t yet offered them the job.

Does this sound overly critical?  Or – be honest now! – have you exhibited yourself some of the traits described during one of your interviews?  Don’t be alarmed if you have.  Many of the components in this scenario are present in at least half of the interviews I’ve conducted over the years.  Fortunately, the fix is very straightforward because the root cause of every one of the negative behaviors described can attributed to one thing: lack of preparation.

The subsequent series of posts will explain in detail exactly how you can be the most well prepared candidate in any interview.  Preparation is the golden word when it comes to job interviews.  It’s the key to impressing the hiring manager and that’s the key to a job offer.