It’s a known fact that January through March/April are the biggest hiring months of the year. Employers who have been holding off on new hires towards the end of the year are now ready to fill positions. If your resume has done its job, you should have interviews scheduled for January.
Over the next two weeks, I will share a pre-interview worksheet and checklist that will help you prepare for interviews. Create a worksheet for each company. It will help you keep the facts straight about each company. Having all the information for your interview in one place can be very helpful to be prepared and stay organized.
JOB OPPORTUNITY
- Job Title
- Interview Date/Time
- Interviewer Names and Titles
COMPANY INFORMATION
- Company Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Website
- Review the company website — in particular, the “About” page, “Media” section (if there is one), and information about their products and services.
- Check out the source code on the company website to see if there are particular keywords that give insight to the company’s focus. (Go to the company website. In your web browser, go to the “View” menu and choose “View Source.”) Note: Not all companies include this information in their source code (look at the title code and metatags).
- Describe the company (Subdivision of another company? Structure — public, private, family-owned, nonprofit, etc.)
- How many employees?
- How many locations?
- What industry?
- Facebook Business Page – www.facebook.com/______?
- Look at the content the company posts, as well as what other people post on the company’s page. Can you identify any potential problems that need solving?
- Company Twitter Handle — @
- Company Blog (Do they have a blog?) Blog URL
- Review the blog for greater insight into the company.
- Does the Company Have a YouTube channel? No Yes:
- www.youtube.com/
- Take a look at the official videos posted by the company.
- Search for the company on YouTube to find any videos posted by employees, the media, or affiliates.
Notes/Thoughts Based on Online Profile Research:
- Do a Google search on the company.
- Review the first three pages of Google results — anything interesting?
- Look at what other job postings are open at the company — these can help you identify growth opportunities in the company.
- Do a Google News search on the company (news.google.com).
- Any news stories?
- Any major announcements in the last 18 months?
- Search “Companies” on LinkedIn
- Does the company have a profile on LinkedIn?
- How many followers does the company have on its company page?
- If the company has a profile, does it list:
- Company Type
- Company Size
- Industry
- Year Founded
- Headquarters (Location)
- Makeup of Employees (location, job title, education)
- Also look at the “Viewers Also Viewed” list of companies. These are potential competitors for you to research.
- You will also be able to see if any of your existing connections are affiliated with the company. You can also see “2nd degree” or “3rd degree” contacts. You can click through to those profiles for additional information on the employee’s background.
- The “Insights” tab (if one is available for the company) will give you information about the company’s employees
- If the company has provided “Company Updates,” be sure to read those.
- On the company’s LinkedIn page, click the yellow “Follow” button, and information about the company will be included in your “Updates” feed on the home page of your LinkedIn profile
Next week, I’ll add to this worksheet with information gathering strategies on the interviewer, as well as competitive analysis, and personal assessment.