Know the Employer
by ResumeEdge.com - The Net's Premier Resume Writing and
Editing ServiceJust as you must know yourself before you begin an interview, so too must you
know your prospective employer. Knowledge of the company helps you tailor your responses to questions
and gives you confidence. It shows the interviewer that you care about the company and want to make a
well-informed decision, and it gives you fodder for posing impressive questions to the interviewer. All
of the information you gather will help you anticipate the company culture and gauge the expectations
that they will have of you.
Understanding the Mission
At a minimum, you need to discover the company's purpose and trajectory. The employer will be
convinced that you do not care about the job if you have to ask what they do. Look on the company
website to discover how the company presents itself. Make sure you can articulate what the company
mission statement is. If the company has a tag line, memorize that as well. If available, request a
copy of its annual report. For newsworthy companies, check media sources like newspapers and business
magazines to find out where the company is going and what its challenges are. Discover if they have any
specific goals for the near future, like the production of new products or new partnerships. Talk with
someone who works there or has worked there to find out whether the company fulfills its mission.
Study the Market
You also must familiarize yourself with the company's market. If they sell a product, who are their
target customers? If they provide a service, to whom is it rendered? What is the nature of the products
or services? These are the kinds of things you should be conversant in when you sit down for an
interview. In addition, it is useful to know who are the company's competitors. Is it a business down
the street, a conglomerate, a new or established company?
Company Structure
Find out what the structure and scope of the company is. Besides identifying whether the company is
small, medium, large, or enormous, you need to know its configuration. Is it a division of a larger
company or owned by a parent company? Does it own other companies? What are its strategic alliances? Is
it a local, national, or international company? Also discover whether the company has divisions and
what they are. It is also useful to know at what stage of growth the company is. Have they recently
grown or laid off employees? At what rate? Using your internet, media, and personal sources, uncover as
much as you can about the internal workings of the company.
Know the Customer
Moreover, it is useful to know how the company makes its money. Who are its clients or customers and
how many of them are there? Is it a family-owned business or a start-up company funded by angels?
Getting your hands on a share-holders report could be very illuminating as you determine what the
company's earnings or losses are. Are their profits increasing or are they mired in debt? Is there
another company funding them for a period of time at a loss? Compiling this information will enable you
to assess the financial stability of the company.
Employee Relations
Finally, you will benefit from knowing how the company treats its employees. Interviewing current or
former employees will give you the information you need to determine whether you are likely to receive
the kind of treatment you desire or require. How much of the company earnings are shared by employees?
What are the salary ranges for various positions? Gaining this kind of information will help you assess
a compensation packet that you can feasibly negotiate. Do not forget to uncover the benefits package
offered by the company when you consider the attractiveness of compensation. In addition to
compensation, discover whether employees receive training or mentoring, how many hours a week the
employees tend to work, and how long employees tend to stay at the company. Finally, you might check to
see if any complaints have been filed against the company.
Interview Background
Since you need to connect with the person responsible for the interview, it is helpful to discover
as much as you can about that person as well. Is this your prospective boss or someone screening
applicants? If possible, discover what the person is interested in and where he or she previously
worked or went to college. Gather information that will help you establish an easy rapport.
Your quest for information can seem elusive without the ability to conduct an audit of the company's
financial statements or at least interview employees of the company. With a bit of networking, the
latter might be more feasible than you would initially think. Several other resources will help you:
- The company website
- Company statements and brochures
- Newspaper and magazine articles
- Reviews of best and worst companies
- Employees of the company
- Public records
- Information held at local job search agencies
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