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Know
The Employer
by ResumeEdge.com
The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service.
Just
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
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Company
statements and brochures
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Newspaper
and magazine articles
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Reviews
of best and worst companies
-
Employees
of the company
-
Public
records
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Information
held at local job search agencies
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