Research Prior to the Company Visit

Your research can give you an advantage over other candidates for the job

It is important to learn as much as possible about the company that has granted you the interview. The information gathered about your potential employer will be very useful when competing for a job as an interviewer usually asks what you know about the company.

Depending on the nature of the company, there may arise many valuable points that can be investigated, such as:

• What do you know about the competition?
• Have you used the company's products?
• What do you think of the media ads or TV commercials?
• Do you like the image of the company?
• Is the company private or public?

When you have learned about the company you want to join, you have an advantage over other candidates aspiring to the position. Knowing the company gives you tools to converse with the interviewer. When it comes to a managerial position within the business area of a company, many companies tend to ask a candidate to outline a strategy for boosting company sales, or to improve a product, packaging, etc. In this case if you have done your research, and can converse using the vocabulary of the company you're visiting, find out about the products and the competition. If you are prepared, the exercise is easy and the interviewers will obtain the best impression of you. If you want to get an idea of the type of information they might ask, here are some points that may help you prepare:

• When was the company founded?
• Who are its directors?
• What are their products or services?
• How is the management of the company?
• What articles have been published about the company?
• Is it a local or an international company?
• What is the mission and vision of the company?

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