Interviewing Inadequacies

Job Seeker's Story

Paulina felt as if she was in the middle of a bad dream: She had slept through her alarm, got a speeding ticket when she raced to be on time to her interview, and now could not even remember which job she was interviewing for at Elvernon Corporation. Was this the Project Manager position with Steve Jones, or was it the PMO Director role with Terrence Miller? In her haste she had left the information at home.

It turned out she was meeting with Terrence about the PMO role, and all seemed to be progressing smoothly until he asked her what she knew about Elvernon. Paulina was speechless as she thought that was one of the things she was there to learn from the interviewer. She said, “I know that I want to work here and that I would do a great job for you.”

The interviewer was silent for an uncomfortable amount of time. Finally he resumed the interview as if nothing had happened. When Paulina left she thought she had recovered nicely, but she did not here from Terrence or Elvernon again.

Job Seeker's Stumble

Paulina made the critical mistake of not preparing effectively before her interview. This preparation goes far beyond showing up on time, but relates to conducting research on the target company to understand their goals, their mission, their products, and even their challenges prior to the interview. By doing this, Paulina could have confidently woven her knowledge of the company into her interview.

Job Seeker's New Strategy

When you are targeting a company in your search, it is important that you perform research so that you can demonstrate to the interviewer how you can meet the goals and needs of the organization. The type of information you will want to identify includes:

• • Company goals and mission.
• • Products and/or services offered.
• • Recent changes in the organization, such as emerging technology, new products, expansions, mergers, and so forth.
• • Company history.

Also, for your own information, it is a good idea to check financials on the company to ensure its worthiness or buoyancy.

By researching these areas, you can gain a knowledgeable edge on positioning yourself during the interview. As a matter of fact, this extra work will increase your confidence and will keep you from walking blind into your interview. Some of the ways you might find this information include:

Small/Local Companies

The smaller the company, the less information may be available about them to the public. Try these sources:

• • Yellow Pages: The first thing you should do is look in your telephone yellow pages. For instance, if you have an interview with Joe's Plumbing for an Office Manager position, you would first check to see if they have an ad in the book. If they do, you can probably find out some valuable information about the company. In this case, Joe's Plumbing has been in business for 23 years, is a member of the Better Business Bureau, and offers several services. Joe's ad does not list a Web address, but another company's ad might display one, so you should always be sure to look for one.
• • Buddy System: Get other people involved in supporting your information gathering by forming a team with another job seeker, husband, girlfriend, sister, and so forth, and then having him or her do some research for you. You certainly do not want to walk into the lobby of the company you are scheduled to interview with or call and have your voice recognized. Your buddy will not be stressed because she has nothing at stake in doing your research. Ask her to call the company and ask a few questions. The easiest way is for her to pose as a potential customer and ask for information. For instance, with a doctor's office, she might say, “I'm looking for a specialist for my mother. Can you tell me a little about the doctor's credentials? How long has he been practicing?”
• • The walk-in option works best with retail or customer-oriented organizations. You might send your buddy in to gather up any brochures or documentation on the company. If your buddy is brave, she might even be coaxed into asking questions as if she were job searching in order to learn more about the company.
• • Local Business Organizations: Try contacting the chamber of commerce, local Better Business Bureau, newspaper information desk, or any local business publications. If a company is a member of the chamber or one of the local papers has written an article on the company, you should be able to gain information easily.

Large Companies/Corporations

With larger companies, the resources are virtually endless. Try these:

• • Company Website: The single best resource is the company Website. Most companies post their annual report as well as all the information you could ever want to know about their goals, mission, services, products, officers, locations, and press online.
• • Annual Report: No Website? Look for an annual report. Frequently going directly to the company for this can be somewhat sticky. You might try your local Reference Librarian for help in finding annual reports and online/newspaper articles on the company.
• • Library Resources: The reference librarian can also direct you to a number of resources in the library, such as:
  • • Corporate Technology Directory by CorpTech.
  • • Directory of Corporate Affiliations by Reed Reference Publishing Company.
  • • Directory of Leading Private Companies by National Register Publishing Company.
  • • Hospital Phone Book by U.S. Directory Service.
  • • International Directory of Corporate Affiliates by National Register Publishing Company.
  • • Sales Guide to High-Tech Companies by CorpTech.
• • Internet Resources: There are also a number of excellent resources that can be accessed through the Internet, including:
  • • Google Advanced Search will let you scan news stories from the past week. www.google.com/advanced_search
  • • Hoover's Online provides timely and detailed information on more than 50,000 public and private companies. www.hoovers.com
  • • News Directory and Newslink allows you to browse trade publications and regional publications. www.newsdirectory.com and www.newslink.org/mbiz.html
  • • Corporate Information provides U.S. and international company information including research reports, company profiles, earnings information, and analyst reports. www.corporateinformation.com
  • • Business.com offers news, research, and contacts for 10,000 public companies and 44,000 private companies. www.business.com
  • • Pacific Information Resources, Inc. includes information on private companies in its public record databases. www.pac-info.com
  • • American Society of Association Executives is a gateway of more than 6,589 associations that offers a comprehensive directory to websites of business and professional associations. www.asaecenter.org/Directories/AssociationSearch.cfm?navItemNumber=16581
  • • Yahoo Finance Global Ticker Symbol Lookup allows you to identify the ticker symbol for a public company. quote.yahoo.com/l
• • Networking: You should also look at your network. Are you a member of a professional organization in this industry? Can you contact members who work within the company or peruse organization journals? Do you know someone who knows someone? Additionally, you should consider the wealth of online social networking resources now available on the Internet, such as LinkedIn and Facebook, to find someone who has the information you are seeking.

Once you have gathered all your information, read through and organize it. Highlight key information and questions the information generates, and then create a brief summary. Study this, and be prepared to integrate it into your interview.

By taking just a little time, you will be ready to enter your interview with knowledge and confidence. You will be positioned to succeed by making a positive impression.