Preparation for the interview process
Your CV is out there, and the waiting game starts. You have applied for all the available positions in various companies and you are anticipating that phone call inviting you for an interview. Are you still wondering if you have the competitive edge? Why should company X hire you instead of the more senior, more experienced candidate that came out of the interview room before you?
Knowledge is power! If you want to stand out and make the short list, you have to know what you can offer the company. You should have your own intelligent questions ready because an interview should not be a one sided process and it will help you to evaluate their offer. Not only are they qualifying you, but you are qualifying them. Researching the company and the industry extensively before your interview is of utmost importance. Listed here are some important things that you should know when going for your interview.
Know what the company is looking for in a candidate:
It is a given that the company is looking for a hard working, trustworthy individual. Such an answer will not give you any competitive edge. The interviewer has a criteria and wants to check all the boxes. Your job is to find out what is on their checklist. There are a few ways to obtain this information. You can do research on similar positions in other companies and create your own criteria. A sales job, for example, would always demand a candidate with excellent communication and presentation skills. Knowing this, you have a guideline on how to present yourself in the interview.
Know what the company will be expecting from you:
In order to be prepared for their offer, you should find out what they are offering their employees in the same position and how they came to that number. This will demand a little more hustle from your side. If you are applying for a sales representative job, for example, reach out to a current sales rep at that company. One way to obtain such "discreet" information is to phone the sales rep and say that you are conducting a survey on the targets and commission structure of sales reps in different industries. This is, in fact, exactly what you are doing. Ask about the weekly, monthly and quarterly sales targets as well as how successful they are in reaching those targets. When this section of the interview comes along, you will know exactly what your target is and how the salary is calculated, giving you all the tools you need to intelligently evaluate what they are offering. This will highly impress the interviewer.
Know who the major competitors are in the industry:
The company you are applying for, big or small, has competition. When researching the competition, find out what sets them apart or gives them competitive advantage over the prospective company. By doing this, you can spot opportunities that the prospective company which you are applying for wants to start developing. Equally important are the factors that gives the prospective company competitive advantage over the competition. You should know what makes your prospective company better than the rest.
Know the major clients:
Every company, service or production oriented, have a few major clients. Most of the time, these clients are other businesses rather than private individuals. If you know who these clients are, you have a good idea who you will be dealing with and what they use the prospective company for. You can highlight your knowledge of the client in your interview and mention any personal experience with those clients or businesses.
Know what the company is all about:
Every company has a culture. How you fit in is very important to your interviewer. If you know what the campany values are, you can determine what to emphasize about yourself such as character traits or personality. The company's mission should tell you all about their culture and where they are headed.
Know who will conduct the interview:
You can easily request this via email or a quick call to the HR offices. Once you find out the interviewers name, you can research his profile on "Linked in". Keep it professional, you don't need to know too much about his personal life so steer clear from Facebook, etc. Your interview is not much different from a sales pitch where you are the product. Find common interests and build rapport with your interviewer. This will give you more confidence and ease the tension.
General company information:
Search for general information such as who the CEO is and who is the head of your department. Information like this should'nt be too hard to find. Basic financial information can be found in their annual reports and company history can be found on the company website. You can find industry information in industry journals and business publications. Be sure to look for news headlines or articles in which the company was featured. Acknowledgement of such accomplishments will make great professional conversation.
Confidence is key in an interview. Like Richard Branson says, "over prepare, and then go with the flow".
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