In today’s highly competitive job seeking market, you need to do detailed preparation prior to any phone and/or onsite interviews with potential new employers. Solid preparation will permit you to stand out from the competition!
Thanks to the internet, you can quickly and easily review the company’s web site for information on the company’s products and services. Make sure to review press releases and news on the company as well. If the company is publicly traded, you should be able to find a wealth of financial data on the company with your internet research.
Use LinkedIn to review the profiles of anyone that you will be speaking or meeting with during the interview. Doing this will give you insight into their current duties and responsibilities but also may provide you with some “ice breakers” to start the interview on a light note.
Speak with any friends who either know first hand information about the company or interviewers to try to gain some insight or a competitive edge.
If you doing a phone interview with the company, make sure to have a pad and pen available in order to jot down your thoughts or to use the pad to solve a technical problem.
Take the time to review the description of the job that you are being interviewed. Write down your key accomplishments in current or past jobs that relate to this position. Make sure to highlight these accomplishments during your interview session.
Ask the interviewer, “What are the key problems/issues that this role is looking to solve?” Once you know this information, you are in a great position to relate to the interviewer just how you handled these issues in the past and what solutions that you developed. Companies are looking to hire candidates who are not only sharp technically but who are good problem solvers and creative thinkers.
Detailed preparation to any interview is the key to success.