What should an individual consider learning about a company before going to a job interview?

An employer will invite you for an interview if they believe that you have the skills to succeed at their company. In the interview, they will seek to evaluate your genuine interest in the company and the role, your preparedness for the position, and your potential to add value to their team.

Your answers to the questions they ask will help them assess your skills, experience, and motivation.

Below, you will find suggestions on how to prepare for the interview and demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the position.

Preparing for Your Interview

Research the company and industry

We often hear from employers that candidates do not know enough about their companies when they interview. Employers gauge how interested you are by how much you know about their organization. This research is an easy way to improve your interview skills.

Find out as much as you can about the position, company, and industry.

• Learn about current trends and events that might impact your future employer.
• Review the organization’s website and social media activity.
• Try to speak to people in the organization through LinkedIn, peers, faculty, or family to gain insider knowledge.
• Make sure that you reread the job description and can communicate why you would be a good fit for the position.

Identify your goals and skills: Why do you want this job?

It is important to have a purpose in mind and communicate it to the employer. You will need to be able to show that you can support the company’s needs.

• Think about how the combination of your work experience, personal qualities, and academic or co-curricular activities make you uniquely qualified for the position.
• Describe the skills in your resume with examples using the SARA method (Situation, Action, Result, Application). 
• Identify transferable skills and make the connection between your experience and the position requirements. 

Your Chance to Interview the Employer

While the main goal of the interview is for an employer to evaluate you as a candidate, it is also one of your few chances to learn more about them. There are many aspects of a job that you can only uncover by speaking with the employer.

• Identify questions that can help you determine if this is the right position for you. Consider asking questions about the role, division, organization, and industry.

Practice your interviewing skills

Many people practice for an interview by writing down answers to common interview questions.

While organizing your thoughts on paper is helpful, the best practice is done verbally, alone, with a friend, mentor, or career counselor.

You can schedule a practice interview with a career counselor to get feedback on your interview style, presentation, and body language. We also host a Practice Interview Program that allows you to practice and get feedback from a Columbia alum.

For independent practice in a virtual format, we recommend Big Interview, which you have access to for free through our office. You can practice answering interview questions by industry or job function, record yourself, and use their tool for self-assessment or share any video with a mentor for feedback.

Additional Resources for practicing interview questions

Final Checklist

Make sure that you run through the following checklist a few days out from your interview:

1. Have you researched the field, organization, and position?
2. Have you thought about your goals, values, and skills; and how they match the opportunity?
3. Have you made sure your online image on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is appropriate and professional?
4. Do you know the name and title of the interviewer or who to check in with?
5. Have you prepared an appropriate interview outfit?
   • Our Clothing Closet is a great resource for students in need of professional attire for an interview, career fair, or professional networking event.
6. Have you identified the time and place of the interview and the best method to get there?
7. Have you practiced answering common interview questions?

The Night before Your Interview

• Read through your notes, resume, cover letter, job description, company or industry summaries one last time.
• Know the route you will take to the location and how much travel time you will need.
  • Build in additional time to ensure you are not late.
• Make sure to dress professionally
  • Examine your clothing for stains and wrinkles. Look for scuffs on your shoes.
• Have the following items prepared:
  • Multiple copies of your resume
  • 3–4 professional references (separate from your resume)
  • Notepad
  • Pens 
  • A folder for your resume

You’re ready! Get a good night’s sleep to ensure that you’re at your best on the day of the interview.

The Day of the Interview

Remember to…

• Be on time!  Arrive at least 10–15 minutes early.
• Bring the supplies you prepared the night before your interview.
• Be considerate and polite to ALL staff members. You never know who will provide input for a hiring decision.
• Turn off all mobile devices.
• Avoid any scents or jewelry that may be distracting to the employer.
  • Do not smoke right before your interview.
• Discard any chewing gum or breath mints before your interview.
• Be enthusiastic and smile!

During the INterview

• Listen carefully to the interviewer.
• Make sure you answer the question your interviewer is asking.
• Relate your skills, accomplishments, and objectives to the needs of the company.
• Provide specific examples when possible using the SARA method (Situation, Action, Result, Application).
• Focus on the positive aspects of your training and experience. You don’t have to apologize for any perceived lack of experience or background.
• Observe the people and office space to get a sense of the company’s culture.
• If you do not have the interviewer’s contact information request a business card so that you can send a thank you note.

Body Language

Your posture, eye contact, and hand gestures all contribute to the impression you make on the interviewer. The following examples of proper body language and behavior specific to the U.S. job market may help you assess your presentation:

• POSTURE: Your posture can convey confidence or insecurity. Sit up straight to send a message that you are comfortable and confident.
• EYES: Maintain eye contact with your interviewer and others in the room. If you focus all of your attention on one person, you will not engage other interviewers.
• HANDS: Avoid fidgeting. Use your hands to express yourself in moderation.
• LANGUAGE: Be clear and direct. Avoid the use of filler words such as um or like between phrases or sentences. Do not ramble. When you finish making your point, stop! Silence is acceptable.

After the Interview

• Send a thank you note within 24 hours of the interview. 
  • Check out a sample thank you note for inspiration.
• If you do not hear from the employer after the hiring timeline they initially indicated follow up professionally, and only once.
  • Call or email the interviewer or human resources representative and inquire about the position and the new hiring timeline.
• Evaluate your performance.
  • Did any questions stump you? Now is the time to improve your answers for the next interview.
• After a first round interview you may be called back for additional rounds of interviews depending on the employer’s process.
  • For those participating in On-Campus Interviews, keep in mind that second round interviews are typically not held at CCE, but at company offices.
  • Check out our resource on what to expect at a second round interview to help you prepare.
• If a job offer is provided on the spot, which is uncommon, it is appropriate to thank the employer and to tell them that you need more time to consider the opportunity.
  • At that point, ask about the company’s timeline and deadline for your answer.

Schedule a 30-minute appointment with one of our counselors to prepare for your interview. Interviewing can be one of the most stressful parts of the job search process, but following these suggestions will allow you to feel confident in your preparation!

Job interviews can be intimidating. The good news, however, is that there are a variety of ways for you to prepare for your interview and calm those nerves. 

One quick and easy thing you can do? Research. 

Doing a little research prior to your interview can not only help lower your stress, but arm you with the knowledge you need for a successful interview.

Here’s how researching an employer can help:

If you’re still not convinced, don’t worry. We’re going to break things down for you and provide specific examples and research tip to make sure you are well prepared for your interview. 

5 reasons you should research a company before your interview:

1. To demonstrate your interest in the job.

Never plan to go into an interview and “wing it” – especially if you want it to go well. After all, employers are unimpressed by job seekers who don’t know anything about the job they are applying for, or the company itself.

Researching an employer beforehand allows you to LEARN. You’ll learn valuable information about their business, their clients and the industry in general.

The knowledge you gain will, in turn, increase your comfort level and confidence during the interview. It will become apparent to the interviewer that you did your homework. Particularly when you are able to have an actual conversation with them about the job and the business.

Not sure where to start? 

Consider researching the following before your interview: 

• • How long has the company been in business? 
  • What products and services do they offer?
  • Who is the CEO?
  • What’s the company’s mission?
  • Are there any recent news or updates about this company? 

Simply put, doing research before your interview will demonstrate your seriousness about a position. And it will go a long way in making a good impression.

Show them that you want the job. Take the time to investigate.

2. To learn about the company’s culture, mission and values.

It’s important to look beyond what a company does. And researching an employer before an interview enables you to do just that.

How? It allows you to view them with a wider lens.

After all, a business is more than just the services they offer or the products they manufacture. A business is also a brand, a culture, an environment.

Knowing what a company’s mission statement is and what they value will help you uncover a deeper layer to the business. You’ll gain insight regarding what the employer cares about, what they prioritize and it will ultimately help you discover who they really are.

You’ll now have a bigger, more clear picture of the business. Not to mention a better understanding of what the company prioritizes — and even what it might be like to work there. 

If you don’t do your research, you’ll have a limited view of the organization. This could be a problem for you later on, especially if you find that the company is not the right fit for you. 

Investing a little time in researching an employer will help you both learn more and make a more informed decision later on.

3. To better align yourself to the company.

Your main goal in an interview is to show the employer that you are the right person for the job. Since you’ve already learned what the company does and what they care about, you can now market yourself to them in a way that makes sense to their business.  

Take note of any words you find repeated through your research and – when appropriate – incorporate them in the experiences you share. 

For instance, if the company values accountability, share experiences where you demonstrated accountability. Maybe you consistently hit all of your assigned responsibilities before their deadlines. Or maybe you led a team to reach a large goal.

Aligning your skills and experience to a company in this way, will show that you not only understand what’s important to the company, but that you’d be a great fit to their company culture. The hiring manager will have no trouble envisioning you on the team.

4. To help craft meaningful questions.

It’s important to have questions ready to ask at the end of your interview. It shows you have prepared and have familiarized yourself with the company and what they care about.

And it has the potential to make a great impression on your interviewer.

But you don’t want to ask questions that don’t add value – or that you could have easily found the answer to by researching an employer beforehand.

Avoid obvious questions such as:

• • What does the company do?
  • How long have you been in business?
  • Who are your competitors?
  • What is the company’s mission and values? 

These questions are guaranteed to make you seem lazy or uninterested in the position. You most likely would have found answers by doing some investigating. 

Demonstrate that you did your homework by using your knowledge to ask more insightful questions. 

Ask thoughtful questions such as:

• • I saw on the company website that X is one of the core values of the business. How would you say this position demonstrates that value?
  • I know that the company’s overall mission is X. But can you share some of the company’s short and long-term goals with me? What part would I play in helping the business achieve those goals?
  • I see that X is important to your company. How would you say that team leaders set employees up for success in that area? 
  • I know the company has a strong culture of X. How do you feel your team exemplifies that culture?

This will show your interviewer you’re eager to be an asset to the business. And, as an added bonus, you’ll discover if their business goals align with your professional goals. 

5. To determine if it’s the right fit for you.

The average person spends about 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime. 

Now, imagine you hate your job. How many hours of your life will you spend dreading going to work? That’s why researching an employer is so critical. 

Before you begin your research, however, you first need to determine what’s important to you in the workplace. Is it professional growth? Healthy work/life balance? Quality training and development? 

Once you know that, there are several resources you can utilize to investigate a potential employer. Sites like Glassdoor, for example, where you can find feedback from current and former employees about the work environment and company culture.

You can also look into company reviews, customer reviews, and charities and organizations they support. 

Sites like Google and Yelp might give you some general  information on what people think of an organization. You might also find employee and client ratings through more specialized sites like ClearlyRated. 

Getting insight on how people feel about a company and how they present themselves to the world can help you decide if it’s somewhere you actually want to spend one-third of your life.

As you can see, doing research on the company you’re going to be interviewing with can only help you. And it’s also worth mentioning: interviewers can tell if you’ve prepared for the interview or not. 

Invest in your future and do your homework.  Researching an employer before your interview will set you apart from other applicants, increase your confidence and help set you up for success. 

How TERRA Can Help

If you are interested in more interview tips, check out our blog. We have some great articles designed specifically to help job seekers thrive.

Here are some helpful job seeker articles we have available to help you prepare for a successful job interview: 

And if you are interested in getting help with your job search, don’t forget that a staffing agency is a great resource. Recruiters want you to be successful and often provide additional support, including interview prep.

Looking for work in the  Seattle-Puget Sound, Portland, Phoenix and Denver metro areas? Consider partnering with TERRA Staffing Group. We’d love to help you find the right fit.

(Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.)