By Toni Bowers
It’s imperative that you
do your research on a company before you interview with them. Not only does
being well-versed in a company’s mission and history help you tremendously when
it’s time to ask the interviewer some questions, but it will also help you decide
whether it’s a place you even want to work.
What kinds of things do you want to know?
Takeaway: Before
a job interview, find out more about your prospective company. You’ll ask
better questions and be able to decide if you actually want to work there.
Many times your IT skills will
transfer to a completely different industry than what you’ve been working in.
Research is also a good way to get acquainted with an industry you’re not
familiar with so you’ll be prepared to talk about how your skills could
transfer.
There are several ways to do this
research. You can google the company name or, if the company is big enough, it
probably has its own Web site.
Here are some other resources you can use to research
a company:
What kinds of things do you want to know?
Here’s the kind of information
you want to look for:
·
How old is the company?
·
How large is the company?
·
What are its products or
services?
·
Who are its customers?
·
Who are its major competitors?
·
What is its reputation /
industry standing?
·
Where is the company’s
headquarters?
·
Look at the company’s About Us
page and see how many women and minorities they have in key roles.
·
What are its short- and long-term
goals?
·
How has the company resolved
problems?
·
Have there been recent employee
layoffs?
·
What are the backgrounds of the
managers?
·
What training programs are
offered?
Source: TechRepublic