{"id":8357,"date":"2018-07-28T08:38:54","date_gmt":"2018-07-28T08:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monsterindia.com\/career-advice\/what-you-need-to-know-about-a-company-before-an-interview-8357\/"},"modified":"2021-12-31T08:32:34","modified_gmt":"2021-12-31T08:32:34","slug":"what-you-need-to-know-about-a-company-before-an-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/what-you-need-to-know-about-a-company-before-an-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"What you need to know about a company before an interview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\"><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\">So, you\u2019ve managed to clinch a job interview after an arduous search \u2013 congratulations! However, there\u2019s still some hard work left to do in the form of research, research and yet more research. You need to know as much as possible about the company you\u2019re interviewing with so as to avoid not being caught off guard during the conversation. Since technology provides access to a wealth of information, it\u2019s up to you to make the most of it and increase your chances of getting hired. Here are a few key facts about the company you should familiarise yourself with:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt\">Check social media channels<\/span><\/strong><br><\/span><br><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\">You should assume your future employers will be checking all of your social media accounts, and it\u2019s only fair for you to check them out. Pay special attention to the quality and frequency of content posted, as well as the tone of voice used. If the company is relatively young and uses a witty writing style, it\u2019s okay to loosen up a bit during the interview itself. But if the company is in a traditional sector, such as banking or law, express yourself accordingly. It will also help give you a hint on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.monster.com.hk\/career-advice\/dressing-for-the-interview-by-industry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how you should dress for the interview<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt\">Research their public impression<\/span><\/strong><br><\/span><br><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\">While companies control their own social accounts, they do not hold similar sway over the media. Check major news and trade publications for recent updates on your chosen company. There are tell-tale signs of growth in an operational expansion plan, new managerial hires and declarations of quarterly or annual profits (for publicly listed companies or those who choose to release it). On the other hand, if the company is in the news for all the wrong reasons (corruption, sub-par leadership, massive quarterly losses) you might want to rethink your interview.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 12pt\">Dive into the company culture <\/span><\/strong><br><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\"><br>While there is no completely accurate way to gauge this until you join the company and experience it for yourself, you can still gather an impression of a company\u2019s by talking to current and former employees. If possible, head down to a career fair or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.monster.com.hk\/career-advice\/5-networking-tips-for-your-next-conference\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">networking session the company will be at to chat with employees <\/a>about their experiences and determine if you would be a good fit. If that isn\u2019t an option, check if employees are tagged in the company\u2019s social media posts and then check out their profiles, if they\u2019re public. Don\u2019t hesitate to message them, introduce yourself, explain you have an upcoming interview, and ask if they\u2019re comfortable answering a few preliminary questions you have. Usually, employees that are happy at work are comfortable talking about it on social platforms.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt\">Uncover company values<\/span><\/strong><br> <\/span><br><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\">Thoroughly read through the company\u2019s website, making sure to digest the corporate values listed to make sure they resonate with what you\u2019re looking for in an employer. If there are case studies and client testimonials available, browse through them and determine the qualities the company is known for. If the material talks of numbers and KPIs achieved, the company is results-oriented. On the other hand, if the company is involved in a lot of outreach, training and community work, they probably value development and cultivation of human potential. If for some reason this information is not available on their website, it\u2019s definitely something you should ask about during your interview.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt\">Read up on competitors<\/span><\/strong><br> <\/span><br><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\">Prominent companies are likely to have competitors who are as, if not better, established than they are. Do your due diligence by finding out what sets the company of your choice apart from the competition. Study the other business and determine what values and beliefs they hold dear. Note any and all differences in communication styles, offerings and positionings, and try coming up with your own insights. Your research will undoubtedly pay off during the interview process.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So, you\u2019ve managed to clinch a job interview after an arduous search \u2013 congratulations! However, there\u2019s still some hard work left to do in the form of research, research and yet more research. You need to know as much as possible about the company you\u2019re interviewing with so as to avoid not being caught off [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8357","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-interview-tips"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8357"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11621,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8357\/revisions\/11621"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.my\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}