PRE-INTERVIEW RESEARCH

by Brian Skory

Prior to an interview, we advise our technical candidates to familiarize themselves with the company by visiting their Web site. At the very least, you would want to know about that company’s products or services. That’s the minimum. For the candidate who has a taste for drilling deeper, you could try the following.

MARKET SHARE

What percentage of market share does this company enjoy? Who are their main competitors for that market? Speaking of competitors, it never hurts to know a bit about the competition during an interview.

Market share can be a good indicator of stability. If this is a newer company, you might overlook a smaller market share, particularly if they have been showing signs of growth. But if this company has been in business for a while, a disproportionately small market share may be a sign that you should possibly be interviewing with one of their competitors!

CUSTOMER BUZZ

Any smart business has at least one ear to the Internet listening to what the public is posting about their business. And you should take a listen, too, before interviewing with that company. Apps and sites such as TweetDeck and SocialMention.com are a great way to see what the public is saying. But perhaps even more insightful is seeing how that company is responding to what is being said.

Just as a purely informal observation, I have noticed that some of my favorite consumer products and services are from businesses who not only are paying attention to what is being said about them on the Internet, but who take the time to intelligently address those comments. These also happen to be the companies that I’ve heard and read are some of the best to work for.

These are just two areas where you can dig a bit deeper into the ins and outs of a company you are interested in. Not only will you separate yourself from the other candidates who are interviewing for that role with this level of interview preparedness, but you will have affirmed in your mind that this is truly a company that you are comfortable taking a job with.

As always, we at Stout Systems are interested in hearing how your job search is going. Feel free to drop us an e-mail at [email protected].

Brian Skory is Stout’s Technical Talent Manager. Brian began his technical career 20 years ago. Key to Brian’s success throughout his career has been his consistent ability to find and hire the best talent.