1. Know The Company
* Company values, goals, environment, personality
* Market share, position against competitors, place in the minds of consumers/clientele/constituency
* Any current and job relevant news about the company
* Understand the company’s role within it’s respective industry
Where To Look
* Company website(s)
* Search Engines – Google, Yahoo, etc.
* Press – online and print news syndicates and trade publications
* Corporate statistics: Hoovers, Fortune, Dun & Bradstreet, Wall Street Journal
* Employees you know at the company
How To Land The Job
* Incorporate the knowledge you know into your questions and responses.
* Be able to cite your sources in case you are quizzed on your knowledge.
2. Understand The Job
* Know the position for which you are interviewing.
* Understand your role within the department and the company.
* Know and understand the technical aspects of the position including key words, especially if you are in a technical, academic, or scientific field.
* Find out why they are hiring you and discern how to fill that need.
* Know how much it pays compared to the industry standard.
Where To Look
* Ask the company with whom you are applying for a copy of the job description. Remember, this may be different from the posted advertisement.
* Conduct an online search of the position in question to determine job related duties and responsibilities.
* If you can, find out from insiders or industry reports about current company issues and see how it relates to the position in question
How To Land The Job
* Impress your interviewer with your firm understanding of the position.
* Be prepared with job questions for the interviewer.
* Properly negotiate your starting salary without making the focus on money, but the value you’ll bring with your knowledge and experience.
* Hit the sweet spot by focusing on their needs and how you can bring value by meeting them.
3. Understand Yourself
* Understand your overall career and be able to explain each career move.
* Know your abilities/accomplishments and effectively communicate that on your resume.
* Know and list your short and long term goals.
* Break down your experience and personality with examples.
* Prepare for the worst.
Where To Look
* Talk with your career counselor about your overall career and how it involves your short term personal and career goals.
* Create a resume that properly communicates your experience, skills, and tailor it for the job at hand.
* Create a list of potential questions you could answer and practice them with your career counselor.
* Get prepared to answer questions regarding your mistakes, personality/ability weaknesses and resume gaps. Rehearse your answers to reduce interview anxiety.
How To Land The Job
* Memorize your answers and keep them brief. Invite dialogue between you and your interviewer.
* Communicate how all of your prior jobs and experiences lead up to the position in question with focus.
* Understand yourself and know your capabilities and weaknesses, demonstrate that despite them you are capable of trying different roles within the job itself.
4. Know The Interviewer(s)
* Your interviewer(s) will be scouring the internet for your presence, be sure to research them.
* Know their professional background, especially if you’ll be working closely with them.
* Identify commonalities between you and your interviewer (professional background, interests, goals)
Where To Look
* Searched facebook, twitter, brazen careerist, and other professional social networking sites.
* Use Google to see if they have any publications available or if their work has been featured in trade magazines.
* If possible learn about their career and their goals; find out if you have any common friends or work connections.
How To Land The Job
* Highlight your commonalities and how you could help each other.
* Briefly mention their career contributions and how you aspire for similar achievements.
* Keep it professional and light. Don’t get too personal too soon.
* Recognize that they have goals and budgets to maintain and relate with him/her.
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