Preparing Job Interview: Get a Glimpse into the Organization

Preparing Job Interview: Get a Glimpse into the Organization

  • Saturday January 25th, 2014
  • 5,081

job candidate investigatingProper preparation is the key to completing any task successfully. Preparing for a job interview is no different. In fact, it can be very challenging to some who may become stressful with such important events. Obtaining information about the organization as well as the people within it can help reduce the stress.

 

The hiring organization will check you out; are you checking them out too?

The hiring institution has an edge as they may check your references and get more information about your employment history from your previous employers. Unfortunately, you can only hope that the job posting you are applying for will take you to a good manager and work environment. You can’t check the manager’s references, nor obtain any meaningful information about the prospective workplace.

Researching the company or organization can be done online. Did you know that you can also research the hiring department and the position itself online as well? If you have the right keywords or terms, you can.

For example, let’s say that you are applying to several academic jobs at a university. The university’s website will provide almost everything you need to know about them from the different departments within the school to who runs each department. You may even be able to find out the names of the staff members within each department; will you find this information for other types of businesses?

 

Check out the background of the open position itself

What about the open position itself? Colleges and universities and other employers  post jobs in Canada and elsewhere quite often. They are looking to improve their staff and when they post a job opportunity, they are hoping that someone with a higher education and better skills will apply. The job posting will reflect certain terminology to provide clues about the position. How do you find out more about this position before the job interview?

You can use a combination of the institution’s name, the job title and even some of the skills that the job description notes to search the Internet with. You can search using any search engine such as Google or Bing. If any results are found, you can compare the results to the current posting and compare the information for any changes. You will be able to tell very easily if the criteria required for the position has changed and other information that may be related to the position itself.

If you have the manager’s name, search for that too. The purpose is to find out more about the institution, about whom you will work for and more about the environment, job requirements and any other tidbits of information to prepare your mind set and how you might answer questions and what types of questions you should ask during the interview. Yes, you should ask questions that are directly related to the position you are applying for and the institution itself.

With the information that you have gained during your research, consider possible questions that you can ask during your interview. Asking questions about what you have learned prior to the job interview and what you have learned during the interview will help give you a clearer picture about who and what the institution is. The hiring manager,  or the person interviewing you, is asking questions of you to determine if you are right for their team; why not ask questions of them to learn if they are the right employer for you?

Taking the time to research the employer, regardless if it’s for academic jobs or not, and about the job itself will give you an insight about who you may have the interview with, what the institution and job is about and if you may even be interested in accepting the position, if offered to you. Preparing for a job interview may take a little time from your day but the end result may be well worth your time.

 

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