How to Research a Company Before an Interview

TL;DR

To effectively research a company before a job interview, utilize Google Alerts for real-time updates on news and job postings, leverage Google Trends to analyze product demand over time, and access the Vault Career Library for exclusive company reports. These methods not only prepare you for interview questions but also enable engaging conversations with interviewers.

Transcript

• Let's be real. If you received a dollar every time someone told you to do your research before an interview, you'd have enough money to never have to job search again. Okay, maybe the amount would need to be slightly higher, but the fact remains that everyone tells you to do research, but no one walks you through the specific steps to take. In th... Read More

Key Insights

• 😮 Conducting research on a target company before a job interview is crucial for success in impressing the interviewer.
• 📰 Google Alerts can help stay updated on the company's news and job postings, increasing the chances of being an early applicant.
• 👤 Google Trends provides insights into industry trends and user behavior that can be used to support answers and show a long-term outlook.
• 🧑‍🎓 The Vault Career Library, especially available to college students, offers valuable reports and reviews on companies and industries.
• 😷 Research findings can be used beyond interview answers, such as in small talk and asking relevant questions to engage with the interviewer.
• 👨‍🔬 Utilizing multiple research methods, such as Google Alerts, Google Trends, and the Vault Career Library, ensures a comprehensive understanding of the target company.
• 👨‍🔬 Reading and staying updated on the research findings acquired through these methods is crucial for their usefulness.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can Google Alerts be used to find job postings in a specific team on a company's official careers page?

By using job function keywords in quotation marks, followed by the site search operator and the company's official career page URL, you can receive alerts whenever a new job posting in that team is listed.

Q: How can Google Trends be helpful in answering the "why do you want to work here" interview question?

You can use Google Trends to show the long-term growth and user interest in a particular industry, such as electric vehicles, which can support your enthusiasm for working in that industry and for the specific company.

Q: How can the Vault Career Library be beneficial for researching a target company?

The Vault Career Library provides access to exclusive reports and reviews on companies, offering insights into the industry, pros and cons, and defining events. Even the free version of Vault.com can provide helpful talking points for interviews.

Q: Can the insights from research be used beyond the interview answers?

Yes, besides incorporating research findings into interview answers, you can use them in small talk at the beginning of the interview and in asking meaningful questions at the end to demonstrate your preparedness and knowledge.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The video shares three practical ways to research a company before a job interview, focusing on finding relevant and up-to-date information on the company and role.

• The first tip suggests using Google Alerts to stay updated on the company's latest news and job postings.

• The second tip recommends using Google Trends to understand the demand for the company's products over time.

• The third tip suggests using the Vault Career Library, particularly for college students, to access exclusive reports and reviews on the target company.