Researching an Organisation

Researching an organisation is an absolute must and can be make or break when it comes to not only getting a new job but getting the right job for you.

Yet quite often many people do precious little research into an organisation before interview, reducing their chance of getting the role or if they get the role and an offer they are often disappointed with the role and perhaps the culture of the company when they accept the job.

The message is simple therefore: don't skimp on preparation before an interview, and a pivotal part of that preparation is to research an organisation.

The good news is that research is easier than ever to do with the advent of the internet. Simply searching for the company on the internet will bring up lots of new stories and you can easily see how they are doing in terms of the financials, public and press perception, and get a good feel for them through a few searches.

Most companies also have a corporate information section on their website so again you can find out more about them this way.

It is a good thing to research current news stories about the company, or recent headlines or product releases or innovations or so on. Try and work these into the interview and you will show that you are knowledgeable and have put effort in - a plus. Some companies even ask directly the last news story about that company that you saw in the press, for instance.

Also ask focussed questions about company policy: for instance if you have a question about one of their schemes then you can raise this at interview again showing off your knowledge.

Finally consider speaking to a few employees if you can at an organisation before interview and even shadowing one. Mention this at interview for even more brownie points. The bottom line is that it is so easy to research organisations these days that if you don't do research before a job, then you are unlikely to impress and can scupper your own chances of getting that new job and potential pay rise too!