LinkedIn has over 57 million businesses registered. When you are preparing for an interview, there is a strong chance the company or the interviewer is on LinkedIn. The platform is a great tool to help you prepare for an interview.
You’re probably wondering how. If so, this article is for you! Learn how to research a company for an interview below.
What to Research About a Company Before an Interview
There is a lot of information out there about companies and it may be hard to know what is important before an interview. There are five key areas you need to focus on before heading into your interview if you want to wow the company. Those areas are:
Company Basics
If you don’t understand the basics about the company, the role, and the industry, the interview is not going to go well. You should research the products or services they offer, the size of the company, and the company’s mission.
Understanding these company basics makes you a stronger interviewer. Not only can you answer the questions more accurately and in relation to the company, but you can also ask thoughtful questions.
Key Leaders & Company Stats
Depending on the size of the company, this information may or may not be readily available. Finding out a little about the key leaders in the company can tell you a lot about the culture. While finding this information, you should also see if you can discover more about the company’s financial health and its standing among competitors.
Recent News
Has the company been making waves in the news recently? A quick Google search for “company name + news” will give you the good and the bad.
Scanning the most recent news articles about the business can give you important nuggets of information that could make you stand out in an interview. Knowing something like that about the company and asking for details could be the differentiator you need to land the job.
Culture
A job interview is just as much an assessment of the company to make sure you fit as it is for them to see if you are the best candidate for the role. LinkedIn and Glassdoor both offer great platforms that can give you insight into a company’s culture.
Let’s say you are an eccentric person who prefers working with little supervision. However, the company likes to micromanage its teams to ensure processes are followed to a T. Then you may not be a good fit. And finding this out before an interview so you can ask targeted questions to clarify this suspicion will help you make the best decision about your next job.
Your Interviewer
It may or may not be possible to know who is interviewing you before you go in. If you do know, you can easily look them up on the company’s website or LinkedIn. Building rapport with your interviewer is important, so finding out a few small details that you can tie in or relate to can help to create that connection.
It is important you don’t make it obvious you found out this information from a profile. For example, if the interviewer posted a picture of their cat, you don’t want to say “I saw your cat on LinkedIn and I love cats!” Instead, you would want to include that you like cats when discussing your likes or what you do outside of work. This makes you seem like less of a stalker while still creating the connection.
How to Research a Company For an Interview Using LinkedIn
Did you know that you can find most of the above information by perusing LinkedIn? So many companies have a presence on LinkedIn that finding out more about the entire organization is fairly simple. Here is how to discover the information you need for a successful interview:
Find Their Company Profile
The first step is to find the company’s profile on LinkedIn. Once you do, you’ll usually find out more about the mission, the vision, open jobs, and the team employed by the company. Many companies also post recent news or updates about the company that you can use during an interview. The company profile could lead you to the answers for all five areas discussed above.
Look Through Current Employees
Browsing the current team members will tell you more about possible interviewers or leaders if you are hired. And you can learn a lot about someone with a LinkedIn profile. Many employees leave testimonials for exceptional leaders, so you can get a personalized review.
Identify Possible Connections
Does someone you know work at the company? A possible connection could make all the difference. Especially if the connection is close and can give you a recommendation or a referral. When you find the company page, it will also highlight connections you have at the company, making it easier to determine.
Prepare Your LinkedIn Profile and Resume Before Your Search
Now that you know how to research a company for an interview, you need to make sure your profile and career documents are updated. At Always Typing Resumes, we can help you professionalize and optimize your LinkedIn profile so recruiters take notice. Our services include resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles.
