Talk to people about the company
Ask your friends, relatives, and
colleagues about the company. It’s as
simple as saying “I have an interview next week with the XYZ company for a marketing
position. Do you know anything about
them?” See what kinds of responses you get to this open-ended question. If all you get is a “no,” follow up by
asking if they know anyone else who might. Do
they know anyone who has worked there? Do they know anyone who has done business with the
company?
If at all possible, try to find someone
who works there or has worked there in the past. Those
are the folks who can give you the best picture of what it’s like to work at the
company. They are also the ones who can give
you insight into the dynamics of what goes on there day to day and what matters most to
the organization. Even if you can’t get
any closer than second or third hand information, you can still glean some insights that
are very useful. Some of the things you might
learn include:
- What types of perks the employees enjoy
- How well different departments work together
- Whether overtime is usually required
- What key values the organization adheres to
- What employees like most and least about the company
- What types of training the company offers
- Whether the company likes to promote from within
If you have the advantage of knowing one
or more people who work at the company or have worked there in the past, this can work
well for you in another way which will be discussed later.
Keep in mind when you are discussing the company you want to keep your game face on
and keep it professional. In your quest for information, you may run across a current or
ex-employee who wants to dish dirt about the company.
By all means, listen, you may get some useful information from them. Just don’t get in there with them and start
slinging too - about that company or any others you have worked for. That kind of talk has
a way of getting back to you. Think of
yourself as a reporter asking probing questions of different people and collecting their
impressions. The goal is to get information to help you ace the interview. You don’t
want to do anything that could damage your chances in the process.
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