Research the Company

By knowing as much as possible about the organization you’re interviewing with, you’ll be able to speak about topics that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Good places to research company information include:

• The business section of your public library
• Business and financial magazines
• Business sections of newspapers
• Your prospective employer’s company literature
• Your professional and personal network
• The company’s Web site
• Online research sources such as Vault Reports (www.vaultreports.com) and Yahoo! Finance (http://biz.yahoo.com/ic)

Create a Company Profile
Compile your company information into a company profile something like the following. (Of course, the contents of your format will depend upon what information you’re able to gather.)

COMPANY PROFILE
Company’s name: Westwood Running Shoes
Company’s location: Los Angeles, California
Company’s principle product: Running shoes
Company’s other products: Socks, t-shirts, shoe laces, sports decals
Hiring manager for department I’m interested in: Mr. Alfred Jones, VP of Marketing
Company’s annual revenue: $14 million
Customer demographics: 43% ages 18 and under, 35% ages 19-30, 17% ages 30-45, 5% ages 46+
Projected growth: $18 million in three years
Chief competitor: Anchor Line Shoes
Company promotional slogan: Westwood, for those in the fast lane

Salary Guide
Interview/Job Search Coach