It’s Time to do Your Research

Doing your research before an interview can be the most important thing you do to prepare for your meeting with a prospective employer. It doesn’t matter if you are a personal trainer, nursing assistant or nail technician, everyone needs to do their research.

Sure, it sounds easy. However, thanks to the large quantity of resources on the Internet, finding the most relevant information can be a daunting task. This is why we created a list of tips that can help you do a proper analysis of a company before walking through its doors.

• First, locate the company’s website and review their “About Us” page. This usually gives a general overview of a company, as well as a brief explanation of its purpose 
• Research the history of the company. This can give you a better sense of the company’s culture, how it has grown over the years and what it values most
• Know the mission statement. A company’s mission statement communicates to outsiders the company’s purpose for existing. The statement is usually one to three sentences and often reveals the most important aspect of the company
• Read about the people that work at the company. Many times, you can get to understand a company’s culture, what type of people they hire and what they look for in an individual by reading employee bios. Things to look for include how long people have worked at the company, what type of education employees have and if the bio focuses on skills or personality of the individuals
• Take a look at the portfolio or services list. If you are looking for a creative career, such as a nail technician, or a career that provides services to people, such as a massage therapist or esthetician, be sure to look at a company’s past work or services they provide. It is a good way to find out which of your skills to focus on during an interview, and it helps you to get an idea of what types of jobs you could be doing
• What does the company do outside of its doors? It’s important to know if the company is involved in any nonprofit work or if they participate in community events. This can tell you if a company cares to give back to the community and if they encourage employees to do the same 

Not only does doing your research give you an overview of the company you are going to interview with, but it can also help make you feel more prepared in your interview. Doing your research can clue you in on which of your skills to highlight, personality traits to portray, conversation starters to use and specific questions to ask. Remember, the company wants to know that you are going to be passionate about what you do and that you are knowledgeable about not only your area of study but also how to be a professional.