A student once told me, "Sir, I read the job advertisement three times." I said, "That is good. Now go and find out what is not in the advertisement."
In my book I say that the advertisement gives you enough information to send a resume. It is not enough for an interview. For an interview you must know the organisation inside out. A manager's job in a small company and a smaller job in a big company can have the same pay, but your responsibilities will be very different. Jobs with the same title in two companies can mean very different work.
Start with the company website
Most companies have one. Look for the annual turnover, the range of operations and the company's philosophy. Sometimes the website gives a more detailed description of the job than the advertisement. If you find gaps between what they want and what you have, you now know which questions to expect.
If it is a large company with many locations, check what kind of work is done where. Find out whether the job is transferable and whether you are ready to move to another city.
But remember one thing. A website shows the company the way the company wants to be seen. It will not talk about the downside, and every company has one. So do not stop at the website.
Read and watch
I suggest the business pages of newspapers, not just the headlines and the sports page. Business magazines are good. For many fields there are magazines on that particular industry, and they tell you what is happening and where a company needs to improve. The book also suggests keeping one such magazine in your bag. Use the time you spend standing in a queue or waiting for a bus.
You can also watch business programmes to know whether a company is doing well or making losses. You do not want to join a company that is steadily losing money.
If you apply for marketing or advertising, pay attention to the company's latest products and its nearest competitors. Then you can talk about them in the interview.
Talk to people
Asking around often gives better results than any website. Find someone who has worked, or is working, in that company. A friend of a friend is fine. Ask about the work culture and the attitude of the people. If someone left, ask why, and whether the reason would stop you from joining.
Today you will also find many people online who work in a particular company, and a polite message to an alumnus of your college can give you good information. The principle is the same as in the book. Get your information from people who know.
If you can find out who your interviewer is going to be, learn something about his background and interests. But there is one caution. Never raise his favourite subject yourself. He may love golf and not want to discuss it at work. If he brings it up, you can talk. Otherwise keep quiet.
Visit the place beforehand
This is my favourite piece of advice, and very few follow it. Go to the company's office a day or two before. See how long it takes to reach. Find out how the floors are numbered, where the lift is and whether parking is paid.
Some companies have strict entry procedures. They may take your photograph through a webcam and give you a pass. This can take five minutes, or more than twenty if the queue is long. If you have not allowed for this, you will be late.
Visiting also tells you how the people dress. Whether it is formal or informal. And when you finally come for the interview, the security guard and the receptionist are no longer strangers. You are calmer. You do not feel like a square peg in a round hole.
If your interview is in another city, do not arrive at six in the morning for a nine thirty interview. A traffic jam, a bus breakdown or rain can spoil everything. If you can afford it, reach the previous evening and get a good night's sleep.
Fill in this worksheet
In the book I give a worksheet. Take a notebook and write the following for the company you are going to face. Write in your own words. Do not cut and paste.
- Name of the company, location and the post you have applied for.
- How to get there and how long it takes.
- The company's mission statement.
- What you learnt from the website, from magazines and newspapers, and from people.
- Anything you consider negative.
- What the work culture is like, and whether you will fit in.
- Why you are suitable for the job.
If you have no interview call right now, take an old interview you did not clear and fill it in anyway. You will see where you went wrong.
Once your worksheet is done, you will notice something. Your answers in the interview become specific. You will no longer say "I like your company because it is big." You will say what you actually know. That is how you stand out.
This is one chapter from my book Get That Dream Job.
