30 www.blackeoejournal.com Black EOE Journal
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eyond knowing your own strengths and experience, what else should you know as you prepare for a job interview? Knowing as much as possible about a potential employer should be near the top of your list. How should you get that information? Learning about the organization youll be interviewing with is key, but this includes more than just knowing what the organiza- tion does. Youll also want to know about its leadership, culture, employees, stakeholders
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of its culture and values. Dig a little deeper by looking at its press or media section where you can find its latest news. Also, look for the names of leadership to see if you recognize them. An organizations blog can be a good source of information about its current areas of interest and focus. Many organizations list some of their clients and relevant projects, which will give you a more detailed under- standing of its work. and competitors. By being well informed, not only will you make a good impression on an interviewer, but you will be better prepared to decide whether the organization is a good match for you. Fortunately, there are many sources for that information. The organizations website. The website is where an organization tells the world what it does - what its products or services are. Take a look at its mission statement to get a sense Internet searches. A quick Google search of the organizations name can show you information about its financial situation, community engagement, philanthropic activi- ties and industry associations. You can also learn more about the organizations leadership - their backgrounds, speeches, public state- ments, etc. - via an Internet search. Social networks. Check out the organ- izations Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pro- iles. Here you can find recent news, employee activities and insight into the organizations culture. You can also see how it interacts with its fans and followers. You may want to fol- low the organizations pages to make sure you get the most up-to-date news right before your interview. LinkedIn. If you've identified the organi- zations leaders from its website or a Google search, you can also check out their LinkedIn profiles. In addition, when you learn the name of the person(s) youll be interviewing with, use LinkedIn to learn more about them and perhaps identify some areas of common inter- est. You can also use LinkedIn to find connec- tions you may have to current employees to gather additional first-hand information. Your network. Do you know someone else who works for the same organization? Check in with your network to find out if someone can share their experience with you. They may be able to give you a more in-depth idea of whether this company might be a good fit for you and talk with you about some aspects of the culture you might not find online. Once youve done your research, youll want to think of questions you might want to ask during your job interview such as: What do you think are the most important qualities for someone to do their best in this role? How would you describe a typical day and week in this position? Whats the most important thing I can accomplish in the first 60 days? What are the biggest challenges facing the company right now? What do you like best about working for this company? What are the next steps in the hiring process? You wont use all the information youve found, but asking questions based on some of the information will show your interviewer that youve done your homework and that youre truly interested in their company or organization.
Source: Ticket to Work
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