So many people blow their chances of getting their dream job before the interview. They aren’t armed with the basic facts that make them feel properly prepared and informed at the interview stage. So what information should the interviewee find out before attending a job interview?

1) Company Background

The Internet has to be the key for finding about the company. First of all have a look at the company website. What kind of tone is the website setting? What kind of consumer is the company likely to be targeting?

Have a good read through any mission statements, financial results or ‘about us’ sections on the company website. As well as getting a better feel of the company paradigm, you will be able to discuss future company strategy from a more informed perspective at the interview.

Remember to have a search for other websites that offer a neutral perspective on the company as well. Companies House provides information on previous years’ accounts. Also, the Chairman, CEO or Managing Director may have appeared in the news in the past, so remember to search for their personal names on websites like Google News.

2) Industry Competitors

You need to know who your future competition will be if you get the job. In addition, if you can inform the company at interview stage of things that they don’t already know about the competition, it gives you a significant advantage to getting the job.

First of all, search for your prospective future company name on a search engine like Google. (Don’t type the URL straight into the address box at the top of the page.) Secondly, assuming you find the company’s website listed on the search engine, there should be an option for viewing ’similar sites’. Click on this option and you should be able to view a list of websites belonging to companies in the same industry.

Once you find the competitors’ websites, it is a good idea to do a very quick ‘SWOT analysis’ of their product and service offering. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. All you have to do is write down five quick bullet points on each SWOT heading about each company. It should take no longer that an hour to focus on the three most likely competitors, but it demonstrates a superb amount of personal preparation and keenness for the position at the interview.

3) Industry Trends

From your Competitor SWOT Analysis, you will be able to determine whether or not the competitors have any unique selling proposition compared to the company that you have the job interview with. You can then establish whether or not the consumer market for such unique propositions are expanding or contracting.

Ways of determining whether or not it is worthwhile suggesting during your job interview for your prospective employer to consider amending their current product offering include researching consumer trends websites such as Mintel or business information websites like the Financial Times.

In Job Hunting Tips - Interview Preparation - Part 2, we will discuss the questions you are likely to be asked at a job interview, the questions you should prepare to ask at your job interview and techniques to ‘close’ the interview effectively.

David Bain is a consultant to Uteach Recruitment who specialise in UK Teaching Jobs. Whether you are a school struggling to find a new teacher to fill a position or a teacher looking for a teaching job role in the UK, visit their website http://www.UteachRecruitment.com today.

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When an employer decides to conduct an interview with you, there are certain things that they are looking for from you. Naturally, you are likely to focus on these things during an interview, but you should remember all of the tips in this manual because following those tips is what is going to make the employers see all of those things in you.

Since everybody wants to have a leg up when it comes to an interview, it naturally seemed to be appropriate to let you in on what the employers are evaluating you on during an interview. So here is that list.

Your Enthusiasm : Employers want to know that you are willing and eager to be a part of their company. Being fully stocked with knowledge about the company is a sure fire way to show your enthusiasm.

Your ability to speak clearly : If you approach an interview mumbling and speaking slang, a prospective employer will not see you as a professional.

Showing your teamwork skills : You should show an example of your ability to work as a team during your interview.

Leadership skills : You should show your leadership abilities by approaching your interview with an offensive train of thought.
Problem solving ability : Employers needs to know that you can handle yourself when a problem arrives.

Work related experience : You definitely want to show that you have some experience in the field already, so that the employer knows that you will not be overwhelmed.

Community involvement : Employers love to see that you have done volunteer work. It shows that you take pride in your community, and a willingness to be a team player.

Company knowledge: Again, this stipulates that employers like to see that you have done your research about their company. It shows that your interest in working for them is sincere.

Flexibility : Employers want to know that you are able to go with the flow. It proves that they can depend on you later.

Ambition and Motivation : Ambitious people are generally motivated enough to make great improvements in the company as they are working their way up the ladder. Ambition usually means more money for the company.

People skills : Your ability to get along with others is very important to an employer. They need to know that you won’t ruffle any feathers when you are hired.

Professional appearance : Nobody wants a slob working in their office. Be certain to dress appropriately for the job that you are applying for.

Ability to Multitask : This is getting to be a very necessary skill in the workplace. Most days, you will be required to multitask. Even if you are not, employers need to know that you can do it without freaking out on them.

Computer ease : These days, just about every company in the world is running on computers. The ability to work a computer with at least minimal amount of ease is important. It is best to keep a leg up on the most common software like MS Office, Quark Express, and Linux.

Reliability : Employers want dependable and reliable people to work for them. Your ability to arrive on time is a good place to start when trying to prove that you possess this quality.

Chris Hickman owns a site that will teach you how to prepare for your job interview step by step. Check out his website at http://www.job-interview-prep.com

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