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The 3 Topics You Should Research Before a Job Interview, With Don Raskin

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On this bonus episode, Don Raskin, author of The Dirty Little Secrets of Getting Your Dream Job reads his contribution to Mac’s book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere.

Check out Don’s book “The Dirty Little Secrets of Getting Your Dream Job”

Knowledge is power and the key to interview preparation is research. You must do these three things before your next job interview.

Research the company

  • Go to the company’s website and social media profiles. Collect information you can use during your interview.
  • Look for recent news items about the company, its competitors and the industry at large.
  • Use this information during the interview to help you look in the know.

Know the job description

  • Review the job description to understand the duties and responsibility of the job.
  • Search Indeed.com and look at similar positions from other companies to compare job requirements and responsibilities.

Find out about your interviewers

  • LinkedIn is your go-to resource for finding out about your interviewers’ expertise, background, and position at the company.

Transcript

Mac Prichard:

Hi. This is Mac, from Mac’s List. Before we start the show, I want to let you know about my new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere. I’ve been helping job seekers find meaningful, well-paying work since 2001; and now, I’ve put all my best advice into one easy-to-use guide. My book shows you how to make your resume stand out in a stack of applications, where you can find the hidden jobs that never get posted, and what you need to do to ace your next job interview. Get the first chapter now for free. Visit Macslist.org/anywhere.

This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life. I’m Mac Prichard, founder and publisher of Mac’s List.

On today’s bonus episode, we’re sharing exclusive content from Land Your Dream Job Anywhere.

For 15 years at Mac’s List, we’ve helped people find meaningful, well-paying work in Portland, Oregon–one of the country’s most competitive job markets. Now we’ve put all our best job hunting advice in one new book that can help you no matter where you live.

Land Your Dream Job Anywhere also includes advice from many of the national career experts who have appeared on our podcast. Today, we’re sharing one of these features exclusively with you, our podcast listeners.

Here is Don Raskin, author of The Dirty Little Secrets of getting Your Dream Job, reading his contribution: “Be Prepared: The Three Topics you SHould Research Before an Interview.”

Don Raskin:

Be Prepared: The Three Topics You Should Research Before an Interview.

There’s no doubt about it: interviews are stressful. But the more you prepare before you walk into the interview room, the better you’ll perform during the conversation. The key to interview preparation is research— knowledge is power. Take the time to research these three critical topics: the company, the job, and the people with whom you are interviewing.

To learn about the company, all you need to do is go to the company’s website and social media profiles, and pull out key facts about the business, the management team, the products and services, and the philosophy. You will use those facts in your interview, dropping them in as appropriate. You should also look for recent news items about the company, its competitors, and the industry at large. This makes you look smart and shows the interviewer that you did your home-work and came prepared.

You also need to understand the job at hand. One of my favorite interview questions is to ask candidates to describe the job they are currently applying for. Surprisingly, that question often trips them up. So before the interview, go back to the description of the job and review the duties and responsibilities. Then, go on Indeed.com or other job sites and look at similar positions in other companies to compare the requirements and responsibilities for those jobs. If you put it all together, you will have a pretty good feel for what the job is all about.

You also need to know your interviewers. For this purpose, LinkedIn is your go-to resource. Most professionals have a LinkedIn profile where you can learn more about their work history, education, and shared connections. Don’t worry about the interviewer knowing that you’ve viewed their profile. I actually like it when candidates check me out on LinkedIn prior to an interview. It tells me that they are doing their homework and are coming into the interview fully prepared for a good conversation.