“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.”
What job to do?
What job is for me
A job you enjoy
Job goals
Planning for a job
Job action plan
Ready to apply?
Best Cover letters
Write a cv
How to find a job
Jobs in newspapers
Jobs for the boys
Ask & you might
Jobs on the web
Interview advice
Interview preparation
Interview Q & A’s
Company research
Interview research
Interview skills
Prepare 4 interview
Interview phrases
Good interview questions
Clothing for an interview
Lying in an interview
How to lie in an interview
Company Research for a job interview
Job interview research
Job research is similar to the previous article on company research but is focused on the actual job you are applying for.
Some businesses will supply you with information pack detailing your position description, roles and responsibilities. Others can supply very little, making your job even harder to research.
Getting started
If you have been given a limited job description and you are not sure what the job entails, go on the Internet and find similar jobs which may include specific job details. You may even see the job advertised on the companies website with a more detailed description.
Use your initiative and try to gain as much as much knowledge about the position as possible.
Below is an example of how you can use the Internet to get the edge on other job applicants by gaining an insight into the company. Not all positions will be as simple to research as this example, but you should be able to use the Internet to gain some extra information about your job.
Job in IT
The vague job description told you that the business needs somebody to maintain and modify their online shop, improve the company website and perform Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Must have a good understanding of PHP, HTML, CSS, javascript and SEO.
Actions you could take
Online shop
Visit the online shop and find out which ecommerce software they use. Research the software by visiting the creator’s website and independent forums. Make some notes on the software’s strengths, weaknesses and other businesses which use it.
Some shop questions to research
- What computer language is it in?
- What database does it use?
- Which web server software does it run on?
- Does it use CSS?
- Does it use javascript?
- Is it optimised for search engines?
- Does it use effective keywords?
- How does the site rank on Google?
Some company website questions to research
- Does it contain flash?
- Does it use PHP?
- Does it use javascript?
- Does it have a backend database?
- Is it optimised for search engines?
- Does it use effective keywords?
- How does the site rank on Google?