Plan your interview Research your new employer

SWEATY PALMS, churning stomach, teetering on the verge of a major anxiety attack - getting through a job interview is definitely one of life 's more stressful hurdles. What if you are asked questions you couldn't answer? What if you appear ignorant, or worse?

Amidst all the dos and don'ts that one is bombarded with, there is one little detail that often gets overlooked - the importance of employer research before appearing for an interview. When two prospects of equal qualification vie for the same post, the one who has done more research claims a big advantage. Firstly, because it shows your keenness and attitude and employers love it, secondly, employers always want to hear what outsiders think about them and lastly if your research is good, you can turn the topic onto the company and thereby overcome your qualification and/or other deficiencies.

Ram, ICWA and ACS graduate with ample relevant experience was attending an interview for GM (Finance) in a large professionally managed company which had put down CA as a key qualification for the post. There were six candidates including Ram of which five were CAs. Ram had asked for the balance sheet, and analysed the key ratios. The MD was very surprised when Ram pointed out a few trends in the key ratios, which the MD did not know. The end result - Ram was hired overlooking his lack of CA qualification.

A few ground rules: while researching a company learn as much as possible. A number of approaches can be adopted to do this background check. Start with the company balance sheet (you can get it from your recruitment consultant or stock exchange records) Analyse the trends and cost/revenue ratios. If you can benchmark it with the next competitor's data your stock will go up. But make sure your figures add up and your analyses are right. Else you will commit harakiri. Secondly surf the net for broad industry trends. The size and growth pattern of a company says a great deal about opportunities for your advancement. Try answering questions like (a) Is the company in a healthy financial state (b) What market share does it have(c) What are the company's priorities and prospects (d) What are its problems and what kind of competition does it face (e) Are there any new products or projects in the pipeline? (f) Is the share price going up or down? It may not always be easy to access information of this kind because they may not be in the company's annual report or its balance sheets .One can look for an analyst's report on the particular firm or make the recruitment consultant go and get this information for you. Lastly, one can find current and headline- grabbing business news in magazines and periodicals.

Hard facts aside it is the 'soft information' which is sometimes hard to come by. Information like what kind of work ethos a firm has - aggressive or laid-back, informal or sophisticated - its hierarchical attitudes - rigid or flexible - all these details can make career adjustment an easier process. Ex-employees of the company can help one with information of this kind. If one is able to get in touch with his predecessor to the job he would not only get work-related information but also learn something about the boss he could be working with.

Finally, at the interview itself, it is important to let the panel know that you have done your homework well. One way of doing this is to use the company's own data as an example while answering a question. Second is to mention during your self- introduction that you are a diligent professional who does his/her homework. Many employers would take the cue and ask you for more details. If none of the above work, reserve it for the end when the employer asks you for any questions that you may have.

Remember that all employers want to feel wanted and your research is a way of telling them that you are keen to work for them.

T. Muralidharan,

MD, Career Community. com Ltd.